Hello guys!
I'm on a Win XP sp1 rig so this may be taken into account.
Yesterday I had to wait ~30 min for the setup to show. "It's a problem with the build", I thought.
Today I had the same, after the wait setup shows and after it, there's two error messages noticing memory violation.
What's wrong? I mean - there's almost 6 years I'm with you but as it is, I'll have to quit.
I made a public post on main site but it hasn't made it through and that's why I'm posting the issue here.
Thanks for any reply.
Something has changed...
(31 posts) (15 voices)-
SkyFrontier
MemberPosted 12 years ago # -
d59
MemberI'm having the same problem. I execute the setup file and cpu usage goes to 100% and stays there practically freezing everything else. After a couple minutes the connecting window shows but nothing happens and I have to kill the process. I've been installing gaotd software since 2007 and never had this kind of problem. I tried executing old gaotd setup files and they open/connect/show the "giveaway period is over" message immediately. I'm guessing they've changed the wrapper in the past week. The last time I installed a giveaway successfully was on June 29. I'm running Win XP sp3.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruHi Sky Frontier, can't help you with the problem, just wanted to say hi as i've not seen you around in some time. :)
Hopefully, one of the more tech minded members will be able to come to your rescue.
Have you tried clearing your internet cache; the giveaway cookie may be corrupted?
Posted 12 years ago # -
SkyFrontier
MemberHi, Stephen!
Yes, I've been very busy but at least following the project and doing some contributions behind the scenes.
No, nothing on my side I can assure you - I use imaging system so nothing has changed for the last year or so, as I'm working on that very system all of this time.Let's wait for the techies then...
;)Best regards, man!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru:)
Posted 12 years ago # -
My first suggestion would be to first disable the windows firewall (or whatever you are currently using) to determine if the "blockage" is a network one. Secondly, an Antivirus/malware type software might be blocking (though I would expect an error message or alert to appear). Try turning that off also. If it works after disabling one of these (or if it doesn't) let us all know.
It definitely seems to be isolated to a few individual systems - though currently I haven't seen enough details to be able to identify any common traits that might be causing such problems.
I should say, I haven't tried it myself (I don't like iobit software) but from the comments section it is definitely working for the majority of posters (the problem doesn't exist for everyone).
Posted 12 years ago # -
SkyFrontier
MemberIt has definitely nothing with security software, BuBBy, as there were no changes at all in *any* component on my side. I even tested those builds on alternative system and I'm getting the same. As said, initially I thought the problem was strictly on Kingsoft's giveaway but now I'm sure: something has changed in the way Giveaway wraps the package.
Peaking at 99% for 30 minutes then popping a memory violation error twice at the end of the process is not a good thing to see. That means at least: I'll have to leave the computer on hold until the installation is done. I can't.
Thanks for the reply!
Posted 12 years ago # -
MarcelFree
MemberHi SkyFrontier, they have updated the software protetion they use which is called Themida. In the past it was pretty easy to get around it and so many programs could be installed even after the 24 hour offer period was over.
However, the new process takes much more resources and hence more time and depending on your computer specification you may have to wait by far longer. It's nothing to do with antivirus and malware protection and the application they offer on the website. Unfortunately, I cannot see a way around this problem for now.
Marcel
Posted 12 years ago # -
Usher
MemberYou are right, SkyFrontier. It is definitely changed GOTD wrapper that has caused the problems.
The old wrapper could run on older Windows system, the new wrapper requires WinXP+, though it still claims it is version 1.0 - the same as the old one. It is bad:
- Some programs/games available on GOTD site still can run under Windows 98SE or Windows 2000. They can't be installed with the new wrapper.
- Silent updates/changes without user informing make the whole GOTD untrustful. Users should be clearly warned that they test both GOTD wrapper and installed software. Or maybe after the next update the wrapper will instal some spyware?The new wrapper probably uses different hash function to check its validity and stronger encryption to (un)pack installer that makes it a very CPU time and power consuming piece of software. I'm afraid that in many cases the wrapper may use more time to run than downloading has used, and so long time with no visible activity is definitely NOT user-friendly.
And after the installation the new wrapper really gives 2 message errors, even on fully updated, clean (with no AV/firewall etc.) Win XP SP3 install. The error messages are identical:
The instruction at 0x00000000 referenced memory at 0x00000000. The memory could not be 'read'.
To me that means: Goodbye, Giveaway of the Day! You are waste of time now.
Posted 12 years ago # -
SkyFrontier
Member3rd day, same problems, no official word.
I know by experience that GaD **IS** reasonable enough to step back and undo or tweak some changes made (remember the changes on voting system? or software informer and idea box, v1? or the consistent offering of so called screen savers?).
Right now GaD wrapper is doing its job while I can't even enqueue music on Winamp, that's ridiculous...And yes, Usher, that waste of time made me look to the concurrence and find something else. I generally knew there were alternatives but always ignored them as I have no time to waste at all. The silent change noisily changed my mind.
Funniest thing is: they didn't tweaked the wrapper timeout when I raised the issue years ago, leaving some of us unable to install offers having +300 MB on size.
The "v1.0" 'mistake' counts on decrease of confidence. Really. Not to mention the question: where's the limit? Is the obligation to provide a mail something we should really care, when posting? (too late for us, old school!) I am finally inclined to agree with those that credited to software vendors the increase of spam in their mail boxes. Only difference is: POSTING on main forum (and signing up here, of course) was the real cause. FUD? GaD is planting the FUD themselves.
Oh, great, setup is finally on screen...
¬¬Posted 12 years ago # -
SkyFrontier
Memberlol
Is GaD an Anonymous operation?
Proof: Why else Daily Software Giveaway default names are 'Anonymous'?
Fabricating a rival was always a good technique to increase weaponry.
Will GaD turn our machines into zombies in the end?
...ISN'T THAT WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, WITH THOSE 30 MINUTES PEAKING AT 99%???Posted 12 years ago # -
Me? Tongue in Cheek? Surely... well ok.
You got me.
It was just too close to another I've seen which was "GoD" (Giveaway Of Day?)Anyway, back on subject - I've contacted the GOTD team drawing their attention to this topic, seeing if we can get some acknowledgement of the problems some people are having installing the recent giveaways without slowdowns and errors.
Hopefully the cause can be identified quickly and changes or a workaround implemented. If you know that the giveaways aren't installing on your PC, you might want to hold off downloading them for a few days until we can get the all clear. I know it is disappointing if there is something you really want to try - but these things might need some tweaks before they work 100% for everyone (well maybe not the Win95 users. lol).
The above comment (from Usher), suggesting that giveaways might in the future deliberately include spyware is not helpful. GOTD have an excellent history since it began in carefully virus scanning all software prior to distribution - and all software is obtained from the developers. Until there is a track record to prove otherwise, comments suggesting that GOTD has an intention to start distributing spyware are nothing more than a pathetic attempt at trolling. Please try to stick to facts, leave the conspiracy theories to the tin foil crackpots.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Dear users,
we are deeply sorry for not announcing the launch of new wrapper before. We wanted to hope for the best. Successful tests on many PCs made us think there would not be any major problems (apart from slower installation), but the first 3 days keep proving us wrong.
This said, we have prepared a special post in Blog, so that you could learn more about the updates and submit problems you encounter. Please feel free to share your experience through the comments section.
In terms of problems listed above, our team is now fixing the glitch for XP. Hopefully the issue will be solved soon.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
--
Best regards,
GOTD project teamPosted 12 years ago # -
pavid
gamer extraordinaire & knowledgeable computer nerd who likes to argue, but is still a very nice guySpeculation is not quite over. Inquiring minds are speculating on the identification(s) of the ever mysterious and oh so serious Giveaway of the Day project team. I for one speculate that it might be an amalagamation of Bubby, graylox and Whiterabbit, otherwise known as BubloxRabbit. :)
Posted 12 years ago # -
SkyFrontier
MemberHaving read their post some things were made clear.
The most discouraging: they use Themida, which is a known cause for problems just like the Starforce (god forbid!) protection system. As they have probably paid for it without a money back guarantee I doubt they will never turn their watches back.
I thought twice on posting on the announcement page (first post!, let alone) or not as I don't want to give the project any kind of prejudice, so here I am saying these words.
I do really agree some thing must be done to protect community but deciding on such invasive method ***people should be given a word about beforehand*** is too much for me. Those ones wondering on "Giveaway start spreading malware? Bah!" should really reconsider as there's plenty of people all over the world that sees Themida/Starforce/etc. as bad (or worse!) than a whole bunch of malware.
Well, that's it: no more Giveaways. Guys, I will ***REALLY*** miss you. I can hardly believe this day has come...
Posted 12 years ago # -
QunMang
MemberI haven't been interested in anything in the last few days, but after reading this thread I decided to give it a go with today's giveaway. Results: so far, nothing. The process setup.exe appears to be frozen. No memory changes, CPU at 0%. Win7 x64.
What security programs? From here, I have Mamutu installed. I also use Winpatrol and MS Security Essentials.
It would appear a tweak to your wrapper upgrade is required...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Thanks QunMang.
Is the Windows otherwise responsive (apart from Setup appearing to have stopped)? Skyfrontier had mentioned that other apps (like Winamp) had also frozen.
Also if you leave Setup running for a few minutes (say 2-3 minutes), does it eventually proceed - or does it just die.
Some users say it takes a "long time" to start - but I might be useful to get a better idea exactly what a "long time" is and compare that to CPU specs so people can get some sort of idea of what is "typical" or "unusually long" delays. Some users might feel that 30 seconds is too long, whereas others might wait for 5 minutes (hourglass cursors can be fun!)
Cheers,
Posted 12 years ago # -
QunMang
MemberI left it running for about 15 minutes before deciding to kill the setup.exe process. Nothing else froze up as far as I can tell.
I'm going to bed now, so I won't be able to answer anything else until morning. Just letting you know.
edit: Okay then. I closed everything in preparation for bed and what pops up but the Photo Makeup wizard? I guess killing setup.exe didn't stop the install after all. Maybe having Palemoon open prevented the Softskin setup from opening? Or maybe the "extremely long time" just happened to coincide with closing the other programs. Further testing on this is needed, but not tonight.
Posted 12 years ago # -
MarbleP
MemberHi
Been w GOTD since late 2007
I don't comment much anymore ... Well, more like never.
Took the impossibility to install to make me come out of my shell!
Haven't dwlded much lately, so was unaware smtg had changed, but really wanted to try Kingsoft SpreadsheetsNo firewall, behind router
• XP SP2 Laptop: Just could NOT install at all. Tried several times. Had to make a cold reboot several times. Each time I clicked the wrapper the whole system froze, was even unable to kill any process through Task Mngr
Had "Exceptions" & "memory can not be read" windows flying left & right!
In the end, the machine couldn't even boot• XP SP3 PC: Same scenario, froze, reboot, repeat; but in the end, was able to install
First time I clicked the wrapper, nothing happened for several minutes, maybe ±6-7mn
Thinking I hadn't clicked, I clicked again. And 2mn after that again ... As one might guess, poofff it went
Reboot, start again. It took more than 6mn just for the window "checking availability" to appear, then it froze there for SEVERAL more minutes.
Then more minutes before the actual setup window appeared. Setup started slow, but in the end proceeded & was able to install. Still more "Exceptions" & "memory can not be read" windows at the end• W7 x64 Laptop: It went a bit faster then on the XP systems, but not as smooth as it has always been
Did not see "Exceptions" & "memory can not be read" windowsInstalling on the 3 systems generally is a process that takes 4-5mn »For the 3, NOT each!!
That day took around 1h½ to do it, w 1 system thrashed. Still haven't figure out what to do abt that :(I've never heard of Themida/Starforce (I'm not really a geek, just an old brain trying to learn) so I suppose I need to go investigate that now too *sigh*
I remember when Software Informer was introduced, the accusations of fowl play, the bad feelings all around. It was not long till someone (Buck, I believe it was) came up w a way of getting rid of it
And as before, the GOTD Team did NOT inform the community prior to implementing it. Guess they didn't learn, or don't care.If this new wrapper is even more invasive ... well darn! What can I say ...!!!
I never understood the problem nor the complaining abt eMailing companies for the RegKey, but suppose ppl want everything here/now/quickly/without effort/ ...
I understand the need for GOTD to have a secure wrapper
But, lets not forget either that when the project started, it was an innovative ground breaking thing, there was nothing like it before.
But 6 years have passed, Giveaways/Promos/Super Discounts are a multitude EVERYWHERE / EVERYDAY, such sites & blogs have multiplied like rabbits [nothing against rabbits in general, nor WRabbit in particular :)], there are even some whose sole purpose is to agglomerate such offers.
If GOTD's becomes impossible to install on older systems, if it's an hassle **everytime**, or worse if it makes machines unstable ... Users might very well find it's not worth it
Just sayingNow, back to the shell
Posted 12 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorFar as the wrapper working [or not working], it generates 2 error messages on closing, but otherwise seems to work without any huge delay in a minimal XP Mode VM where I test/install everything 1st. Yes, it does take seconds longer, but so far never long enough that I bothered to time it, or tried to debug or figure out if something was going wrong.
My XP Mode VM has very little RAM & only 1 core of a quad CPU, which to me suggests the longer delay some folks are having might not be because they have a slower machine. It may have to do instead with other apps/processes running at the time of install -- in the VM the only 2 things I have running are the Microsoft Security Essentials Beta & InstallWatch Pro. It also might be because of something that has been installed -- I've added hardly any apps to that VM.
I'll start paying more attention to the wrapper itself, but if whatever problems don't occur, chances are I won't see anything pointing to the cause of the problems others are having. Perhaps the GOTD crew can come up with a [optional?] logging mechanism, writing every step to a text file as the wrapper runs? If the wrapper stalls/crashes Windows, Windows' logs may not show much as the logging process has often [usually?] stalled/crashed along with Windows. And maybe that sort of logging would be easier than trying to establish a common denominator, an installed app or driver or running process or maybe hardware configuration that those having problems all share, have in common?
Posted 12 years ago # -
SkyFrontier
MemberThere were some change today (Turbo Browser)... (yes, I'm reasonable enough to give Giveaway credits as they changed their minds earlier)
The activation connection was detected faster by the firewall (not instantly as usual but certainly not the horror show lasting 30 minutes!), the setup screen took ~1 or 2 minute to show, no error memory reports at the end.You guys think this is not of your concern if you have no freezes at all? Think twice:
Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 Screen Capture (!), Sysinternals' Process Monitor (!!!!), Maplestory (game) have reports on being unable to run due to Themida being present in the system.
I can't recall the name but even a text editor with clipboard manipulation functions had its loading prevented by the demon, ops, Themida.Just to ensure we are talking on protecting USERS interests as much as developers', if you have something to change, please tweak the timeout calculations minding build sizes (10 sec x each mega, for instance?) instead of keeping it dumbly fixed regardless un-packaging time.
And Giveaway Team - MANY THANKS FOR BEING RESPONSIVE ON THIS. There are few ways to fight a problem and you are choosing one of the wisest. It's a thing to remember.
Posted 12 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorSeparately, my own 2 cents on software, on GOTD, & of course purely FWIW...
Most everything in life has a cost, & with a bit of optimism, a benefit. If we want to nudge the odds in our favor, it's up to us to do a cost vs. benefit analysis -- simply put, we ask ourselves is it worth it. When it comes to software we ask [or should ask anyway] how well does it do what it's supposed to do, do we want/need an app that does that, what are the costs & what are the risks? Lessening those last 2, costs & risks, is where GOTD comes in.
GOTD eliminates the cost of buying a license to run/try software of course, but it also reduces the cost in terms of your time finding software you may not have known existed. And GOTD eliminates a bit of risk in a world where not just setup routines but the sites you visit can infect your PC/laptop with malware. As a company GOTD rises/falls on the popularity of their daily offers -- you're not going to snag a free copy of Photoshop, but let's face it, on any given day there are [often far] worse apps out there... that means less risk you'll spend time removing an app & finding/installing an alternative [which is a cost]. Finally, GOTD keeps their motivations simple -- there's no hidden Gotcha, there's nothing else they're trying to sell, they're not out to pressure or beat down developers that, resenting that sort of thing, write you later complaining, or potentially worse.
The sole costs of grabbing an app on GOTD are the 24 hour setup limit & the wrapper they use to enforce it. If an app on GOTD has limited features, can't be updated/upgraded, can't be re-installed later, &/or comes with no support, that's the choice of the company or developer providing that app -- Not GOTD. That stuff's spelled out on the page with the GOTD daily offer, but it's there to protect you from having false expectations, not because that's a hard & fast rule GOTD imposes on whomever's supplying the software -- there have been countless examples where one or more of those guidelines has generously been ignored, e.g. most of the games they giveaway on the weekends.
That said, there's no such thing as totally free software if you feel your time has any value -- you have to find it, obtain it on disc or via download, preferably do some sort of work backing up or using a sandbox or VM, install it, & see if it works, which all combined takes a bit of time. Nor should any software be considered risk free -- even if whatever app or game was written perfectly, that leaves all the other software you've installed to go wrong, to conflict with it, including sometimes Windows. Software developers, the companies they sometimes work for, the department they may work in, the processes & tools they may use, none of that is created equal. Nor is the time & care invested in all software development projects the same. And, anyone who thinks they have found a perfect app, or hardware [PC/laptop etc.], either hasn't looked deeply enough or is a fan boy. :)
Software costs, risks, & benefits are all Very much gray areas... Benefits like beauty are Very often in the eye of the beholder. Costs are almost as dependent on how much you love/hate trying new apps/games as they are on more real-world limitations, like how much time you have to spend & how much your on-line access costs. As with anything else in life, the risks we're aware of increase the more we become aware. :) But there's a very real tradeoff, as without risks there is no reward -- at some point you can become so risk adverse that you forget to ask if life in a bubble is life at all? :) As in everything else I think, the best we can do is seek the balance that's right for us individually.
Posted 12 years ago # -
SkyFrontier
MemberNot a problem...
Just to point one of the most credited I have at hand for now:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?s=607667f547f7fad828d0a75d105090c7&p=1075155&postcount=9Specially quoting:
"We have determined that Themida is too dangerous to our environment to allow any product protected by Themida on the network. We can not have 27,000 nodes exposed to such a threat."
...
"Just like we can't blame the gun manufactures for the people that use guns to commit crimes we can not blame the writes of Themida.
However, we do have a company policy where guns are not allowed, So the same will now go for Themida as well."Posted 12 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorJust to point one of the most credited I have at hand for now:...
Seems basically the same arguments/debates I've seen with UPX & similar. Devs have to do their own cost/benefit analysis, in this case protecting their IP [code], vs. distributing more copies. Of course AV software companies *might* be able to take care of the problem of any false positives, but if/when it's possible to do so that costs them time & money, so it's easier to just say "no way". IMO there's plenty of blame to go around, *if* you're into placing blame -- Devs have a legitimate beef, not wanting to give away their IP; AV software companies have a right to say they don't want to invest more without the prospect of higher returns. Consumers are the judge & jury, so each side puts on their little show hoping to sway the verdict. :)
As far as the GOTD wrapper goes, so far I've seen no evidence of problems -- that doesn't mean they don't exist, or don't happen, but I've not seen them myself. As in the past, before/after system snapshots show no wrapper induced changes to Windows or the system HDD. The old wrapper phoned home, & if the dates matched, unpacked the set up executable & ran it. The new wrapper does the same thing -- it just doesn't write the unprotected, unencrypted set up executable to disk where it could be copied. Basically it's the same move that lots of [most?] Flash video streaming sites went through, hiding the actual content so you couldn't copy/save it elsewhere.
*Maybe* the new wrapper conflicts with some other software or drivers or whatever, or *maybe* it's just some AV apps generating false positives? If it's the former, some sort of actual conflict, then it's something that can be fixed, & maybe it'll turn out Themida code is to blame. If it's the latter, AV false positives, then *Any* code that does the same thing, hides the actual content [.exe or .msi file] will generate the same false positives, so the AV apps are the only thing that can be fixed. The only way to find out is by collecting data, by some sort of logging or by people reporting what systems, software etc. they're using -- I've never seen a tech support form that didn't include that pretty standard stuff.
Personally I think that's the logical, hopefully productive route to follow, collecting data. Taking an anti-DRM stand might make for some interesting, maybe even fun discussion, but may or may not change anything at the end of the day... the GOTD folks are not omnipotent -- it's not *their* software they're distributing. If the companies supplying the software feel strongly that they want the stricter DRM, GOTD has little choice -- supply it or die. IF it's a matter of attracting better software with better DRM, I for one am all for it -- it's a reasonable tradeoff IMHO, though I'm sure some will disagree. Please remember that GOTD has never been about giving away *unlimited* copies of payware apps -- there are other sites/methods if that's what you're after. ;)
Posted 12 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorFWIW & if it helps anyone...
Started up Process Explorer [it's been part of Microsoft for a good while, but you can still use sysinternals.com] before running the GOTD setup.exe -- that way you can see what processes, threads etc. are called & run by setup.exe. With yesterday's game there were maybe a 1/2 dozen files that I've seen become screwed up in the past by poorly written software &/or installation routines -- files that I've seen replaced with other versions, sometimes in wrong locations, & if/when relocated to whatever program's folder, they of course go missing if/when that app's removed.
It would be a bit of work to check your system for every file & file version called/used by GOTD's setup.exe, & those files called/used during install by the different apps on GOTD vary on top of that, but if the GOTD setup always fails to run, maybe someone(s) will feel the work would be worth it. If so say something & I'll post the long list of file names.
Alternatively Process Monitor [also by Sysinternals] lists most every step, most everything going on with Windows, so if/when an app won't run [e.g. the GOTD setup.exe] you can usually pinpoint when/where it goes wrong & stalls or dies. It's tedious -- think finding a particular plant in a very large forest -- but if you're motivated enough it usually works to find where something's going wrong so you can hopefully fix it.
On another note, also with Saturday's game, after install I couldn't delete the folder holding setup.exe because Windows' Explorer was holding onto it [according to Lockhunter in a XP Mode VM], even though Explorer was closed. That was unusual, & *I Think* might indicate more being loaded into RAM & not subsequently cleared. If you're having problems after running the GOTD setup.exe then maybe it'd be worth trying a reboot or else maybe running one of the memory clearing/optimization apps -- several have been on GOTD, there's a new version of Glary Utilities out etc.
Posted 12 years ago #
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