IWBasic Update

[Brian]

Hi,

I've just updated to 2.0624, compiled my latest program, and I find that
it compiled to about 5kb less than the previous version. Good stuff!

How was this achieved? And no technical answers, please!

Brian

PS: It would be nice to have the version number on the download page,
and then we would know whether we needed to download or not...

[LarryMc]

How was this achieved? And no technical answers, please!

Smoke and Mirrors

And no new release/version numbering is something I have mentioned before (several times)

LarryMc

[sapero]

Smoke and coffee!
The compiler generates better (less) code for string concatenation, and some modules of the standard library have been recompiled with the current optimizer.

[Brian]

Well, I asked for a non-technical answer, and that's what I got!

Brian

[Rock Ridge Farm (Larry)]

Sapero has cleaned up the code and re-written some older code.
He has really done a lot of work to get us to this point.

I will try to be better at the version numbering but our major focus now is on V3 (and 64 bit) which will be
different ( new IDE - we had issues with the old one in later releases of the C compiler and Windows).

As it stands right now - IWB2 is developed on an XP box with MS C 5.
The new IWB3 and 64 bit are developed on a Win 7 box with MS C 10.

Larry

[LarryMc]

Well, I asked for a non-technical answer, and that's what I got!

Brian

We aim to please Brian 

LarryMc

[Logman]

Larry/Sapero:

I attempted to open the new version and got this error message:

--------------------------------------------------
X Unable to execute file:
C:\iwbdev\bin\iwbdev.exe

CreateProcess failed; code 740.
The requested operation requires elevation.
--------------------------------------------------

This has never happened before. Something has gone wrong. The previous version was working fine.

Any clues?

Also, see my other post under IW2.0 Bug Reports: Norton Prevents Latest Release of IWBasic from Running.

Logman

[LarryMc]

My install of the latest went fine on my XP

LarryMc

[billhsln]

I get that message on my machine (Win 7 Pro).  I just ignore it and start IWB manually and then check the version number.  It does the update, just gives an error message.

Bill

[Logman]

Apparently, there is a file in the BIN folder named iwbdev_xshld4.exe.manifest that either creates iwbdev_xshld4.exe or something, but Norton and a couple other virus checkers don't like the activity this file produces. Not sure what this file does; checks for user KEY CODES or what, but I can no longer get IWBasic to work on 64-bit Windows 7 with a virus checker on.

Since I run in a network, I cannot turn virus checking off for more than a moment before the server automatically turns virus checking back on. IWBasic runs perfectly well with the virus checker off, but I can't keep it off.

Now I can't use IWBasic at all on my laptop or office computer--all of which use Windows 7. Oh man, is this the end of the line for me and IWBasic? When I attempt to tell Norton to authorize iwbdev.exe to be used, it finds this executable and puts it in its database. However, it can't find iwbdev_xshld4.exe. It can only find iwbdev_xshld4.exe.manifest. So now I can't even get Norton to allow this program to run--so I'm dead in the water.

Logman

UPDATE: I can't manually start iwbasic either. I do notice that iwbdev_xshld4.exe is created from iwbdev_xshld4.exe.manifest when the program is first started. When iwbdev_xshld4.exe is created, Norton catches it and shuts the program down. If iwbdev_xshld4.exe was a permanent file, it could be put into Norton's database, but it's not a permanent file, it only pops up for an instant, but long enough to be caught by Norton.

I really need to keep Norton on because our systems, and my laptop, are being probed and hacked pretty heavily by spammers, hackers, and several foreign countries. I know that both Larry's at IONICWIND have had their share of the same nonsense.

Guess I'll have to wait for a fix.

[LarryMc]

Hopefully Larry will come up with a solution.

LarryMc

[Brian]

Hi,

Installed fine on my version of XP SP3, running Avast! anti-virus. I know Logman
can't do anything about it, but I have never had any Norton stuff on my PCs - ever

Too much interference, and makes your PCs run dead slow

Just my experience...

Brian

[Logman]

I agree with Brian.

I run AVAST at home, but at work I'm stuck with Norton. Both the government and my company use it and would fire anyone who attempts to turn it off and keep it off. We're just too much of a target. However, they do love the programs I knock out with IWBasic. They aren't going to be too happy with me when I tell them that IWBasic is having fits with Norton. In the past the company has made users take such programs off their computers. I hate the thought of having to go back to MS VB.net or C#. Ooooooh, my head is hurting just thinking about it.

Logman

[Rock Ridge Farm (Larry)]

Has anyone tried to contact Norton?
I hate to spend more money (and raise the price of IWB) just so Norton will be happy.
They should have an exception file that allows it to run.

Worst case I will stop using the copy protection but the last time I did that IWB appeared all over the place for free.
That does not help the cause here.

Anyone know of another copy protection that Norton does like?

The one that was originally used was some sort of hacked version or older free version - it was not provided
when I got IW.

My other choice is to build in some sort of copy protection which will make IWB fatter.

I am open to suggestions.

Larry

[Logman]

Larry:

Here's the follow-on message details that Norton Insight provided when I drilled down:

EVENT: Attempt to start a remote thread in a process address space
(Performed by c:\iwbdev\bin\iwbdev_xshld4.exe IPID:5056)

Apparently Norton Insight uses data gathered over the net to determine how many other users have downloaded this file and have used it. When Norton Insight doesn't have enough users/hits, it quarantines the file and shuts the program down for "your own protection." It looks like the files have to be registered with Norton in order to be considered Trusted Files/Trusted Site.

It's a shame that we've run smack into this issue, but the vast majority of businesses and the government agencies use Norton. Some of us don't have a choice to use another antivirus where we use IWBasic at work or onsite with clients.

I have had a couple of clients inform me that some of the IWBasic programs I wrote for them are quarantined by the latest version of Norton Insight. I tested some of the compiled EBasic and IWBasic programs I have on a couple of the company's computers. They are now getting caught by Norton Insight and are shut down and quarantined. Ouch, most of the programs I've written no longer work without turning Norton Insight off. My clients are beginning to complain.

It appears that Norton has added some kind of new filter in their latest update that is quarantining all my IWBasic programs.

Logman  

UPDATE 1: It appears that some of the console programs still work when I double click on them. However, and this is a biggy, when I double click on a program written in IWBasic that catches Norton's attention, that file gets quarantined and deleted. I just tested seven programs I recently wrote. One worked, the other six were completely deleted from the server/desktop.

Looks like Norton Insight has gone heavy-duty for businesses and the government with its recent update. I'm not sure yet what triggers Norton to quarantine a specific file and delete it, but it has something to do with the underlying IWBasic code. This same thing doesn't appear to happen with Creative Basic or other BASIC distros I've used in the past. Programs written in these other BASIC languages are able to still run under the current Norton implementation as far as I can determine--at least the older programs I wrote in these languages before switching over to using IWBasic almost exclusively at work.

UPDATE 2: Appears that the old Designer installation tool (iwbdevDesigner with the *.manifest file) also gets targeted by Norton Insight. I couldn't reinstall the Designer program because Norton grabbed and quarantined the installation executable and deleted it before I knew what was happening. Now I don't even have the installation executable (probably have a backup in my archives somewhere). I get the following error code with this program too:

--------------------------------------------------
X Unable to execute file:
C:\iwbdevDesigner.exe

CreateProcess failed; code 740.
The requested operation requires elevation.
--------------------------------------------------

Not sure if any of this helps. But I think you have a pretty good handle on the issue from what you've told me.

[LarryMc]

C:\iwbdevDeveloper.exe

My released designer does have that name.
The designer name is VDIWB.exe
and the installer is vdiwb_setup.exe.

So I don't know what you are seeing.

LarryMc

[Logman]

Larry:

I naturally assumed you had written the earlier version and should have made the distinction--sorry about that. I tried to capture the error message before it dissapeared, but only caught a glimpse of it.

Anyway, the installer executable was deleted and I can no longer duplicate the sequence until I get hold of my backup copy.

Logman

UPDATE: Larry M., you are right. The version of Designer I attempted to setup was from the EBasic days. Anyway, the executable file is gone so I can't repeat the install. The error codes I got on my screen were as I described previously. The reason I tried to install this particular program again was that it had the *.manifest associated with it and I wanted to see if I got the same Norton reaction from it that I got from the *.manifest file in IWBasic. Norton reacted the same in both situations, isolated the files and then deleted them thus halting both programs in their tracks.

[LarryMc]

The zip contains 2 exe files created from identical source.
One created with EB1.737 and the other with IWB2.0.

See what Norton does to them.

(It's a simple window with multiple tooltips.)

LarryMc

[LarryMc]

This is the link to report false-positives to Norton.
They need to know which software of theirs you are using, etc.
They will also need a copy of the file that it doesn't like.

https://submit.symantec.com/false_positive/

LarryMc

[Logman]

Larry:

I'm on my way back from a business trip and will test the two files later this evening when I return.

I forgot Norton has a feedback site. I'll send them some data/files.

Logman

[Ficko]

Maybe this is a stupid input of mine - and excuse me I never used Norton and didn't read the whole post -too long -
- but all other AV I used there was always a way to exclude folders/files to be scanned or checked as trusted or simply reinstate it from the quarantine.

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/nav.nsf/docid/199829164436