And incidentally, why do they live in Windows\winsx instead of being separated between system32 and sysWow64 ! !
Quad Core Windows 64 bit 7 Ultimate + SP1 4
There were NEVER any SideBySide Errors concerning anything at all until 2nd May on the arrival of
SoftonicDownloader_for_notepad-portable.exe on E:\Downloads (FireFox delivery target on Secondary HDD)
I would like to know if the PRESENCE of a toolbar installer is a good reason for a SideBySide error,
Or whether an almost new Windows 7 installation is corrupt with a 0.5% probability of a malfunction for every Download.
So far I have amassed 217 downloads. Does Windows need to be fixed to avoid a future SideBySide Error.
The error occurs immediately Win 7 notices the presence of this file. NOT upon execution of the file.
Does Win 7 (in)validate EVERY *.exe file that it sees, or only those with some sort of Auto-Run attribute ?
Why does Windows 7 go berserk over an EXE file that is NOT being used but just sitting on a non-system secondary drive ?
Should W7 make a pre-emptive strike against something that is never going to be used ?
Why does Win 7 repeat this error message only 2 or 3 times a week, even though I use the P.C. 3 times a day ?
Why would Win 7 be concerned about conflict with 64 bit comctl32.dll due to a 32 bit executable downloader...
(since they obviously want their toolbar installed I doubt that it restricts itself to 64 bit machines.)
I have an image of C:\ taken on 1st May before the arrival of downloader with its problems.
I have restored that image and get the same SideBySide Error every time it gets a sniff of SoftonicDownloader :-
Immediate, when powered up with E:\Downloads already holding downloader...
Delayed when powered up with E:\Downloads\Unzip already holding downloader...
Delayed until Windows Explorer looked at (BUT DID NOT TOUCH) the contents of E:\Downloads\Unzip.
Immediate, when Flash Drive G:\ is plugged in with downloader...
Immediate, when it arrives in E:\Downloads after pasting into Firefox Address Bar
http://universal-downloader.en.softonic.com/64000/64241/ud_200/SoftonicDownloader_for_notepad-portable.exe
At a once per month precautionary check of the event logs I saw SideBySide errors caused by SoftonicDownloader...
Comodo A.V. has scanned it as clean;
Google search for "Portable Notepad" found the Softonic "Bait and Switch" website, and I downloaded this along with others for evaluation;
I never previously executed it because I was satisfied by my evaluation of another candidate;
I am horrified by the unethical behaviour :-
It claimed to offer "Notepad++ Portable 5.9" but instead they downloaded their ToolBar Installer,
and when I finally tried it there was no way to get the promised PORTABLE from them without first accepting the toolbar,
and only when I allowed them to INSTALL the toolbars did they POLLUTE MY DESKTOP with NotepadPlusPlusPortable_5.9.2.paf.exe,
which is a legitimate Sourceforge Portable application that Sourceforge would have CORRECTLY delivered to E:\Downloads.
Although I consider their behaviour unethical, their down-loader does not appear to be malevolent malware,
but it appears to cause grief to Windows 7 Ultimate,
unless of course it is the fault of Microsoft for creating two conflicting variants of comctl32.dll,
in which case I would like to get Windows fixed so it does not make the same mistake with a different future download.
I have chosen to avoid any taint and made a clean start from the clean image 1st May,
and re-done the upgrades and installations that took me a month to select.
Below is the small print - the actual messages which have probably pointed me in totally the wrong direction.
The SideBySide Error reports :-
Activation context generation failed for "E:\Downloads\SoftonicDownloader_for_notepad-portable.exe".
Error in manifest or policy file "" on line . A component version required by the application conflicts with another component version already active.
Conflicting components are:.
Component 1: C:\Windows\WinSxS\manifests\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.7601.17514_none_41e6975e2bd6f2b2.manifest
Component 2: C:\Windows\WinSxS\manifests\amd64_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.7601.17514_none_fa396087175ac9ac.manifest.
These two manifests stipulate the files "comctl32.dll" located at
C:\Windows\winsx\amd64_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.7601.17514_none_fa396087175ac9ac\
C:\Windows\winsx\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.7601.17514_none_41e6975e2bd6f2b2\
The properties describe the file as "User Experience Controls Library"
It seems to me that these files may be involved in the detection of SideBySide errors,
so are they issuing a vote of non-confidence in themselves ?
I have run "sfc /scannow" and found no errors.
I am concerned that comctl32.dll is described as "User Experience Controls Library"
and I wonder how this is related to the System event logs which at the time of SideBySide Errors are saying
"Application-Experience : The Program Compatibility Assistant service started successfully"
i.e. Is Win 7 saying that Microsoft have an incompatibility between the dll's that should detect
"A component version required by the application conflicts with another component version already active"
Regards
Alan