Windows Repair Toolbox

[AlexCa]

Hey Greg, thank you for bearing with me.

So far this got me stumped.

Nothing has changed regarding the SMART reader from the previous version to this one.

The code hasn't changed. I even used a tool to compare the code just to make sure that i didn't changed anything accidentally (like a "!" before a bool), and I didn't.

The two files that do the job of reading the SMART ("smartctl-nc.exe" (smartmoontools) and "drivedb.h" (smartmontools database) didn't changed. I even compared the hashes from the previous version with this one and they match.

In the two computers I have in my house, I'm not experiencing the issue, but both are SSD (and maybe the issue described isn't happening with SSD's). My next step is to install Windows in a spare HDD and give it a go.

@Barcelona
Meanwhile, is it possible for you to try in a computer different than the two that you've already tested, do see if you get the same result? If you could allow me a Team Viewer session with one of the affected computers that would be awesome!

Can some of the fellow technibblers please try the latest version of WRT in, if possible, more than one computer with a spinner HD, just too check if the SMART warning is showing in all of them?

The warning looks like this:

Thank you!

 

[GTP]

All drives tested were/are Spinners.
I've tested the same units with both versions and the new version shows red for all of them.
Also there is no info when hovering on the +info link with the new version.
The old version shows details as normal.

 

[AlexCa]

All drives tested were/are Spinners.
I've tested the same units with both versions and the new version shows red for all of them.
Also there is no info when hovering on the +info link with the new version.
The old version shows details as normal.

I think I have found a possible problem. Can you try the test version I've sent you through PM?

But before doing that, can you disable the AV and try once again the version 2.0.0.8?
That's to check if smartctl-nc.exe is being blocked (because even though is exactly the same file used in version 2.0.0.7, it's now being executed by a new version of WRT).

edit: meanwhile I've tested version 2.0.0.8 in a spinner and didn't had the error, and also another user tested it and didn't had it either, so I'm now suspecting of AV interference together with a bug on WRT side.

Thank you!

 

[glennd]

Hey Greg, thank you for bearing with me.

So far this got me stumped.

Nothing has changed regarding the SMART reader from the previous version to this one.

The code hasn't changed. I even used a tool to compare the code just to make sure that i didn't changed anything accidentally (like a "!" before a bool), and I didn't.

The two files that do the job of reading the SMART ("smartctl-nc.exe" (smartmoontools) and "drivedb.h" (smartmontools database) didn't changed. I even compared the hashes from the previous version with this one and they match.

In the two computers I have in my house, I'm not experiencing the issue, but both are SSD (and maybe the issue described isn't happening with SSD's). My next step is to install Windows in a spare HDD and give it a go.

@Barcelona
Meanwhile, is it possible for you to try in a computer different than the two that you've already tested, do see if you get the same result? If you could allow me a Team Viewer session with one of the affected computers that would be awesome!

Can some of the fellow technibblers please try the latest version of WRT in, if possible, more than one computer with a spinner HD, just too check if the SMART warning is showing in all of them?

The warning looks like this:

Thank you!

my computer has an SSD system drive and spinner secondary drive. First time it ran, Emsisoft popped up and said the file has changed and I had to approve it. Interesting to note I don't see SMART at all.

 

[HFultzjr]

I'm also not seeing SMART. Info states "Could not retrieve info".
Win 7
64 bit
From thumbdrive
Crucial SSD

 

[GTP]

I'm using Emsisoft Antimalware which asks to "Update Rule" for each new version of WRT. I always accept the change because if I don't obviously EAM wont let the program run.

I have noticed on some - not all computers that Emsisoft flags WRT as a malware with Behaviour.Trojan.Gen.
I just go into quarantine and restore/allow the file.
Question is "what is Behaviour.Trojan.Gen?" and why do some Emsisoft installs flag in when others don't?

Screenshot from that "test" version you asked me to try...

 

[AlexCa]

my computer has an SSD system drive and spinner secondary drive. First time it ran, Emsisoft popped up and said the file has changed and I had to approve it. Interesting to note I don't see SMART at all.

View attachment 8556

Hey @glennd , thank you for testing it.
Yes, the SMART warning is only shown if the system drive reports problems.
If not, in it's place, and if that information is available (if not available nothing is shown, like in @HFultzjr screenshot), it's shown if the computer is using BIOS or UEFI (like in your screenshot).

Example of a SMART warning:

The problem reported by @Barcelona was that in the 3 computers he tried, that SMART warning was being shown while CrytalDiskInfo and GSmartControl didn't show any alerts.

That was caused by something in the computers blocking the SMART checking (probably the Antivirus) and by a bug in WRT that would cause it to respond to that block by exhibiting the SMART warning, when, obviously, it shouldn't. That is now fixed for the next version of WRT, that i'll release soon.

@Barcelona
About Emsisoft warning in some computers: my guess is that that happens because WRT accesses and reads the "C:\Windows\Panther\setupact.log" file at the program startup, in order to determine if the computer is using BIOS or UEFI and to display that information (like in @glennd screenshot). But in some computers that file no longer exists because some file cleaning program (like Ccleaner, for instance) already deleted it - hence no access and no warning.

 

[glennd]

Hey @glennd , thank you for testing it.
Yes, the SMART warning is only shown if the system drive reports problems.
If not, in it's place, and if that information is available (if not available nothing is shown, like in @HFultzjr screenshot), it's shown if the computer is using BIOS or UEFI (like in your screenshot).

Example of a SMART warning:

The problem reported by @Barcelona was that in the 3 computers he tried, that SMART warning was being shown while CrytalDiskInfo and GSmartControl didn't show any alerts.

That was caused by something in the computers blocking the SMART checking (probably the Antivirus) and by a bug in WRT that would cause it to respond to that block by exhibiting the SMART warning, when, obviously, it shouldn't. That is now fixed for the next version of WRT, that i'll release soon.

@Barcelona
About Emsisoft warning in some computers: my guess is that that happens because WRT accesses and reads the "C:\Windows\Panther\setupact.log" file at the program startup, in order to determine if the computer is using BIOS or UEFI and to display that information (like in @glennd screenshot). But in some computers that file no longer exists because some file cleaning program (like Ccleaner, for instance) already deleted it - hence no access and no warning.

have you found the GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariable function?

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms724325(v=vs.85).aspx

 

[AlexCa]

have you found the GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariable function

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms724325(v=vs.85).aspx

@glennd Never came across, i'll read about it. Thank you!

Meanwhile I've released version 2.0.0.9 of WRT:

- Fixed: if the S.M.A.R.T monitor that is integrated into WRT was for some reason prevented from running (e.g: security software interference), WRT would display an alert regarding the health of the system drive. Thanks to @Barcelona for reporting.

- Improved: excluded the "Windows.old" folder from the scope of the scan performed by the "AVLeftovers" functionality (in the "Uninstallers" section).

Thank you.

 

[AlexCa]

Hey guys, I've just released a new version (2.0.1.0). It fixes the NirLauncher download (since yesterday or earlier today, Nirsoft protected the .zip file with a password, and so it was necessary to adapt the code in order to be able to extract it). I also took the opportunity to update the 7-Zip components to version 18.01. Thank you.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I get "Root element missing" when I start it up. When I click cancel, the GUI opens. Oops, I see it is version 3.0.0.4 2.0.0.4, so obviously didn't download and install.

EDIT: It happens when I use Firefox, which downloads "windows-repair-toolbox.com.html" instead of the program installer. Another browser downloads the program okay but Emsisoft and defender try to block it. That might be a problem for some potential users, but probably not repair techs who learned about it here.

 

[AlexCa]

I get "Root element missing" when I start it up. When I click cancel, the GUI opens. Oops, I see it is version 3.0.0.4, so obviously didn't download and install.

EDIT: It happens when I use Firefox, which downloads "windows-repair-toolbox.com.html" instead of the program installer. Another browser downloads the program okay but Emsisoft and defender try to block it. That might be a problem for some potential users, but probably not repair techs who learned about it here.

Hey Larry, thank you for feedback.

I've tested in Firefox (version 58.0.2) and I was able to download both the normal and portable versions. I got a Windows Defender SmartScreen block - this one is particularly annoying - , and I also tested Emsisoft and also got a block from the behavior blocker (i think). I'll report the false positives, thank you!

Regarding the version you downloaded, I'm guessing you meant 2.0.0.4 and not 3.0.0.4. That's an outdated version, so maybe the error you had with Firefox was from downloading the program from some other website?

 

[Larry Sabo]

I'm guessing you meant 2.0.0.4 and not 3.0.0.4

Oops! Typo corrected.

 

[AlexCa]

Oops! Typo corrected.

Do you get that "Root element missing" with the current version?

 

[Larry Sabo]

Do you get that "Root element missing" with the current version?

I got that when I tried to download the most-recent version using Firefox because it downloads "windows-repair-toolbox.com.html" rather than the file. When I downloaded using another browser, I had no problem at all. I often get that trying to download stuff using Firefox, probably because I refuse to upgrade to the latest version, which is incompatible with most of my add-ons. Or perhaps uBlock origin, although I'm sure I tried with it disabled with no joy.

EDIT: Yup; uBlock origin has you as a trusted site, so that's not it. In DownThemAll, I notice click.php pop into the download window momentarily and then be replaced by windows-repair-toolbox.com.html

 

[AlexCa]

Emsisoft already whitelisted the program. I've tested to confirm, and it's no longer being blocked.

 

[AlexCa]

Hi all,

I’ve just released version 3.0.0.0 of Windows Repair Toolbox. Here's what changed:

- WRT will now check if the tools have new versions available. If yes, it will ask if you want to download it, otherwise it will immediately run the existing copy.

- The “Download All” button on the Settings tab has been replaced with an “Update All” button. Instead of deleting all the downloads, and then download everything again; it will only download the tools that still haven’t been downloaded and update those that are outdated.

- Several improvements to the management of the downloads have been made.

- The portable version of Windows Repair Toolbox is now the main version for download in the website.

- The “Reset To Defaults” function, in the "Settings" tab, has been simplified, and will now not affect anything in the “Custom Tools” tab.

- Fixed an error that would sometimes occur with some tools when changing WRT from a 64-bits OS to a 32-bits OS ("The specified executable is not a valid application for this OS platform").

- Fixed: some tools would keep a copy of their previous versions after being updated.

- Replaced “BATExpert” with “BateryInfoView”.

- Replaced “Check Flash” with the built-in “Windows Memory Diagnostics” (for the sake of completeness of the hardware section, that was missing a RAM diagnostic tool).

- Replaced “Don’t Sleep” with “DDU” (Display Driver Uninstaller).

- Several other minor improvements and fixes.

If you're using a previous version of WRT it's recommended that you uninstall it / delete it before changing to this new version.
In order to save your customizations (icon, title, added programs, custom.xml...), just backup the following folders:

Windows_Repair_Toolbox\Downloads\Custom Tools
Windows_Repair_Toolbox\custom

...and restore them to the same locations afterwards.

As always, your feedback is welcome.

Thank you!

 

[GTP]

Hey Alex just downloaded new version. Working perfectly.
As for you advice above (sorry, I chose to ignore it) and updated as I always have.
Download portable, unzip in WRT folder, choose ctrl-a to overwrite all, done!

Takes about 15 seconds...

 

[GTP]

Hey Alex. Getting an error when trying to download a new version of PatchMyPC.
details: "Access to path to PatchMyPC.exe is denied."

Happens if Av is disabled also.

Edit: Getting another different error message now when trying to download, saying that "this version of PatchMyPC is not compatible with 64bit versions of Windows."

 

[MDD1963]

Newest version WRT updated, C: drive reference only reads amount of free space , no reference to it being an SSD (is 960 EVO on Z270), and, clicking blue info gives, "Could not retrieve more information about the drive"...

(Wonder if Hyper-V role addition on Win 10 Pro causes some confusion with perhaps some odd sort of an abstraction layer with the WRT application...? Not a programmer, and, can't recall what info was given/displayed there for C: Drive info before Hyper-V role was added, which effectively makes the entire Win10 Pri just a little 'weirdo VM' effectively...