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Old October 2nd 07, 10:41 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.setup
Mike M
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,047
Default VBScript Runtime Error.

Ben,

So very much as I expected. Such install behaviour is that of malware and
viruses. No application should ever hijack a system file in the way that
ilock apparently does in this case.

As for staying with Win Me, if it does what you want then why spend money
on changing? I only mentioned XP because it has a mechanism that allows
two versions of the same file to be in memory at the same time meaning
that there is no need for an application to hijack or modify a system file
if that file doesn't quite meet the application's needs. All the
application has to do is place a copy of the modified file in the
application's folder (as ilock does here) and this will always be used by
the application in preference to the system copy and thus no registry
changes are required. In Win Me, which only allows one copy of a file to
be in memory, whichever of the two files is loaded first will be the one
used hence why ilock alters the registry so as to ensure that its copy is
the always the one used. ilock does this because system file protection
prevents it modifying the copy if the file in the windows\system folder.
ilock then compounds the problem by not undoing the registry changes when
it is uninstalled.
--
Mike Maltby



Ben B wrote:

Hello Mike,

Thank-you for the post. Based on it I have explored the matter
further and, with my limited understanding, I found as follows:

1. Installing Instant Lock causes changes to be made in the registry
whereby at least this item, scrrun.dll, originally showing data
C:\Windows\scrrun.dll becomes data C:\Program Files\instant
lock\scrrun.dll. There are eight instances (as you told me) in the
Root directory where this data is thus modified.

2. The Instant Lock version number of scrrun.dll is 5.6.0.8820. The
Windows version is 5.6.0.8825.

3. Using the Add\Remove Program option results in the Instant Lock's
removal GUI which asks for confirmation about the removal of
scrrun.dll and, no matter whether Yes or No is clicked, the uninstall
results in all items, except the scrrun.dll, being removed from the
Instant Lock folder. The registry root directory entry, for
scrrun.dll, remains unchanged (data C:\Program Files\instant
lock\scrrun.dll).

4. At this point RegSrch.vbs is still working.

5. The deletion of the Instant Lock folder and content (scrrun.dll)
renders RegSrch.vbs useless. The registry entry for scrrun.dll still
points to C:\Program Files\instant lock\scrrun.dll

6. The installation of Windows Script v 5.6 changes the registry
entry for scrrun.dll to point to C:\Windows\System\scrrun.dll with
the result that RegSrch.vbs again works as expected.

****************************************

Granted, Mike, my way of describing what 'I have found' is the
language of a computer illiterate. Please excuse.

The "assumptions" you made in your last post to me are absolutely
correct - of course they are. vbg

I am, as always, deeply appreciative of the care you take in your
posts; and the opportunity you give, to one such as myself, to
explore a little below the surface and see a fraction more.

With my thanks, and very best wishes, Mike,

Ben.

P.S. I am going to stay with WinME but I always acknowledge the
superiority of XP. I was, I suspect, in the market marginally early.
In anycase, clearly WinME will always challenge me sufficiently to
keep me thinking! Cheers.