Minim watch won’t install win 64bit

[Avalon]

Hi,
I’ve tried a few times this year to install miniM watch But always failed to do so.

I run latest windows 64bit and installed Java as per your guidance on installing page. Firstly windows defender does not trust your program and has been blocking it. I have allowed it through and reported to Microsoft that it’s safe, restarted my laptop, checked its in the allowed list and downloaded mini watch afresh after removing any old versions, however I get the following message and it won’t continue.

Any help would be appreciated. I have MinimServer on a Qnap 231 this past 5 years but on this latest laptop I can’t get watch to load.


   

[simoncn]

It is hard to read the message in your screenshot but it looks like you need to use Jarfix to associate the MinimWatch .jar file with the Java jar file launcher.

[Avalon]

(05-07-2020 19:12)simoncn Wrote:  It is hard to read the message in your screenshot but it looks like you need to use Jarfix to associate the MinimWatch .jar file with the Java jar file launcher.

Indeed it is, I had to use less bandwidth as the photo wouldn’t attach,

It says

Unable to execute file
ShellexecuteEX failed code 193
%1 is not valid win32 application

[simoncn]

I have not seen this %1 message before but I still think your first step should be to use Jarfix.

[Avalon]

(05-07-2020 19:59)simoncn Wrote:  I have not seen this %1 message before but I still think your first step should be to use Jarfix.

Thanks Simon, I forgot about jarfix, yes it sorted things out.
I certainly didn’t expect a reply from you on a Sunday , great service...

Windows still doesn’t like your program, I have it on the list of apps to be allowed through the firewall and have private and public boxes ticked, however firstly Microsoft warn me about the program telling me not to keep the download and even after I go through their boxes letting me keep it, windows defender then tries to stop me even though it’s on the allowed list.
Very strange, I’m not sure what you do about that as I imagine the ordinary computer user would give up. I have reported it as safe but who knows if Microsoft are listening ......

Thanks for the help Simon

Avalon

[simoncn]

Thanks for letting me know about the problem with Microsoft. I am not sure how to solve this. What version of Windows are you using?

[Avalon]

(06-07-2020 12:01)simoncn Wrote:  Thanks for letting me know about the problem with Microsoft. I am not sure how to solve this. What version of Windows are you using?

Windows 10 home edition latest update as of this week.
Hp Pavilion 64 bit laptop.

Regards

Avalon

[skeptic Mike]

(06-07-2020 12:01)simoncn Wrote:  Thanks for letting me know about the problem with Microsoft. I am not sure how to solve this. What version of Windows are you using?

There was a recent article in the register about Windows' efforts to block unsigned installers https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/05/w...artscreen/

Interestingly when I tried to test this on Windows 10 Home 1903, I downloaded the MinimWatch installer with Microsoft Edge and it installed with no warnings. There are two reasons for this:

1. I looked at the file properties in Explorer before I ran the program, and unBlocked the file.
2. My account doesn't have administrative rights.

The installer runs an elevation prompt if it thinks you are an administrator, if you accept this, Windows will warn that the installer is unsigned. I didn't go any further than this. If you aren't an administrator, then a per-user install is done.

I don't think that there is an option to tell the installer not ask for elevation, and if you reject the elevation the installer closes. Some installers which generate their own elevation requests will carry on, so this is technically possible, but I don't know that Inno setup has a simple option for this.

Although I would always advocate having a separate administrative account on Windows and not logging on with it, I know that most people stick to Microsoft's automatic one administrative account setup. The workaround of logging in to a different administrative account to remove your admin rights is a bit painful.

As MinimWatch downloads more jar files the first time it runs, which it stores in the users profile, the merits of a system wide install are very limited, so I would suggest providing an installer that only performs per-user installs.

One other point: When you see an error message such as the one mentioned above, you can copy the text to the clipboard using Ctrl-C. the results would look like this:

---------------------------
Setup
---------------------------
Unable to execute file:

C:\Users\mike\AppData\Roaming\MinimWatch\lib\mwatch.jar



ShellExecuteEx failed; code 1155.

No application is associated with the specified file for this operation.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

(I get this because I don't have a Java runtime installation registered)

Mike

[simoncn]

Thanks for this detailed explanation. It should be straightforward to always do an unprivileged per-user install, even for an admin user. Will this remove all the warnings from the download and install process or only some of them?

[skeptic Mike]

(10-07-2020 17:38)simoncn Wrote:  Thanks for this detailed explanation. It should be straightforward to always do an unprivileged per-user install, even for an admin user. Will this remove all the warnings from the download and install process or only some of them?

You should normally get a warning from windows if you run a program that you have downloaded from the internet, unless it's fully signed, or you have unblocked it. So, you will get a warning if you try to run it directly from the web browser.

If you save it, then unblock it, then run it, you should be ok if it doesn't ask to elevate.

Bear in mind that you will get a prompt to ask to make a firewall exception, if you haven't got one in place already when you run MinimWatch. Some people might see this as a warning, as you have to elevate to make firewall changes. This is actually windows being helpful. It sees that MinimWatch needs a firewall exception and asks you to make it. Of course, the exception is for the Java executable, which makes the problem worse, because updating Java usually involves changing the path to the Java executable, which means the exceptions for the Java executable need to be changed. To work around this, you'd need to force the Java runtime to always install in the same folder, or use a custom executable launcher which could search for the java installation. (or not update Java, which is ok if you have a private java runtime specifically for MinimWatch.)

There are no easy answers - and that's without considering the changing licensing of Oracle's JRE. I've started to use AdoptOpenJDK JRE, and to install it in a fixed directory, and not to add it to the path or associate it with .jar files.

I assume eventually you'l be using a packager such as https://openjdk.java.net/jeps/343 which would solve most of the problems.

Mike