Cloud Features and Remote Usage
New ‘Config Mgmt Portal‘ (first item under the ‘Server’ menu) combines the separate dCloud/Self-Hosted FTP portals from d7II, and rewrites all server communication functionality with regard to config sets and definitions. d7x v18.3.16.0 and above add user prompts if the technician password (used for archive encryption) is incorrect, allowing the option to retry as many times as necessary before failing.
New d7x Remote Deployment Tool (aka ‘d7xRDT’) can be created in the Config Mgmt Portal (above.) d7xRDT is the new implementation of d7II’s ‘SFX Mini‘, and is re-coded from the ground up. Although a little larger than before, it does enable more functionality. While some new features are technically still on hold, this release adds a few improvements (over d7II SFX Mini functionality):
- New password prompt option during initial extraction prevents unauthorized usage of the Remote Deployment Tool without requiring password protected startup on the d7x .exe itself.
- Created using your custom branded application icon (as configured in d7x/d7II, else the default applogo.ico is used)
- Using elastic IPs in place of hostnames to resolve dCloud connectivity issues in situations where a particular ISP creates an issue with DNS or hostname based filtering.
- Capable of connecting to a d7x based “dCloud” server (not yet implemented) which uses SSL communications and can use HTTPS for login and uploading, allowing full dCloud communication, while bypassing any network restrictions on FTP protocols even over SSL channels.
- New in v18.3.x.x: Technician Password correction! When extracting an encrypted config archive, d7x will now prompt if the technician password (used for archive encryption) is incorrect, allowing the option to retry as many times as necessary.
- Previously when encrypted config extraction failed due to an incorrect password, d7x was launched with blank config triggering a first-time registration prompt on launch. This has actually been an issue since d7 Premium with dCloud, but rarely a problem since typically no one changes that password.
- By having few options in d7/d7II/d7x that require it’s manual input, this is why it can easily be forgotten and not become an issue for quite some time. It usually takes a new major release (d7II, and now d7x) when those opting for the “clean download/setup” can bring this on with new configs created using different technician passwords entered during the initial registration process.
- Note d7xRDT only works with d7x and is not actually able to download d7II.exe, so it cannot serve as a replacement for the current d7II SFX Mini to deploy d7II remotely.
Config/definition storage and sync (dCloud/Self-Hosted FTP) functionality has been replaced entirely with new d7x code, and include a few minor new additions to the user experience, as evidenced by the optional startup prompt shown here.
This d7II feature is used to merge definitions when starting a new session, and in d7x it was expanded to offer a download only option, and a description of what the “merge” actually does. When a config on the server is newer, this is also be an option within the same user prompt.
Note: The data crunching part of the definitions “merge” is still handled by d7II code (in fact via the dFunk.exe module) as before, but d7II.exe’s involvement in determining updates, retrieving the current defs, and putting updates back on the server was replaced entirely with new d7x code.
New KillEmAll v5 Integration
KillEmAll v5 has been integrated into the core d7x binary, replacing the previous d7II based version of the program. (It has not been included as a separate/stand-alone executable.)
- Fixed: improved kill routines were terminating critical Windows 10 processes (one in particular caused UI issues in d7x, Windows itself, and other apps) therefore internal logic was improved/added for additional Windows 10 processes.
- New: should correctly save logs to the d7II Reports directory. This may does not yet include automated saving of file details when viewed through the file inspection window.
- Previous d7II/KillEmAll options for ‘Google’ web searches, VirusTotal uploads, file deletions/renames, etc. etc. are not yet available through the interface or the through the file inspection window.
- The previous ‘Suspicious Files’ search is also not available, but a more complete implementation (file system scan only) is found in d7II’s dFunk module used for manual inspection of the file system and registry.
- The previous version of KillEmAll with most of these missing features is still automatically downloaded as a separate exe along with other d7II modules, but the separate exe is and has always been a slightly older implementation of the internal version used in the last version of d7II, and will miss any included automatic reporting features through d7II.
- KillEmAll v5 also uses a new engine for user-created definitions enabling some new possibilities, see these pages for more:
Windows 10 Support
- Added: Support for Windows 10 (minor differences from Windows 8.x) in “Restore Default Start Menu LNKs” repair functionality.
- Added: Windows 10 to custom app platform/OS restriction settings. If not configured, behavior should not change. Backwards compatibility note: This is the only area in d7x configurations where d7II may (and likely will) erase the setting entirely when used to edit the same custom app configuration.
- Added: Windows 10 recognition on System Info tab (also resolving the annoyance of the Windows 8.1 Update 1/not installed alert on Windows 10)
- Removed: “Automatic Updates are Disabled” check from startup alerts on Windows 10, since the update setting (and it’s associated Windows user dialog) no longer exist in Windows 10.
Other Misc Improvements
- UTC Adjustment settings no longer necessary; removed from Config > Regional Settings (on first tab.) These were previously used in converting various dates from UTC, such as Windows event log entries when viewed through the internal d7x Event Viewer.
- Automated time zone changes now function properly with ALL Windows versions when configured; setting in Config > Regional Settings (on first tab.) Previously automation was unsupported only on Windows Vista.
- Automatic correction of the desktop shortcut target for the reports path (when optionally created during Start Session) if the reports path changes for any reason during the session…
- Screen saver prevention and certain other configuration settings now reflect config changes without requiring d7x to be restarted (improved from d7II)
Annoyances Resolved from d7II
Some issues discovered may or may not have been known in the final release of d7II v3.6.86, but were discovered while investigating ported code…
- Fixed method of launching the Windows “About” dialog which caused scrambled text in the native Windows prompt (this is launched when clicking the “Installed Date” area on the System Info tab.)
- Fixed a minor issue where system restore points created from the “Windows” drop down menu were created using a generic name, not the one you typed in the prompt.
- Fixed dUninstaller bug: failure to apply the proper silent uninstall switches when processing installers created by Inno Setup.
- Fixed DataGrab bug: failed to create a registry export of ODBC settings from an offline OS/partition in some circumstances.
- Fixed issue in multiple functions used for both active and offline OS partitions, where a 64bit OS partition may not have been detected properly affecting functionality dealing with directory structures such as “Program Files” vs. “Program Files (x86)”
d7II v3.6.87 Update Information (No Code Change)
d7II.exe has been updated to v3.6.87 (version increment only) to satisfy future notification prompts, and made available for use as a backup in the event of d7x failure. This should be done automatically when updating to d7x from d7II.exe, but if you aren’t updating from d7II you can always download this via the prompt using the d7x “Main” menu > “Check for Updates” option, or use this link.
UPDATE: Some users have reported d7II.exe as zero byte after an update to d7x is initiated from within d7II; in this event, please delete the zero byte file and then re-download d7II.exe via the method above.
We now prefer d7II to reside in a .\d7IIv3 subdirectory from the main d7x folder (wherever your d7x vx.x.x.x.exe resides.) Prior to the first time usage of d7II.exe, the .\Config directory should be copied into .\d7IIv3 directory, and if configuration changes were made through d7x that would affect d7II operation, the same should be done when starting a new session from d7II. Copying the .\Config directory should not be necessary if it was done at least once at any point in time (unless d7x registration/account changes were made), or if you are resuming a previous session started by d7x.