WUAUCLT

Client Troubleshooting Tool Requirement

I’d like to see either one tool (i.e wuauclt.exe) that does “everything”, or two tools: wuauclt (that runs client stuff) and waucltLINT (that sorts out issues, ala DNSLINT, etc). I can live with either, although there might be value in having 2. But in what follows, I’ve assumed that JUST wuauclt.exe is to be used.

The following feartures/switches are needed.

1. /? – list parameters and usage

/? – describes usage of wuauclt.exe

The /? switch should be supported and give details of wuauclt usage. If client options are in error, this summary is displayed following an explanation of why the error occured. ALL command line tools should support this option.

2. Verbose mode console logging, with multiple levels

/v – verbose mode
/vv – very verbose mode

Both switches cause wuauclt to output normal log information to the command line (STDIO). /v provides basic information, while /vv logs greater detail. /vv is what is logged in normal logs. While wuauclt can log to a log file, it’s more work for the admin when troubleshooting, The admin has to run the command, then navigate over to another folder, find the log, the navigate to the end of it, to find out where the run began. This is harder than it needs to be, and the /v, /vv options could just pipe log entries to stdio.

3. List client configuration

/configlist – lists WUAUCLT configuration.

This option lists all configuration items current by the client, and includes the client version number, AU policy/registry settings and provide details of all AU clients files, version numbers, file dates, etc.

This helps admins (and MS) to ensure that the right client versions are loaded.

4. Install the correct AU client by force

/installAUclient
/installAUclientFromMicrosoft

This option causes the system to contact either the confiugred WSUS server, or Microsoft’s WU server, and to reinstall forefully the latest version of the AU client.

This enables admins (and MS) to ensure that the latest client versions are loaded, and enables download from Microsoft for roaming systems.

5. Make /DetectNow a little less silent

/DetectNow – forces a client AU detection and logs details

The /detectnow option should log to stdio what it is doing. This includes what WU server is it contacting, how many updates are on the WU server, and how many are needed by the client, etc, and any information being sent back the server. This is really no change, just requesing some level of output to stdio. This makes troubleshooting quicker.

6. Clear Log File

/clearlogfile – clears the client update log file
/clearandsaveogfile – saves the current client update log file to a named file, then clears the update log.

Currently, the client log appears to be non deletableand just grows. This is a potential DOS vector. Also, for troubleshooting, it’s helpful to be able to clear the log (possibly saving it first for later detailed exam).

7. Download Updates Now

/downloadnow – initiates an immiate downoad of any requried update using BITS
/downloanowfast – initiates an initiates an immiate downoad of any requried update using HTTP.

This option forces the AU client to start downloading of any outstanding updates. the secton version downloads using HTTP, and is therefore much faster in elapsed time and is mainly used for troubleshooting isues (or possibly to speed up larger updates). Often, expecially for laptops that have been ‘abroad’ for awhile, you want to just get all the approved updates NOW, and not wait for the next detection time.

8. Stop Downloading AU Updates

/stopdownload – stops any AU updates being downloaded (either using HTTP, or BITS).

This option stops the downloading of any AU updates either queued, or in progress. Just as you can invoke a download, you need to be able to stop it.

9. Test WSUS Server Connecttion

/TestWSUSServer – checks connection with configured WU Server

This option attempts to coonect to the WSUS server configured, and checks that a connection can be made, and that communcations between AU client and WSUS server is working. This would be useful for example, to diagnose network communications failures, or an internal firewall that might be accientally blocking some traffic between client and server.

 

 

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SP3 Office 2003

Introduzione
Come ci si aspettava, la Service Pack 3 di Office System 2003 è finalmente giunta al pubblico. Come ogni SP, al suo interno sono contenute le varie patch comulative ed una serie di miglioramenti del prodotto. Eppure analizzando il prodotto, ci si accorge che forse il lavoro non è stato fatto alla perfezione, per via di alcune disabilitazioni o per la mancanza di qualche funzione.

Partiamo con ordine….vediamo cosa introduce la Service Pack 3:

Office 2003 Service Pack 1
Office 2003 Service Pack 2
Update for Office 2003
Update for Office 2003
Update for Office 2003
Update for Office 2003
Security Update for Office 2003
Security Update for Office 2003
Security Update for Office 2003
Security Update for Office 2003
Security Update for Office 2003
Update for Office 2003
Security Update for Office 2003
Update for Office 2003
Security Update for Excel 2003
Security Update for Excel 2003
Update for InfoPath 2003
Update for Outlook 2003
Security Update for Outlook 2003
Security Update for PowerPoint 2003
Security Update for Publisher 2003
Security Update for Word 2003
Security Update for Excel 2003
Security Update for Office 2003

Ovviamente sono esclusi i vari aggiornamenti, di Outlook 2003, legati alle impostazioni della cartella Junk Email, che escono con cadenza mensile.

Come detto prima, per aumentare la sicurezza del prodotto, e per facilitare la vita agli amministratori, sono state disabilitate alcune funzioni, tra cui:

Office 2003 can no longer open or save certain file formats
MAPI forms do not run in public folders and user folders
Office 2003 can now be configured to allow or deny specific COM components
Some COM components with unusual characteristics may not function as expected
Changes have been made to the behavior of Microsoft Office Document Imaging
Attachments with the .gadget extension can no longer be opened in Outlook
Access add-ins can no longer be configured for use by all users
The Fast Save setting in Microsoft Office Word has been removed
Documents saved in certain formats no longer contain the version number of Office
Certain macros in older Excel file formats have increased security

Certo, alcune di queste cose sono utili, ma altre sicuramente potevano essere risparmiate come, per esempio, la disabilitazione del salvataggio automatico di Word. Sotto il punto di vista della sicurezza è una cosa positiva, ma se pensiamo ad un ipotetico crash/blocco del computer, allora automaticamente il sistema di salvataggio automatico può diventare una vera e propria salvezza.

Questo un esempio su tutti, ma il problema è esteso a quasi tutti i problemi segnalati nella KB. Per ovviare ai vari problemi, bisogna lavorare a livello di registro, anche se, probabilmente, alcuni di questi difetti si potranno correggere via GPO, usando i file ADM di Office 2003 SP3.

Tra tutte queste novità, non è stata inserita una delle maggiori features utile a molti utenti, ovvero il compatibility pack per i file di Office System 2007. Questo pack permette, come molti sanno, di aprire i file creati con Office 2007. Eppure questo aggiornamento è rimasto fuori dalla Service Pack e quindi chi lo volesse, dovrà scaricarlo a parte.

Conclusioni
Di solito le Service Pack sono prese come un aggiornamento utile e da fare quasi subito, ma forse questa volta non sarà così. Sopratutto se il rischio è quello di avere dei problemi tecnici (parlo di una realtà aziendale) e di bloccare il lavoro dei propri colleghi e quindi la produttività aziendale. Comunque sicuramente l’aggiornamento sarà da fare.

Autore: Silvio Di Benedetto

 

 

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