Applying MS MDAC Patch

Novell Cool Solutions: Trench

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Posted: 5 Jul 2004

Recently we ran an OPEN CALL for suggestions in the Q&A, as follows.

Question: Ken O. wrote: I'm trying to apply the latest MS MDAC patch MS04-003(KB832483)silently to my XP and W2K workstations with an app. object via ZEN 4. I'm running it with the /Q option quiet mode)and when I run it with the executable security level at normal, it still prompts the user to either run the patch or cancel. If I run it either secured or unsecured, I get an error of (ID=67) The network name cannot be found. Is there something I'm missing?

Answer: OPEN CALL: Anyone got any ideas for Ken? We're stumped.

Russ Gee

This is not as difficult as it seems.

First, the patch should be installed unsecure. (All Hotfixes should be installed as unsecure since most require admin rights to install.)

In order to do this, you either need push the patch to each system (to a temp folder or similar), or you need to give the workstation (must be registered) rights to the network location where you are storing it.

Once you decide that, then comes the launch of the patch. If you are calling the patch from the Run Options/Application tab of the NAL, you would use:

Run:<path>\ENU_Q832483_MDAC_x86.EXE
Paramaters:/C:"dahotfix.exe /q /n" /q

The <path> will depend on where you are calling it from --either the temp location where you pushed the file, or the network location.

Nick Gastuch

In the bulletin under the expanded Security Update Information is the command syntax to perform a silent install. The command is:

<LAN>_Q832483_MDAC_x86.EXE /C:"dahotfix.exe /q /n" /q

The /q switch that is specified for Dahotfix.exe is for a silent install. The /n switch suppresses the restart. The trailing /q switch is to also suppress the end-user license agreement (EULA) pop-up window.

Aaron Jones

Here is what I have done to achieve the installation of the patch.

I have renamed the MDAC download file to Q832483.EXE. I created my Application Object to run the new patch with the following switches:

Path to executable file - F:\PATCHES\Q832483.EXE
Parameters /q:a /c:"dahotfix /q /n"

The Registry key to check for successful installation is
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Updates\DataAccess\Q832483

Patrick Farrell

To install silently, execute the following (ENU can be changed to whatever language you are using)

ENU_Q832483_MDAC_X86.EXE /C:"dahotfix.exe /q /n" /q

Here's things you can try when you aren't sure how to make it work.

Run the executable with a -? flag manually. It will pop up a window of switches which may help. Most MS updates require a -q -u others will need /q /z, and some look like /q:a /r:n

The worst I've seen is the MS Java update which needs

/c:"javatrig.exe /exe_install /l /q" /q:a /r:n

in the paramaters line. You will usually come up with the paramaters by looking at the ms page for the update itself. In this case:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-003.asp Expand the "Security Update Information" and "Microsoft Data Access Components (all versions) section.

Frank Neill

I would also make sure that the workstation is associated. This is needed if running in secure or unsecure mode.

Eric Young

This is how we do it:

ENU_Q832483_MDAC_x86.exe /Q:A /C:"dasetup.exe /Q /N"

Sangita Patel

Command line parameter: /q /C:"dahotfix.exe /q /n"

Run the \ENU_Q832483_MDAC_x86.EXE

That's it.

Claudio Tranchina

I've done it (almost on Windows 2000).

I've created an App Object that launches MDAC_TYP.EXE (that resides on a network share) with these parameters:

/Q /C:"Setup /QNT"

The security for this app is "unsecure system user." It's silent with no reboot and no user prompts.

Alexander Schmidt

This is the correct command for installing mdac in quiet mode:

Q832483_MDAC_x86.exe /C:"dahotfix.exe /q /n" /q:a

The Joker

Q832483_MDAC_x86.EXE /C:"dahotfix /q /n" /Q

Konrad Weglowski

I encountered the same problem. There is the partial resolution:

Extract the patch into a folder

ENU_Q832483_MDAC_x86.EXE /T: c:\folder /C

After doing that you can silently run the patch

c:\folder\dahotfix.exe /s

It will not ask you to press OK.

The only other problem I have is that when sending it out to the workstations through ZENworks, even though I specify to run it as an "Unsecure System User" it doesn't install. Local user needs administrative rights on Windows 2000.

Could anyone please help me with this one?

Reader Comments

Everyone recommends to apply the patch using "Run options". This works if you only deploy one patch. If you are going to deploy 10+ patches, it's not going to work because the patches will all install at the same time (they don't wait until the previous one has finished). A big mess is the result! That's why you should use the "Run before/after distibution script" (NOT the launch script!). This way you'll see a nice "Distibuting" window so the uses knows whats going on. It's also much easier to deploy multiple patches. Please note that everything run from the distibution script is run as "secure" user. So know output is allowed, and no netwerk access (unless you give the workstation netwerk rights).

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