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2007TZFIX
2007 Time Zone Update for All Versions of Microsoft Windows

 

Program

2007TZFIX

Version

1.06

Synopsis

2007 Time Zone Update Program for all 32 bit versions of Microsoft Windows

Syntax

2007TZFIX is a graphical (GUI) program that takes command line arguments, with the following syntax.

          2007TZFIX.exe -LLogFileName [-Q]

where:          LogFileName   = Name of optional log file

Q                 = Optional Quiet mode flag, to suppress message boxes

Switches:       L = Must be followed by name for activity log file

Q = Quiet mode (Suppress all message boxes, including errors).

2007TZFIX is intended to be run from a batch file or script, though it can, of course, be run directly from a command prompt or the Windows Explorer.

Notes

¨             Warning! As of version 1.04, 2007TZFIX updates the active time zone in two steps. In the first step, the active time zone is briefly changed. This change was made because reports from the field suggest that the most reliable way to ensure that the updates are permanent is to use this brute force approach. This has two effects.

¨             The clock briefly reports a different time, because the time zone update briefly takes full effect on the machine.

¨             Any time sensitive activity that occurs during this brief interval may be affected by the time change. For this reason, it is essential that all but essential activities be suspended until the update completes its work. Note: 2007TZFIX stops the Task Scheduler service before it changes the time zone, and restarts the Task Scheduler service just before it shuts down.

¨             Important: On Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003, this program must run as Administrator, or another member of the Administrators group.

¨             If your machine automatically logs you on, and you can install software, you belong to the Administrators group.

¨             We are unaware of any way to run this program as an administrator without first logging on as a member of that group. Less privileged groups simply do not have the required privileges.

¨             LogFileName will be created if it does not exist.

¨             Invalid switches are ignored and discarded; they will not appear in the log file. Such errors are not reported

¨              If you use the L switch, LogFileName must immediately follow the switch, without an intervening space. Think of it as a switch modifier. If the L switch is omitted or specified without a file name string, no file is created.

¨             Switches may be upper or lower case.

Description

If a file name is specified, a record is made of all actions taken by the program, including the Registry keys updated, and the external Registry script files used.

¨             The specified file is created if it does not exist.

¨             If the file exists, the program appends to it, preserving existing data.

¨             Program 2007TZFIX_Auto.exe is a self-extracting package that you can use to quickly update additional computers. When run, it extracts the necessary components into a temporary folder, runs the time zone update program, deletes the temporary directory, and exits.

¨             Batch file 2007TZFIX1.BAT offers greater flexibility for updating other computers, including optional logging to a file on a central file share. You can run 2007TZFIX1.BAT on several machines in succession, and each execution appends its data to the central log file. Like 2007TZFIX_Auto.exe, it deletes the program and its support files from the machine. Important! If you use 2007TZFIX1.BAT, you must copy the files onto the target machine, or edit the batch file to remove the delete commands.

The activity log files may be opened directly in Windows Notepad. If several successive executions specify the same log file, new data is appended to the file.

Installation

2007TZFIX consists of one stand alone executable files, 2007TZFIX.exe, two DLL files, four Registry files, and a documentation file, 2007TZFIX.pdf. Since the program has no Registry keys of its own, and both libraries are self contained conventional dynamic link libraries, no formal installation is required. Copy the files into any convenient location, such as a folder on your desktop. The latest versions is always posted here.

To meet a client request, we have provided 2007TZFIX_Auto.exe, a self-extracting, fully automatic package. There are two ways to use this package.

Warning! Use this package at your own risk, and be advised that you will receive several warnings from Windows, because the program file is not digitally signed. The program is actually quite safe, but you have only my word on that. (Of course, that's all you have with a digitally signed program, too, but we'll leave that discussion for another day.)

Support

Except for copies obtained by corporate or institutional users under a site license, as described below, this program is free software. As such, it comes without support or a warranty.  Of course, copies obtained pursuant to a site license are supported. Nevertheless, I shall entertain questions about its use, ways that I could improve it, or problems that you have with it. Naturally, I am very interested to learn how people use my creations. You can reach me by means of this form, which sends email directly to me.

License

This program is subject to license, under the following simple terms.

¨             Individual Users. — You may use the program, free of charge, to fix the time zone tables on all of your personally owned computers, up to a maximum of five (5) machines.

¨             Corporate or Institutional Users. — You must obtain a site license, for a one-time fee of US$75.00, payable through PayPal or by check.

Both individual and corporate or institutional users are subject to the following simple license terms.

¨             The program is licensed, not sold. We retain ownership of the software.

¨             Permitted Activities. — You are permitted to do the following things with the Software, the accompanying Documentation, and the support files.

¨             Use the Software on up to the maximum number of computers covered by your license.

¨             Make up to two (2) backup copies, one of which must be stored offline on removable media, such as a diskette or CD-ROM.

¨             Use the Registry files without limitation. They are adapted from material made freely available by Microsoft Corporation.

¨             Incorporate the Software into a package, such as a SMS package, for internal use.

¨             Prohibited Activities. — You are forbidden to do any of the following.

¨             Reverse engineer the program files (EXE or DLL files).

¨             Incorporate the Software or Documentation into another project that you distribute to outsiders.

¨             Incorporate either of the two dynamic link libraries into your own projects, unless you have a valid license for the WinBatch programming language interpreter or compiler.

¨             Remove the copyright and other intellectual property notices from the Software or the Documentation.

Package Contents

File Name

File Description

Notes

2007TZFIX.EXE

This is the main program.

 

2007TZFIX.pdf

This is the program documentation.

 

2007TZFIX_Auto.exe

This program installs, runs, and removes the time zone update program.

Note 1.

2007TZFIX_Sample_Log.TXT

This is a sample log file, such as is created when the –l command line switch is used.

 

2007TZFIX1.BAT

This batch file runs the time zone update program, then deletes the program and its support files.

Note 2.

movefile.exe

This is a part of the Sysinternals PendMoves package, which schedules in-use files for deletion the next time the machine is restarted. This is the program that actually schedules the moves and deletions.

Note: Updates are always scheduled, even if the file could be deleted.

Note 3.

P6PAUSE.COM

This program halts a batch file until you press the Return, or Enter, key.

Note 4

pendmoves.exe

This is a part of the Sysinternals PendMoves package, which schedules in-use files for deletion the next time the machine is restarted. This program lists file moves and deletions that are scheduled for the next restart.

Note 3.

PendMoves_Eula.txt

This is a part of the Sysinternals PendMoves package, which schedules in-use files for deletion the next time the machine is restarted. This file is the End User License Agreement for the package.

Note 3.

TZupdate_en_Windows9x.REG

Time zone updates for English language versions of Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition.

Note 5.

TZupdatee_en_WindowsNT4.REG

Time zone updates for English language versions of Windows NT 4.

Note 5.

TZupdatee_en_WindowsNT.REG

Time zone updates for English language versions of Windows 2000, and Windows XP, and Windows 2003..

Note 5.

TZupdatee_other_Windows9x.REG

Time zone updates for non-English language versions of Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition.

Note 5.

TZupdatee_other_WindowsNT4.REG

Time zone updates for non-English language versions of Windows NT 4.

Note 5.

TZupdatee_other_WindowsNT.REG

Time zone updates for non-English language versions of Windows 2000, and Windows XP, and Windows 2003..

Note 5.

wbdEI44I.dll

This is a support file, used by 2007TZFIX.EXE.

Note 6.

wwwnt34i.dll

This is a support file, used by 2007TZFIX.EXE.

Note 6.

Notes

1

You can copy this program to another machine. When you run it on the target machine, the program will extract the time zone update program and its support files, update the time zone tables on the system, then remove the extracted files. When done, you may need to delete 2007TZFIX_Auto.exe, itself.

2

To use 2007TZFIX1.BAT, copy all the files from the installation directory except 2007TZFIX_Auto.exe into another directory on the same or another machine. You may use an existing directory. Other files already in it will remain undisturbed.

This file is the predecessor of 2007TZFIX_Auto.exe, and I left it in the distribution to give you an alternative way to use the package to update other computers. Whereas 2007TZFIX_Auto.exe remains on the target machine, if used as directed, this file completely cleans up after itself, and can be adapted to suit your needs.

3

This file is subject to a separate End User License Agreement (EULA), which is contained in PendMoves_Eula.txt, which is, itself, a renamed copy of Eula.txt, from the Sysinternals PendMoves package. If you are a power user, you may want to keep both movefile.exe and pendmoves.exe.

4

Unlike the built-in PAUSE command, P6PAUSE.COM responds to only two events – Enter and Ctrl-C. I created it in 1990 when I became frustrated with batch files that took off when I accidentally tapped a key. This program patiently waits until you press the Enter key, or until you use the Ctrl-C key combination to terminate the batch file.

You may want to add it to the end of 2007TZFIX1.BAT, so that it halts and waits for you to notice that it has completed.

Program P6PAUSE.COM is free software. It is my gift to the community of computer users. You may keep it and incorporate it into your own projects. If you are really ambitions, you may disassemble it; there isn’t much to it.

5

These files are used by 2007TZFIX.EXE, which queries your Windows installation to choose the correct file to use. There are four files because Windows 9x and Windows NT family operating systems keep the time zone tables in different Registry keys, and because the time zone display names are not updated on foreign language editions of Microsoft Windows.

6

These files are regular dynamic link libraries, and require no special installation.

Revision History

Date

Version

Comment

2007/03/06

1.00

Initial release.

2007/03/08

1.01

Update to correct two critical oversights and one incompatibility identified in a field test by a client.

  • Due to an incompatibility in the dynamic link library that we use for the task, logging is unsupported on Windows 9x. This was discovered by a client who actually needed to use the program on a production Windows 98 machine. Thanks to Kevin Cox for testing the fix.
  • Kevin Cox gets credit for identifying another minor error in the Windows 9x Registry scripts. Thanks to him for testing that fix, too.
  • Finally, Kevin identified an error in 2007TZFIX1.BAT, which prevented it from working. Although any customer could have easily fixed the error and used the script, that should be my job.
  • In subsequent internal testing, we discovered that a missing Registry value caused the Windows Update service to incorrectly report that hotfix 931836, the official update from Microsoft corporation, was missing after this program is run on a Windows XP or Windows 2003 machine.

2007/03/12

1.02

Update support library WWWILMuscle.dll to remove an incompatibility with Windows NT. Although the function in question is not used by the WinBatch interface to the library, its presence prevents the library from loading on a Windows NT machine.

2007/03/12

1.03

Change to skip collecting Windows Suite Mask and Product Type unless the platform is Windows NT Family, as older versions of Windows do not report these items.

2007/03/14

1.04

Update to address reliability issues reported by some installations.

  • Add code to brute force the active time zone by changing it to a different time zone, then restoring the active time zone.
  • Add code to force all pending Registry changes to be written to disk.
  • Yield control to allow other windows to process up to 20 messages each between stages of the script.

2007/03/20

1.05

Completely remove the WWWILMuscle.dll library, due to additional compatibility issues with older versions of Microsoft Windows. All of its functions were easily replaced, at a negligible performance cost, with native WinBatch script.

As a consequence of completely removing the library, logging is once again enabled on all platforms.

2007/03/20

1.06

Add Registry scripts TZupdatee_en_WindowsNT4.REG and TZupdatee_other_WindowsNT4.REG, which are specifically for Windows NT 4, which uses the old style Registry script header.

Copyright

This program is copyright 2007, Simple Soft Services, Inc., d/b/a WizardWrx, North Richland Hills, Texas, USA. All rights reserved world wide.

The above copyright declaration applies to both the source and object forms of the program.

Publisher Information

The publisher of this software is Simple Soft Services, Inc., d/b/a WizardWrx.

Address:

  

5006 Cloyce Court
North Richland Hills, TX  76180-6944

Email:

  

support at wizardwrx.com

WWW:

  

www.wizardwrx.com


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