Windows Installer-based Service Pack Policy

SolidWorks Corporation's response to the need for improving the speed
of service pack installations (by replacing SP2.1 with a "new" SP2.1)
is appreciated; however, I have the following observations and
questions:

1. Wouldn't it be in the best interest of SolidWorks Corporation and
the 300,000+ user community for users to have been immediately and
directly notified(via e-mail broadcast) instead of haing us rely upon
chance visits to the support site and discussion groups or other "word
of mouth" propogation?

2. The less the prior 2.1 service pack is used, the more valuable time
will be saved! It seems as though policy is to inform only on an as
needed basis. It's apparently similar to an automaker looking to avoid
issuing a formal recall but fixing customer's cars as they exhibit
problems, while the other owners slowly learn about the "silent"
recall.

3. How can users tell the difference between the old and new versions
of the SP2.1 files? As far as I can see, the file sizes, times and
dates (contained in the self-extracting executables) are the same in
both cases. Wouldn't it have been better for SolidWorks to issue an
SP2.2? Perhaps it's assumed that most users have yet to download SP2.1
and, as a result, will obtain the newer, faster version, but the
existing old copies of SP2.1 may be unknowingly propogated for use on
many more seats than need be.

4. Can't the Windows Installer patches be made "intelligent" enough to
verify (before upgrading time is wasted) whether the pre-existing
installation of SolidWorks can in fact be patched? I, for one, made
the mistake of repeatedly attempting to upgrade a downloaded version
of SP2.0 to SP2.1 to no avail - the process would complete, but my
installation remained at SP2.0. A dialog box prompt to inform one that
the current installation must first be uninstalled would be of great
benefit! Uninstall/reinstall is, of course, what I ended up having to
do...

5. The "logging" capability of the Windows Installer should be OFF by
default for speed reasons, as has been discovered and explained, but
should be available as a toggled option for those users who may need
or want to employ it.

6. I haven't tried the "new" SP2.1, but hope that the improvements is
speed are easily noticed.

7. SolidWorks has stated that in the long term, the Windows installer
is and will be a good thing for all. I have to wonder what is actually
meant by"good".

Per O. Hoel

 

Per,

Good points.

Also, it would be good if they put checkboxes for "save rollback data"
(yes-no). If you select "yes" it should ask you where you want to store it.
Where I work, the only person that will ever need this capability is me. I
test everything before releasing it. Even so, I will probably choose to use
other methods (the WI just "feels" messy).

Right now this data is stored on the "C" drive. This is very bad for us as
we partition our machines with small system partitions for maintenance
purposes. My workstation has about 600mb of rollback data on the "C" drive.
The size just gets bigger with every SP, and there is nothing you can do
about it.

It would also be helpfull if the installer would tell you "exactly" which
installation it's upgrading. As it is, you launch it, and pray.

The issue of running multiple WI installer versions is still up in the air.
Hacking the registry is "NOT" an acceptable solution.

Regards

Mark

 

This is a tough one. Customers are notorious for not
giving SolidWorks proper email addresses. The VAR
would probably be better suited in giving out the emails,
but then you have the problem with customers getting
confused. Very confused. And VARs not caring.

Maybe SolidWorks can incorporate some 'push'
technology to send info (via internet) to your desktop
when SolidWorks launches?

Yea, I've already got burned by this.

Yes, SolidWorks needs to swallow it's pride and quit
trying to hide it's mistakes (I say mistake because after
so many months of WI being out, they should know better).

Isn't this the point of WI? It's supposed to have soooooooo many
advantages. Too bad it has MORE DISADVANTAGES that far
outwiegh (IMO) the advantages.

Same here. Did you have 2.0 Eval Version installed? If so, isn't
SolidWorks supposed to change the rev if something changed
in the official release?

Is SolidWorks trying to sneak more changes in without us knowing?
If the answer is yes, then we have reason to be very concerned.

Agreed

Mike Wilson

 

Agreed

Mike Wilson

 

That's an excellent idea!! Why push? Why not pull. (and use two places
after the decimal to alleviate the recent debacle) Instead of the current
"Help - Service Packs", why not enhance that click to go out, query a
datafield on the website and present the actual latest service pack, both
for the version you have installed and the latest shipping version. In
other words, if I'm currently running SW2003 SP5.0, and I click "HELP -
LATEST SP" I am presented with the following info...

- - - -
You are currently running:
SW2003 SP5.00, latest SP is SP5.10
The latest shipping version:
SW2004 SP2.10

<<Launch download site>>
- - - -

 

Eddy,

Rhino has just such a feature. It requires a click and then and checks
to see if there is a sp newer than what you are running. Too easy.

Gary

 

OT

Is there a way to find out about available "silent" recalls from the
Automakers. I too knew that they existed but never wanted to take a vehicle
in to a dealer for fear that I will be charged the damn $40 or more
diagnosis fee for something that I knew needed to be fixed.

 

I don't understand SW already has this feature. Help>Service Packs... you
can have it automatically check once a week.

 

Opps, my bad - been there all along I guess.

Gary

 

It's not the same. It's says there's a newer server pack. It can save a
little time if it goes further per the above tag-teamed suggestions.

Case in point, on this computer I haven't updated since SW2003 SP5.0 and
when I do a Help - Service Packs... Check... it proudly tells me there are
no newer service packs. Doh!!

- Eddy

 

Yeah you are right Mine still is saying 5.0 is available eventhough 5.1 is
the latest.