Revision Won't Install

v. 5.0.0.3031

Repeatedly, I tried to get the Heidisql to download and install the latest revision, but it keeps failing.

First, I click the Help (top menu).
Second, I click 'check for updates'.
Third, I click 'Download and install build 3053'.

Superficially, program appears to do this, but I remain with v. 5.0.0.3031 - even after reboot!

What should I do?

- j

I can only guess you have two or more heidisql.exe files somewhere and the "wrong" one did the update, then you started the "right" one?

In C:\Program Files\HeidiSQL\ I have:

1. heidisql.exe;
2. heidisql.r3034.exe; and,
3. heidisql.r3042.exe.

Until today, I was assuming that r3034 plus r3042 were working, but apparently they were not.

As noted already, too, today I clicked 'Download and install build 3053', but that also did not work.

So, what am I getting wrong and how do I resolve this issue?

- j

I meant, you should delete the heidisql.rXX.exe files and only use heidisql.exe. Please update when you run heidisql.exe, not one of the other files.

Didn't work.

I went into the Heidisql directory and deleted both r3034 and r3042.

So, heidisql.exe and unins000.exe were the only .exe files remaining.

Then I clicked my Heidisql icon.

I went to the help menu (at top of screen).

I clicked on 'check for updates...'

I clicked on 'Download and install build 3054'.

When the install seemed to be done, I exited the program and restarted it, but the same old v. 5.0.0.3031 was the only version which ran.

So, what am I doing wrong and how can I resolve it?

- j

Ok, then we're at least sure that the right file was in action.

In that case, my first guess is that your WSH (Windows Scripting Host) is for some reason not working as it should. If you run "cscript.exe" in a "DOS" box you should get something like "Microsoft Windows Script Host... bla bla". I guess that's not the case on your Windows, probably because you're running Win2000 which is missing WSH in some cases. WSH is downloadable at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/results.aspx?freetext=Windows%20Script%205.7 .

I'm wondering if earlier revisions of Heidi had this problem too?

Sorry! I should have mentioned that I am using xp.

I ran the cscript.exe in a DOS box (start, run cmd function) and the result did say: "Microsoft Windows Script Host Version 5.7..." etc.

I tried 'Download and install build 3066', but, again, this failed to work; I exited Heidisql and restarted it, but the version stayed, at 5.0.0.0.3031.

- j

Oops! v. 5.0.0.3031

- j

Hmm, weird..

You could check by hand what the updater script really does, which is mostly only visible for a second or so: Search for this file:

C:\Documents and Settings\[YourUsername]\Local Settings\Temp\HeidiSQL_Update.vbs

Open a DOS box, change to the above directory and execute

cscript HeidiSQL_Update.vbs

Please post the output of this script here so we can analyze that.

1. I found HeidiSQL_Update.vbs in the Temp directory, but there was also heidisql.exe there.

2. The result was:

Microsoft <R> Windows Script Host Version 5.7
Copyright <C> Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Terminating "heidisql.exe" ...
C:\Documents and Settings\[my Username]\Local Settings\Temp\HeidiSQL_Update.vbs<10,1> ,null>: The system cannot find the file specified.

- j

Oh, there we have it... I guess <10,1> means line 10, char 1. That line is this one:

Shell.Run("taskkill /im """&ExeName&""" /f")

taskkill.exe should be located on any Windows installation but obviously is missing here. Ups... seems taskkill is not available on XP Home installations, at least this website says that.

You can download this taskkill here and place it into your Windows directory.

I'm anyway planning to replace that taskkill command by a more gracefull terminator, but till then you will need to download that above file.

It worked!

I placed takkill.exe into my c:\program files\windows directory, then I started Heidisql, again.

I clicked 'Download and install build 3068' and it did!

- j

So, now I have v. 5.0.0.3068.

- j

Thanks!

- j

Great that we nailed that. Also very new to me that XP Home doesn't have taskkill.exe .

Yesterday I started to implement a standalone updater.exe which does not require a) Windows Scripting Host and b) taskkill.exe . That would magically enable updating on XP Home, and also on Linux using Wine, which is quite often used I guess. Just I had serious problems using the Windows API function EnumWindows.

1. That new updater sounds like a good idea.

2. I used have a computer with Linux & Wine, on it, but I ran into too many problems with the OS. So, I switched the machine back to xp.

I would say that Linux users comprise a small, but growing group.

Admittedly, Linux does offer benefits, for servers and for people who are short of cash and/or are anti-Microsoft etc.

But there are many different versions of Linux. So, its hard to pin down an overall-standard.

The version I used was called Fedora 9 - which is now Fedora 12 or something like that. It did not take long for major upgrades to occur - which, in my opinion, is not the best trait for an operating system.

The software was not user-friendly.

It was buggy.

Also, documentation was in short supply.

But I think that Linux has the potential to become a major rival to Windows, etc.

Good luck & thanks, again!

- j

There are many users asking for a Linux version of HeidiSQL, so I would not say we're talking about a minor group of special guys or so. It's just hard to migrate from Windows/Delphi to a Linux app. That's the point where Wine helps a lot.

It was my impression that Wine was supposed to enable Linux machines to run Windows-based programs.

So, it seems to me that you should not have to go to all the bother of creating a dedicated Linux version.

- j

If memory serves, I was running Heidisql on my Fedora 9 machine, without incident.

- j

...That would have been about one year ago or longer.

- j

As soon as you update to r3082 or later you will get future builds with a new updater, a HeidiSQL_updater.exe which should work on all Windows versions, without taskkill.exe, without WSH and whatever.

That was a smart idea.

- j

Just wanted to let you know that the change appears to be working well!

- j

Hi Anse, thank's for the new updater!

Have You any objections if I use it in my (opensource, hamradio based application) ?

Mitja

What, the updater tool itself? You will surely need to modify and recompile it, as it has some hardcoded "Heidi..." stuff in it. Apart from that you only have to follow the GPL license. If you say your tool is OpenSource too, that should not be a big problem, just be careful with licenses, in case you don't apply the GPL.