Windows Caching Programs

[infobound]

Here is a wierd one, just wondering if anyone else has ever come
across this.

I write custome programs for the company I work for. A couple years
ago and again recently, I update a program, released it to production
and one computer still runs the old exe.

Both times my first thought is I released the old exe back into
production thinking i had copied the new one. In both cases I
recompile the exe and make sure I post out the new exe to the server,
but when I fire the new exe from these computers, the computer is
displaying the old exe, even thought the old exe is no longer in the
folder or anywhere to be launched. I reboot the computers and now the
new exe is running.

I am unable to repeat this in any way, like I said, the first time was
a couple years ago and then again recently. This is even on two
different computers.

My only thought is that windows is saving the old exe to some temp
location and just using it not the new one on the server. Any
thoughts from anybody?

 

[JS]

Have you checked the registry for bogus entries?

JS

 

[PD43]

Have you checked the registry for bogus entries?

Could you enlighten the rest of us how to do that?

 

[infobound]

Have you checked the registry for bogus entries?

JS










- Show quoted text -

bogus entries of what? what am I looking for?

 

[JS]

Search the registry for all entries that contain the name of your .exe
program.
For each entry found check the path pointing to the .exe,
there should be only one path (directory location found - the correct path)
and no other locations.

JS

Have you checked the registry for bogus entries?

JS










- Show quoted text -

bogus entries of what? what am I looking for?

 

[PD43]

bogus entries of what? what am I looking for?

I doubt that "JS" has a clue.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Could you enlighten the rest of us how to do that?

No. (Enlightenment comes from within, grasshopper).

 

[JS]

Your are correct, I did not develop the program or the install method, but
since the old version apparently keeps on going then a registry search is a
place to start.

JS

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

Here is a wierd one, just wondering if anyone else has ever come
across this.

I write custome programs for the company I work for. A couple years
ago and again recently, I update a program, released it to production
and one computer still runs the old exe.

Both times my first thought is I released the old exe back into
production thinking i had copied the new one. In both cases I
recompile the exe and make sure I post out the new exe to the server,
but when I fire the new exe from these computers, the computer is
displaying the old exe, even thought the old exe is no longer in the
folder or anywhere to be launched. I reboot the computers and now the
new exe is running.

I am unable to repeat this in any way, like I said, the first time was
a couple years ago and then again recently. This is even on two
different computers.

My only thought is that windows is saving the old exe to some temp
location and just using it not the new one on the server. Any
thoughts from anybody?

Is there a copy of it in C:\Windows\System32\dllcache?

 

[infobound]

I found a couple of interesting things out while running some searches
on the victim machine. I found two different copies of the program in
the "PreFetch" folder. I am researching what this folder does exactly
but it looks like it might have been the culprit. I will post back
what I find, if you have any suggestions I would appretiate them.

 

[infobound]

What I found out is that windows makes a copy of programs and data
files for faster loading and places them in this PreFetch folder. I
was unable to verify but this is the possible cause of the problem.
Windows may have just thought that the .exe had not changed and did
not re-download it from the server.

Due to not being able to reproduce the issue, I guess this is as far
as I can go.

Thanks for all your help.