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Something to watch for
Published on September 7, 2018 By LizMarr In Personal Computing

I run Windows prerelease software. I haven't been running many of my Stardock apps because of issues with my video setup and online MMO games but I do run Start 10. Windows has recently started a security system that checks any software being run on the computer and blocks it if it doesn't recognize it (including it's own apps more than not) The system is simple, open the "Ransomware protection" and tell it to let the app through. Except for Object Desktop Manager... You see, each time the manager fails an install, the next time you tell it to run it makes a new serialized directory in the temp folder of AppData/Local - which is seen as a new unknown application by the ransomware protection. So if I go into settings and tell it to allow the app it doesn't do any good because the next time it tries to install it makes a new subdirectory in Temp.  So, not sure whose "problem" this is, Windows or Stardock's, but it is a problem and likely to result in complaints that Stardock Object Desktop Manager can't install things. 

One solution is to go to the temp folder and delete the Stardock install folders, so that on the next attempt it will put the file in a folder that Windows is allowing. But it's not a good practice to be telling the end user to be going into the AppData folder to do things at all. What needs to happen is that if the manager has a failure it should be deleting the folders it left behind. Here is the app that is being blocked:

irsetup.exe

The folder it is creating:

<user>\AppData\Local\Temp\_ir_sf_temp_x (x being the install attempt)

The file that exists in the folder:

GetMachineSID.tmp

I've not attempted to delete the folder so that the next attempt would be something that the security would allow. I thought it would be best to give a heads up to you folks that it is happening. I was planning to use solution no. 2 - download the software and install it myself instead of letting Desktop Object Manager do it. I am assuming that I will be needing to at least approve the software using the Ransomware protection and I'm hoping that it doesn't do the serialized thing in the AppData folder again. My comment to Stardock would be, is there a way to either 1) have the manager delete those temp folders upon a failure or 2) be able to direct the manager where to put it's temp files so that it isn't in the protected space of the Windows ransomware scans. I think that if it was putting the temp files outside of the user folder system (or programs folder system) that it would be less likely to cause a problem. Since Ransomware protection is just now coming into use with Windows OS things will likely get more complicated not simpler. The end use can turn off the protection for long enough to install software then turn it back on but as someone who helps with setup and maintenance of computers I cringe a bit when thinking of telling people to turn off anything that is supposed to protect them. Ideally, and I'll make the recommendation to Microsoft, the ransomware protection should be looking at the actual application and not be fixated on where it is working. I can see both sides of this, Microsoft trying to protect folks and the software developers trying to work within the framework set up by Windows (ie. the AppData folder tree).

Again, this is a heads up in case someone has a problem installing stuff. I'll get my update installed eventually. I think I'll try the "turn off monitoring" next and see how that works.


Comments
on Sep 07, 2018

Sounds like Microsoft won't be happy until nothing but Microsoft software runs on Windows. Sigh.

on Sep 07, 2018

I have never used Object Desktop Manager. I have always downloaded programs from my Stardock account.

Try installing programs from your account.

on Sep 07, 2018

Hello, as ALMonty said, 

Sorry to hear you are having issues.

Here's the Link https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products/

 

 


AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant

on Oct 01, 2018

Anyone has a idea about,

How to hide CD and DVD drive in windows 10???

I didn't to disable it. I want to hide it or move it away from other devices. When you use programs like 7zip and display the folder tree. When moving/extracting files, I keep clicking the wrong drive and hitting the DVD drive instead of another HDD and causing the DVD drive tray to ram my case door been doing it for years Mobdro.

 

 

on Oct 01, 2018

Are you using a desktop or laptop?

on Nov 20, 2018

OD Manager has been a royal pain for some time, best not to use it at all. Download the apps you want separately and save the installer packages as backups. No muss no fuss.