Fix found for "missing checkpoint" problem

[Bill Sanderson]

Donald Johnson has found a fix for a problem in which System and Application
agents have no checkpoints.

I wonder whether this update might solve some other issues related to the
beta program?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I found the problem. Both of the MS AntiSpyware processes gcasDtServe.exe
and gcasServe.exe use the Visual Basic runtime machine found in
msvbvm60.dll. By running the update:

Service Pack 6 for Visual Basic 6.0: Run-Time Redustribution Pack
(vbrun60sp6.exe)

found at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...61-7a9c-43e7-9117-f673077ffb3c&DisplayLang=en

the missing checkpoint problems where solved.

 

[Andre Da Costa]

Thanks for this Bill, I will post on my space.

 

[OldBoy]

AFAIK the real "fix" is in Windows XP SP2.
The version of msvbvm60.dll should be 6.0..96.90
Are all/some problems related to not up-to-date systems?

Gr. Jan

 

[Bill Sanderson]

You are probably correct--I haven't investigated why that "service pack"
would be necessary.
I'm always surprised by the number of folks here that don't keep patched.
There was a patch I read today from an XP Gold user.

 

[OldBoy]

I used Locate32 from http://www.uku.fi/~jmhuttun/english/softwares.shtml and
searched for msvbvm60.
It did found msvbvm60.dl_ on my download drive under ..\wxp-sp2\i386.
After unpacking I found the version to be 6.0.96.90; the same as in
vbrun60sp6.exe
Hence my conclusion: the system was not up-to-date.

Gr. Jan

 

[Richard]

I had noticed,a few days ago, that Security Agents were not running even
though a right click of the tray Icon said all was well. Drilling down
through Security Agents Status showed 25 of 25 check points active for each
of the three categories! Further on each group was shown as Inactive and no
checkpoints were listed in detail. Running the "Service Pack 6" has fixed
the problem.

FWIW I am a casual user of XP SP2 Home which I keep fully up to date via the
Windows update site. So it came as a surprise to find I needed to install
this patch KB 290887 I have never been offered this by Windows updates!

Richard.

..

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Thanks for posting the details--particularly that you are on SP2 and fully
patched with critical patches.

I'll go back and re-read the material in the KB article and see what the
"target audience" is for this service pack.

I'm certain that this issue will not persist for long--probably not beyond
beta1.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I've read the details at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290887

and it isn't specific about whether a particular OS/SP combination needs
these files, but it is specific about some error messages that indicate that
applying this service pack may well help.

Basically, some kinds of installation errors, and registration errors in the
errors.log file, indicate that it will be worth trying this download, as I
see it now.

 

[Donald Johnson]

I had XP Service Pack 2 installed, but still had to update the VB runtime
engine to solve the problems! You would think that with all of the
applications out there incorporating at least some VB executables, the
service pack would include the latest VB runtime files or maybe VB Runtime
Service Pack 6 was released after XP Service Pack 2 . The VB runtime Service
Pack 6 updates msvbvm60.dll to version 6.0.97.82 .

Don

P.S. VB runtime service pack 5 also solves the MS-ASW problems.

 

[Richard]

Bill,
My take on the situation is that MAS V1.0.509 needs Vbrun60 sp6.exe to be
present so that real time protection can run effectively and the checkpoints
be reported correctly. This was not a requirement of the previous MAS
version.

The service pack found at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...61-7a9c-43e7-9117-f673077ffb3c&DisplayLang=en
certainly restored MAS on my computer to full functionality.

This service pack is not issued as a Windows XP update but it is I believe
more for the use of developers. So any other non-tech users of may well have
only a partially operation MAS beta on their computers and they may not even
realise this, it had me flummoxed until I saw your original post.

Richard.

..

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I'm not sure it is that simple. The beta app is written in VB6, so it
requires the run-time, I believe--in both builds. The kb article speaks of
a situation where there are mixed versions of the several files involved in
the run-time (??) leading to the error messages.

It may be that this is a new bug introduced in the .509 build.

My sense is that this will become a moot point at some time in the beta,
because beta2 will be substantially re-written.

 

[Gary UK]

Just a quick question, is this running XP?

-----Original Message-----
Bill,
My take on the situation is that MAS V1.0.509 needs Vbrun60 sp6.exe to be
present so that real time protection can run effectively and the checkpoints
be reported correctly. This was not a requirement of the previous MAS
version.

The service pack found at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx? FamilyID=7b9ba261-7a9c-43e7-9117-
f673077ffb3c&DisplayLang=en
certainly restored MAS on my computer to full functionality.

This service pack is not issued as a Windows XP update but it is I believe
more for the use of developers. So any other non-tech users of may well have
only a partially operation MAS beta on their computers and they may not even
realise this, it had me flummoxed until I saw your original post.

Richard.

..
m... m... m... FamilyID=7b9ba261-7a9c-43e7-9117-
f673077ffb3c&DisplayLang=en


.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

If you read down a bit he's specified XP SP2 Home, fully patched.

 

[JohnF.]

It is very interesting that the service pack fixes the problem but I don't
think it is the msvbvm60.dll version that is the problem. We have folks
here commenting that the sp5 AND sp6 service packs are fixing the problem.

I think some program has overwritten a file needed by the vb runtime engine
with their own version and breaks MSAS. The service packs simply replace
that overwritten file. I have seen programs do this all the time and it
causes a lot of trouble. Has anyone tried running SFC /scannow on a machine
that is broken and tried MSAS again?

JohnF.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Reading the KB article, they say that mismatched versions among several
files constituting the run-time are the issue--either service pack would fix
this. I didn't read closely enough to see exactly what files are involved.

I like your idea that some app install is breaking things with a rogue
version of some part of this set of files. Anybody got a list of common
apps written in VB6?

 

[Steve Wechsler [MVP]]

Start with Symantec products, Bill

Steve Wechsler (akaMowGreen)
MS-MVP 2004-2005
Windows Server - Software Distribution
Windows - Security

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I wasn't going to say that out loud. Are they, in fact, written using VB6?

 

[Steve Wechsler [MVP]]

I don't know, but will after taking that introductory programming
course

Steve W.