Blacklist not working correctly

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older-than-dirt
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Blacklist not working correctly

Post by older-than-dirt »

As I don't apply these updates to the machines I support, I have this list and make sure that these updates, specifically, are not applied via AP. It gets to be a pain after a while.

Is there any capabilities to maybe have a "blacklist" file that would exclude those updates from showing up in AP or perhaps greying them out/disabling them? That way the release could still be marked official. IMO, not including them would be a mistake, someday, they may be needed, why not give the end user the ability?

I apologize if this capability is in AP6, as I haven't tried it yet. The combining of AP & APUP into 1 app presents problems for my current process right now and I will have to use APUP as long as I am able to.

I don't like saving the configuration because I have to update it everytime and I sometimes use AP on machines for the first time and I don't know the current state of updates (if that makes any sense to anyone).

I am just looking for the ability to selectively exclude updates, without having to include everything else that's needed
ChrisJ
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Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 3:32 am

Re: Microsoft Re-Issues Windows 7 Updates Forcing Windows 10 Upgrade, Enabling Data Collection

Post by ChrisJ »

Hi odt :)

I believe AP 6x has this feature. If you right-click an update from the drop-down list in AP, and select "never show this item", a blacklist file (no extension) is created with the apm name minus the extension (.apm) added to the list -> KB2899189_eight_1_x64. The update should be grayed-out or hidden. I have show hidden selected so I always see grayed-out, but they may also not show up at all - you'll need to experiment.

I think you might be able to add files to the blacklist manually after the list is created rather than hunting for the file in AP and right-clicking it. This can be a pain because the files don't always display in order so you have to search. Finding the exact apm name in the folder might be easier. The blacklist opens in a text editor, just make sure the file names are exact, F2 works because it allows you to copy the text of the file minus the extension, then paste the text in the blacklist.

Hope this was helpful :)
older-than-dirt
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2014 10:51 pm

Re: Microsoft Re-Issues Windows 7 Updates Forcing Windows 10 Upgrade, Enabling Data Collection

Post by older-than-dirt »

Well, I guess I am going to have to try AP6.
ChrisJ
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Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 3:32 am

Re: Microsoft Re-Issues Windows 7 Updates Forcing Windows 10 Upgrade, Enabling Data Collection

Post by ChrisJ »

OK, I'm not sure updates can be added manually to the blacklist, my first test failed, but right-clicking and selecting "never show this item" adds updates and they will be grayed-out or hidden depending on your AP settings - ShowHidden=True or False - see autopatcher.ini file.

I'll add 4 files to the list via AP and see how exactly they're added, I believe all uppercase is necessary..?
older-than-dirt
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2014 10:51 pm

Re: Microsoft Re-Issues Windows 7 Updates Forcing Windows 10 Upgrade, Enabling Data Collection

Post by older-than-dirt »

I just checked out AP6.

The feature is there, but it doesn't appear to be working. I can right-click and select "hide" and the entry is greyed out, but:

1) after being greyed out, I would expect to not be able to select it. (i.e. I can still set the checkmark).
2) when I select it's parent (that would select everything in the tree below), I would expect that it wouldn't be selected (i.e. the check mark is set)
3) the selection should be be greyed out, but isn't being honored when I restart AP (i.e. the selection is not greyed out)
4) the blacklist file is created though and does have an entry in it
ChrisJ
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Re: Microsoft Re-Issues Windows 7 Updates Forcing Windows 10 Upgrade, Enabling Data Collection

Post by ChrisJ »

older-than-dirt wrote:<snip...>
I just checked out AP6. The feature is there, but it doesn't appear to be working.
...or I'm not understanding the purpose of blacklist in the long run, short run I understand. Seems pointless to not work after AP is exited and reopened. What little I read after doing a search for "blacklist" is simply to delete the apm which will remove the entry from the drop-down list while also making the release unofficial - not a great option IMO. Oh well, sorry to have run you down a rabbit hole.
older-than-dirt
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Re: Microsoft Re-Issues Windows 7 Updates Forcing Windows 10 Upgrade, Enabling Data Collection

Post by older-than-dirt »

Not a problem. Hopefully they'll build upon current functionality and provide something that would work the way I described earlier.
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Re: Microsoft Re-Issues Windows 7 Updates Forcing Windows 10 Upgrade, Enabling Data Collection

Post by TheAPGuy »

Technically the Blacklist option existed before AP6 its in all versions of AP as far as I know. Blacklisted items should not load. I will look into that.
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Re: Blacklist not working correctly

Post by TheAPGuy »

The blacklist is generated using the Unique key in the chosen that the creator (wac) placed in apm. Since the names generally follow the same patter is somewhat easy to generate a list without using AP however you won't hit them all. KB890830_X64_ALL for example; I wouldn't have guessed the "_ALL" at the end of it.
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Re: Blacklist not working correctly

Post by TheAPGuy »

Fixed Blacklist not blacklisting. From what I see it might have been a pretty old bug thats always been in there. Also fixed the box graying out and still being clickable. It should gray out and not be clickable now. New changes in 6.1.37
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