Thinkpads Forum

Yikes. The Software Installer was a brilliant utility. What happened?

Version 3.50.0603, released yesterday.

1. It's finding what it thinks is a new version of Sonic DLA from the Internet: version 5.2 build 09a. It sees version 5.2.0 as installed, and thinks that's older. a) The Software Installer can't install 5.2 build 09a. The "Manual Installation" button doesn't even work, it gives an error. b) As far as I can tell, version 5.2 build 09a IS just version 5.2.0.

2. It's finding what it thinks is a new version of PC-Doctor for Windows: 5.00.3286.01. But after it seems to succesfully install this, it still thinks that it's not installed. I've tried manually installing what it downloads. It seems to do nothing. I have no idea where it's pulling 5.00.3286.01 from. There's no trace of it on the Lenovo site.

3. The BIOS update from March 22 still won't run after restart. After the Software Installer runs, the BIOS Update program runs, and the computer restarts. But the utility never starts; Windows loads up normally. Although, I guess this isn't a Software Installer issue per se, as manually downloading and trying to run the BIOS update doesn't work either.

Frustrating.

I'll report your findings to the fellow who wrote the installer.

All reports from users are welcome, good or bad.

Regards,

James

JHEM, thank you!

Also: on one of my T40s, the process of connecting to the Internet to search for updates takes about 10 seconds. On the other, it takes about a half hour. The one on which it goes quickly used to have a previous version of the Software Installer installed; don't know whether this is relevant.

Thanks.

I don't know if they are aware of this, but I can't update the BIOS. I try using software installer, and it restarts but does nothing.

dagordon wrote: Version 3.50.0603, released yesterday.

1. It's finding what it thinks is a new version of Sonic DLA from the Internet: version 5.2 build 09a. It sees version 5.2.0 as installed, and thinks that's older. a) The Software Installer can't install 5.2 build 09a. The "Manual Installation" button doesn't even work, it gives an error. b) As far as I can tell, version 5.2 build 09a IS just version 5.2.0.

3. The BIOS update from March 22 still won't run after restart. After the Software Installer runs, the BIOS Update program runs, and the computer restarts. But the utility never starts; Windows loads up normally. Although, I guess this isn't a Software Installer issue per se, as manually downloading and trying to run the BIOS update doesn't work either.

Frustrating.

I'm having the same problem with the Software Installer and DLA.

I never use the SI to install BIOS updates. I manually installed the bios update without any problems.

Simms,

I posted a couple of days ago about the BIOS issue (http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=22500). I'm having this problem on THREE machines -- a T40, a T40p, and an R50p.

It doesn't matter whether I try to run it manually or through the software installer -- after rebooting, nothing happens.

David

I updated the installer to the latest version and i don't have any problems with it works fine on mine

(Thanks god)

The Software Installer use to work fine, but the latest version (3.50.0603) doesn't work on my T41.

I click the red icon in IE and it opens up. If I select the last 2 options (UNINSTALL CURRENTLY INSTALLED SOFTWARE or VIEW DRIVER AND APPLICATION VERSION) the program just terminate itself. If I select the first option (INSTALL OR UPGRADE DRIVERS) I get to the next screen but when I click NEXT it starts SEARCHING for a while and then just terminates.

Is it my machine or is anybody else experiencing this?

thanks

Goobie wrote:Is it my machine or is anybody else experiencing this?

Location??

Regards,

James

South Africa

thanks

With respect to the latter issue, Software Installer was not working in some countries (Canada for one) because the second (main) IP address was unreachable. That was fixed about a week ago and remains fixed for me (just ran SI to test). The IP addresses used now are common, reachable IP's that point to IBM in Boulder. I am not sure why it wouldn't work in your country. ... JD Hurst

I also have the same problem with the software installer and DLA. Since it told me that an update was available, I alllowed it to try. When it failed (because I already had DLA installed), I uninstalled DLA, and now the UPGRADE (dla52u.exe) will not run, because it cannot find DAL to upgrade.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(please).

venik wrote:I also have the same problem with the software installer and DLA. Since it told me that an update was available, I alllowed it to try. When it failed (because I already had DLA installed), I uninstalled DLA, and now the UPGRADE (dla52u.exe) will not run, because it cannot find DAL to upgrade.

Try downloading and installing this one first, then upgrade to the current version.

venik wrote: I uninstalled DLA, and now the UPGRADE (dla52u.exe) will not run, because it cannot find DAL to upgrade.

Run Setup.exe from the following directory to reinstall the original version of DLA:
C:\IBMTOOLS\APPS\DLA

I find it better to install/update drivers manually, software installer seems to install unnecessary software.

Take the soundcard for instance, you can either just install the driver for the sound card and have everything work, or install all those SoundMax applications which not only take up memory but have a really ugly icon.

Just my 2 cents.

software installer seems to install unnecessary software.

You can select what to and what not to install to keep the things out you don't want/need.

jonnnny wrote:software installer seems to install unnecessary software.

If you pay attention to the SI screens, you have complete control of over what is installed and can easily choose not install anything at all if you wish!

Cheers,

Bill

Looks like they don't have a fix for the DLA problem yet even with the newer Software Installer [just installed one today], but in the changelog it does look like they have fixed the bios flashing problem.

ANY piece of software that requires you to install an older version just so that the upgrade versoin will be able to UNINTALL it before proceeding is nuts. I sure hope these programmers are not writing really important stuff, like air traffic control systems...

Anyway, reinstlling the original DLA from IBMTOOLS/APPS/DLA did provide that vital service, and now I have DLA upgraded. If I only knew why I really need DLA I could be a happy man.

venik wrote:Anyway, reinstlling the original DLA from IBMTOOLS/APPS/DLA did provide that vital service, and now I have DLA upgraded. If I only knew why I really need DLA I could be a happy man.

DLA lets you access your optical drive like you do HDDs. [Limitations on CDRs of course.]

venik wrote:ANY piece of software that requires you to install an older version just so that the upgrade versoin will be able to UNINTALL it before proceeding is nuts. I sure hope these programmers are not writing really important stuff, like air traffic control systems...

This software is commercial software provided by IBM/Lenovo for their ThinkPad line. It is from Sonic, not IBM. As such, you can only download updates, but not the full version that will work on its own. IBM/Lenovo cannot provide the full version as a free download (where just anybody could get it). It is the same thing with WinDVD or Windows XP. You cannot download Windows XP for free, but you can keep it updated (up to a point).

http://www.sonic.com/products/consumer/recordnow/

Software Installer found a hell of a lot of new software packages when I updated it today (but then again, my old version of it was the first one that was compatible with T40s, so that doesn't surprise me). Seems to be installing them fine so far If only the previous owner had known of the benefits of keeping the IBM apps updated.