How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

xpclient — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:03:46 GMT

@Pronichkin, thanks but I meant an *easy* way. That method is too complex, time consuming and involving too many steps, just like most servicing related operations are post-Vista. Anyways, it's clear that forcing a branch isn't needed any more.

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

Andre.Ziegler — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:58:56 GMT

@chan

I saw this too in Vista/7 and in Win8 it seems to be fixed.

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

joscon [Microsoft] — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:11:17 GMT

@chan;

To be honest, I've never really noticed because we don't use date as a measure of whats installed. The best way to determine what is installed is the version of the binary, not the date. But to answer the other question, no, I haven't requested something like DISM be changed to act like that.

BTW, PKGMGR was deprecated, so I wouldn't use it for anything. I would use DISM.

--Joseph

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

chan — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:21:16 GMT

I notice when installing hotfixes via WUSA, the installed files have the dates when microsoft created them. However when using DISM or PkgMgr the installed files have 'todays' date.

Was this behavior on purpose?

Have there been requests for DISM or PkgMgr to behave like WUSA with regards to the timestamp on the installed files? It is quite handy to have the timestamps to be 'when they were created at Microsoft'. Thanks.

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

Pronichkin — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:54:18 GMT

xpclient,

if you really, really want to force LDR branch, please read social.technet.microsoft.com/.../how-to-forcibly-install-the-ldr-branch-from-a-particular-hotfix-package.aspx (don't do this at home. Er, I meant in production).

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

joscon [Microsoft] — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:22:07 GMT

@chan;

This is actually two different questions.

The first is the uninstall, this can be done normally via the UI or using WUSA if you prefer.

The second is what happens when the file is uninstalled. The file on the system moves to the "staged" state in the component store, its not removed from the component store. The branch which was not installed (GDR in your example) is already on the file system in the staged state as well.

If you're looking to completely remove the fix from your Windows install, that would need to be done manually. The component store will scavenge itself on it's own though, so this isnt really recommended.

--Joseph

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

chan — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:38:05 GMT

I'd like to uninstall hotfixes that have been superceded.

Say the GDR version was installed, followed by the LDR (by installing the update-bf.mum). Will wusa /uninstall /kb:123 uninstall both the GDR and LDR?

If the hotfix was updated, eg kb001 installed, followed by kb001-v2, what is the good way to uninstall kb001? Thanks.

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

joscon [Microsoft] — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:53:41 GMT

@xpclient: On legacy operating systems we would sometimes need to force the branching of a file/fix to ensure that it was running the right code. We dont need to do this in current operating environments because of the servicing stack, it knows which branch to be on based on the transaction.

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

xpclient — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:01:50 GMT

So /b:spxqfe switch present in Hotfix Installer is gone now. :( What was the use and advantage of that switch on legacy Windows?

re: How does Windows choose which version of a file to install?

joscon [Microsoft] — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:59:16 GMT

@Pronichkin;

Yeah, I know what you mean (milestone vs. GDR) but its easier to grasp it conceptually this way IMO.

@Rahul;

No problem! Selecting the images should open them in a more readable format. Let me know if that doesnt work.

--Joseph