[Warning] Don't install "PC-Doctor 5"

Message

Nick Y · #31 Post by **Nick Y** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:02 pm

USSS wrote:Before tinkering too much with the Windows Registry, uninstalling/reinstalling software or, worst case, reformatting and reinstalling Windows, consider running System Restore in SAFE MODE, which fixed my problem related to the PC Doctor 5 update.

See: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 131#215131

Thanks USSS; seems to have done the job very quickly.

#32 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:01 pm

Yes, thanks USSS!

Like some others here, I installed PC Doctor 5 without first uninstalling PC Doctor 4 and my system was Borked. I tried System Restore but it failed to restore to an earlier point. I did not think running System Restore from Safe Mode would make a difference. But after I read your post, I decided to gave it a try - and it worked

After I had everything running well again, I uninstalled PC Doctor 4, set a System Restore Point, rebooted, then installed PC Doctor 5. I ran PC Doctor one time, and everything seems fine. No apparent problems with Add or Remove Programs.

EDIT: Oh, and Software Installer reports correctly now too.

USSS · #33 Post by **USSS** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:59 pm

Nick Y and GomJabbar, you're both welcome.

GomJabbar wrote:After I had everything running well again, I uninstalled PC Doctor 4, set a System Restore Point, rebooted, then installed PC Doctor 5. I ran PC Doctor one time, and everything seems fine. No apparent problems with Add or Remove Programs.

This appears to confirm that uninstalling the previous version of PC Doctor is the wisest move before updating to v5, as Christopher Wolf described a few posts earlier in this thread.

DavidNZ · #34 Post by **DavidNZ** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 11:52 pm

Alas, my restore points doing go back far enough to a pre-PCD5 environment. Perhaps I haven't allocated enough space to system restore. I did in fact uninstall the stock version of PCD before I installed PCD5, for what it's worth.

Oh well. I'll have to wait for a solution from Lenovo.

christopher_wolf · #35 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 11:53 pm

Or reconstruct that part of the registry by hand if worst comes to worst.

DavidNZ · #36 Post by **DavidNZ** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:12 am

Heh - not sure I'm up to that challenge. I've got a looming deadline to get a textbook finished and a few consultancy projects on the way. If I had to take two full days right to get back up and running it would be an issue. Maybe in a few months...

USSS · #37 Post by **USSS** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:43 am

DavidNZ:

Have you tried booting into Safe Mode and selecting "Last Known Good Configuration," which should restore your last good backup of the Windows Registry?

Worth a shot if your time is limited . . .

t41user · #38 Post by **t41user** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:48 am

Yikes! What is wrong with Lenovo? How can they continue to make available this corrupting program/update on their website? I did a full system back up to an external drive a few days ago... But I have done a ton of work in the past few days... emails sent, documents revised, documents drafted... Restoring my system will be a minor disaster. If only Lenovo had taken down that program/update, or at least posted a warning note in the accompanying text file. Why in the world didn't Lenovo do something like that?

So today my new 1G of crucial memory arrives in the mail. I slip it under my keyboard and want to run the latest PC-Doctor test on the new memory. So I go and download/install the latest version. My RAM is fine, but the memory test seriously corrupted my system.

If someone had posted a boldfaced announcement at the top of the T4x forum, I would have read it and avoided this problem. I second the idea of posting a high alert announcement in all relevant forums.

christopher_wolf · #39 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:14 am

t41user wrote:If someone had posted a boldfaced announcement at the top of the T4x forum, I would have read it and avoided this problem. I second the idea of posting a high alert announcement in all relevant forums.

It is *already* in the READ ME FIRST/FAQ section as a new post in bold. Now whether or not people actually read that first or pay attention to the FAQ is another matter.

Posting it in all the forums isn't that great as it greatly adds to the clutter and, probably, confusion. One large announcement with a clear description of the problem and documentation thereof would be better.

Nick Y · #40 Post by **Nick Y** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:17 am

t41user wrote:...So today my new 1G of crucial memory arrives in the mail. I slip it under my keyboard and want to run the latest PC-Doctor test on the new memory. So I go and download/install the latest version. My RAM is fine, but the memory test seriously corrupted my system...

Is this hypothetical or an actual event?

I didn't think that any the comments had suggested corruption of the PC Doctor application itself, but that the installation messed up the 'history', as stored in the registry, of what has been installed. The result causing calls for erroneous re-installation and the lack of ability to change/remove a multitude of applications, drivers, etc..

christopher_wolf · #41 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:27 am

Memory tests don't corrupt memory sticks at all. All they do is test the memory arrays with patterns and look at the hardware response. Bad memory bits will consistently fail at the data I/O ops and get flagged.

The problem here isn't with PC-Doctor 5 itself, it does just fine on my system. Rather, the problem lies with the silent installer used in the package available for download; for whatever reason, it wipes clean the Uninstaller reference keys in the registry that the ARP CPL uses to correlate uninstaller with a given selected program entry.

t41user · #42 Post by **t41user** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:37 am

Thank you for you the important clarification. I meant that the software that I installed to test my memory seemed to cause certain parts of my windows operating system not to work properly.

May I ask if you could explain to me who writes the code (or whatever it is called) for the installation process when you download and install PC-Doctor for Windows 5 from the Lenovo website? Does Lenovo change/add the PC-Doctor code with their own installation files? Does the PC-Doctor program itself contain the installation files?

I use no IBM or Lenovo update program. I downloaded the program and followed the installation instructions in the accompanying text file.

christopher_wolf · #43 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:53 am

From the registry entries it makes, the installer package appears to be from the the PC-Doctor site itself and was posted by IBM/Lenovo for the update downloads.

As an aside, Lenovo actually has a package maker download on their website under the ThinkVantage suite, usually for Admins to make their own packages and distribute them. I haven't tried it yet, but it does look rather interesting.

GACrabill · #44 Post by **GACrabill** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 2:40 am

t41user wrote:If someone had posted a boldfaced announcement at the top of the T4x forum, I would have read it and avoided this problem. I second the idea of posting a high alert announcement in all relevant forums.

There are Proactive approaches which require doing all that's possible to prevent problems for others ... and then there are Reactive approaches which rely on the expertise of others to come to the rescue when something breaks. After over 30 years in the support arena, I prefer the Proactive approach .... I don't want to ever see anyone else have the same problem as me if I can help it. A little clutter in the forums could have saved at least one user from this PC Doctor / Lenovo debacle. BTW, I prefer Proactive health professionals to Reactive ones also.

christopher_wolf · #45 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:01 am

GACrabill wrote: BTW, I prefer Proactive health professionals to Reactive ones also.

That opinion usually changes come time for a certain part of the male physical. At that point, most patients aren't too forceful in their push behind the Proactive urge and would rather not probe the issue further.

In my experiences in the health care, research, and engineering/scientific computing fields, it takes more than a small amount of work to get anybody to reliably read anything periodically. Even big flashing neon signs have been known to fail. Logically, it should be such that one remembers where to go to read important news and updates instead of waiting for something to pop out of the blue of its own accord; clutter notwithstanding although someone *does* have to clean it up in the end. One can tell users about a particular problem as much as one wants, if the user doesn't listen then it has all been for naught.

Talon88 · #46 Post by **Talon88** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:02 am

:::

FAQ is for new user. I don't think any old user
will read the FAQ before every IBM update......

The problem is not IBM's System Update 2.
It's just the stupid installer of PC-Dr 5........

:::

#47 Post by **JaneL** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 7:17 am

OK, I posted it in the General News conference. Stop whining.

#48 Post by **bill bolton** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:27 pm

FWIW, I've been travelling in Europe for several weeks and haven't been following the Thinkpad forums

..... but I let SI install PC Doctor 5, along with a bunch of other driver updates for my T43, while sitting in the British Airways Club World Lounge at Heathrow a few days back (my first prolonged access to Internet connectivity for about a month) and I am not having any obvious issues at all as result.

Cheers,

Bill

#49 Post by **jdhurst** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 8:10 pm

Update:

I uninstalled PC Doctor current version, downloaded and installed PC Doctor 5 (manually) and it works fine. I am still following the threads and Lenovo is looking into it, however done as noted, it is working without problem.
... JD Hurst

t41user · #50 Post by **t41user** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:36 pm

What about poor dummies like me who had system restore turned off, and who followed the Lenovo text file instructions for installing PC-Doctor 5 and did not uninstall the older version of PC-Doctor first? My Add or Remove Programs is all messed up. The Lenovo text file told me just to download and run their file - the Lenovo text file told me that PC-Doctor 5 would uninstall the old PC-Doctor for me.

I just tried doing a (retrospect) system restore from my last full backup (a week ago) and that did not work for some other reason. Do I need to fresh install Windows and reinstall everything? Might Lenovo post a fix of some sort that could restore Add or Remove Programs to working status? Is such a fix possible, likely, or unlikely?

christopher_wolf · #51 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:05 pm

If you have at least one System Restore image, try booting into Safe Mode and restoring it that way. If that still doesn't work, and you don't want to do a re-image of the entire system, you can try to recreate the missing registry entries by hand; a tedious affair. I have searched the registry of affected machines and I can't find any duplicates of the entries that the slient installer got rid of to cause all this trouble.

If you still have the HPA intact, you should be able to go back to the factory state of your machine after you back up your files.

bigbear2007 · #52 Post by **bigbear2007** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:17 pm

How do I tell if I am affected ?
I seem to still have many progs. in the add/remove ?

#53 Post by **Kyocera** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:30 pm

Bigbear, i don't think this is happening to everyone. I did a test on my t60 last night and updated PC doctor with software installer without removing the older version. Rebooted checked add/remove programs, removed a couple just to make sure it worked and then Ran a full system check with PC dr. Went back to add/remove programs and everything is still OK for now, so I would not sweat it if you don't have some immediate issues.

#54 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:52 pm

bigbear2007 wrote:How do I tell if I am affected ?
I seem to still have many progs. in the add/remove ?

See what dpatriarche wrote below:

dpatriarche wrote:I also saw the same problem with my "Add/Remove" list being corrupted, after installing PC Doctor 5 using Software Installer yesterday evening.

The symptom is that almost all Thinkpad utilities are replaced in the list with names like "mCore" (short names starting with 'm'). And after a reboot Software Installer thought that all those utilities were not installed, and so offered to install them. I foolishly took it up on its offer, hoping it would normalize things, and SI proceeded to mess up my system (all network interfaces became non-functional - drivers present and enabled, but Windows doesn't see them). <snip>

In addition to the above, I noticed that many of the program icons in Add or Remove Programs became generic icons. Finally, if you have the Show updates box checked, nearly all of the the Windows Security updates and Hotfixes installed will be missing from the list (I have approximately 70 of these on my T42).

t41user · #55 Post by **t41user** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 9:13 pm

Before installation of PC Doctor 5, my Add or Remove Programs function of windows was normal.

After installation of PC Doctor 5, many of my installed programs are no longer listed in Add or Remove Programs, some of my installed programs are listed 4 or 5 times in a row in Add or Remove Programs, and some individual files/components of some of my installed programs are now listed as separate/independent installed programs in Add or Remove Programs.

Some other things are out of whack too.

NS · #56 Post by NS » Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:04 am

bill bolton wrote:

FWIW, I\'ve been travelling in Europe for several weeks and haven\'t been following the Thinkpad forums ..... but I let SI install PC Doctor 5, along with a bunch of other driver updates for my T43, while sitting in the British Airways Club World Lounge at Heathrow a few days back (my first prolonged access to Internet connectivity for about a month) and I am not having any obvious issues at all as result.

Cheers,

Bill

Hello Bill... welcome back. Did you enjoy your trip?

I have installed the PC Doc 5 and so far there is nothing wrong with my x60 yet.

christopher_wolf · #57 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:14 am

I think there might be some seperate issues that are being described here; on the affected systems I fixed, there were no missing entries for the installers in the ARP list per se. Every program that was listed before was listed there again and all updates to Windows and programs were displayed; sometimes, the updates would be the only things that displayed with the size and the "Change/Remove" button active. The anomalous entries would have, as their primary symptom, a general absence of size, when not clicked, as well as no "Change/Remove" option.

Again, it does seem to vary from machine to machine as I installed it via SI and had no problems, yet the other Thinkpads had issues.

spwhiting@ · #58 Post by **spwhiting@** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:40 am

Rebop's system is beyond my capabilities. I uninstalled PCD5 (only one that could be uninstalled)using CONTROL PANEL/ADD REMOVE PROGRAMS, rebooted, and then added it back in by SYSTEM UPDATE 2.0, rebooting and the problem with the ADD/REMOVE programs is still there. SYSTEM UPDATE 2.0 had about 30 programs under the RECOMMENDED tab, but I did not install those since they are still working ok on my R51. I did this twice with no improvement. Next I'll try the SAFE MODE/SYSTEM RESTORE to see if it works. I do have a system backup from RESCUE and RECOVERY taken a month ago but would prefer not to have to do it.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Has anyone had any discussion with LEMONOVO that will fix this quickloy.

And, since this thread has grown to two pages in the last few days how about one of the Moderators or Bill Morrow combining the other thread(s) with this one and highlighting that there is a problem for more than one of us.

#59 Post by **JaneL** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:56 am

spwhiting@ wrote:And, since this thread has grown to two pages in the last few days how about one of the Moderators or Bill Morrow combining the other thread(s) with this one and highlighting that there is a problem for more than one of us.

There's no (simple) way to combine threads, and a notice has been posted in both the READ ME FIRST and General News conferences for several days. I believe jdhurst already mentioned that Lenovo is looking at the problem.

spwhiting@ · #60 Post by **spwhiting@** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:14 pm

Rebo's syststem for correcting this mess is way beyond my abilities, but thanks anyway Rebo. What the real problem is that the Lenovo system released a PC Doctor 5 that is corrupt and causes many of us to fix it on our own with restoring backups or registry fixes or another method. Out of warranty Thinkpads get no recognition for Lenovo's poor quality releases.

Why does IBM/Lenovo require all these updates for Thinkpads, when my wife's Dell or Gateway computer never need any updates? It makes me wonder why i wasted all of Sunday afternoon fixing the PC Doc 5 problems in the Control Panel> Add/Remove Program section with restore, more updates and then a final backup for the use of the Thinkpad. Is it worth it? Perhaps not ...

But the final waste of time is the relocation of the PC Doc 5 forum thread to the Administration's forum that will not allow any discussion unless one is an Administrator. Do not lock out those that need help and can offer help to the TP users. IBM canceled their forum and it was replaced with Bill Morrow's. This is not Bill Morrow's style - note the request from someone to post this as a major defect in Lenovo's release of PC D 5. The relocation of this thread is disappointing to a member who has been on board since the TP 755 CD days, through the TP 600 scenario and now the Lenovo regime. Good luck to all.

[Warning] Don't install "PC-Doctor 5"

Re: Resolving PC Doctor 5 Update Issues

How could Lenovo do this?

Re: How could Lenovo do this?

Re: How could Lenovo do this?

clarification

Re: How could Lenovo do this?

Re: How could Lenovo do this?

negative update

sample damage done by PC Doctor 5

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