Patch My PC Home Updater: Command-Lines, Silent-Switches And More Info

[miek_g]

is there a way to set the log file location in the ini file?
#edit#
I have the scheduled task running PMPC is located in ProgramFiles\PMPC\ and I would like the logfile to go to either c:\logs

[MerlinTheGreat]

You can change the log location in the options part of PMPC.
Just click on the foldername under "Logging Options" and select a new folder location.

[ChuckM6421]

+1 to the question above.

I want to know if the PatchmyPC.ini file can exclude a software(for eg teamviewer ) from getting updated automatically. Ideally i dont want patch My PC to scan Teamviewer or update it. Rest of all softwares can be updated without issues. Is this possible?

I do not want to enable "Disable Auto updating of all apps" , since i want all the softwares to be updated automatically EXCEPT teamviewer. What to do?

You can right-click on any app and choose to disable scanning or disable auto update for this app.

Thank you very much for putting this software out there. I also maintain a couple seniors' pcs and constantly chasing updates is very time-consuming. I'm recently retired from a 24 year technical career in IT and one thing I've taken from that time is that outdated software is one of the biggest threats to an enterprise, or to an individual's online presence.


Anyway, I also need to stop one of my apps from being updated. I run an app called "Handbrake" on Windows 7 and past my current version (not the latest) it's not supported. And every time PmPC tries to update it and throws an error. Yet I cannot right click on it either in the main listing, nor the Options panel. Most other apps listed I can see the menu you refer to. But it seems like the Handbrake entry is frozen, can't check/uncheck it's box either. FWIW, the text looks green (I'm slightly color impaired but I think it's green.
Any advice?

[MerlinTheGreat]

@ChuckM6421
Normally it should be possible to rightclick and choose to not scan, autoupdate or silentinstall the app.
I don't know of an option to exclude an app via the ini file.
I don't even know where PatchMyPC keeps the settings for the rightclick options...

It might be handy though to have the option of excluding apps via the ini file.
Maybe by putting an exclamation mark in front of the app, just like the semicolon to not autoselect the app.
The exclamation mark is used in IT to NOT do/include some action, so it might be used NOT to install/scan for the app it is placed in front of.
That is a very easy thing to implement in PatchMyPC. Hint, hint, hint... 

[MerlinTheGreat]

@ChuckM6421

I found it!
In the registry there is this item:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Patch My PC\Options

In here you can find the options to exclude apps.
To disable the update of Handbrake you shoudl put the following in there:
Value: DisableAutoCheck_Chk_HandBrake Type: REG_SZ Data: 1
You could also add the following:
Value: Skip_Chk_HandBrake Type: REG_SZ Data: 1
and even:
Value: Manual_Install_Chk_HandBrake Type: REG_SZ Data: 1
This way Handbrake will be completely omitted from installing/updating

The reg file would look like this if you want to import these settings in the registry:

Code Select Expand

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Patch My PC\Options]
"Skip_Chk_HandBrake"="1"
"DisableAutoCheck_Chk_HandBrake"="1"
"Manual_Install_Chk_HandBrake"="1"


[MerlinTheGreat]

These findings indicate that PatchMyPC in fact isn't actually "portable" since it writes in the registry...   

[ChuckM6421]

And you're correct!
I hope my attachment screen shot is visible.
Thanks very much and great detective work.
(And yes, it would appear this negates the portability, but it works for me)

[samglasses]

It should update anything that's currently installed when using the silent switch including other updates.

[trading10]

Is there a way to pre-select all the apps I want installed the first time (during Windows initial setup) via a script or just copying a .ini file to wherever patchmypc stores the list of apps to install for the first time?

So far, the only cmd information I've found has to do with systems where patchmypc has already been run at least once and installed the manually selected applications.  I don't want manual selection - I need pre-selected.

Any ideas?  What am I missing?

[MerlinTheGreat]

@trading10: Yes you can.
Check if in the folder of PatchMyPC an ini file exists.
If not: Launch PatcMyPC and goto Options. Click the Export settings to PatchMyPC.ini button
At this moment PatchMyPC creates an ini file.
Exit PatchMyPC.
Now open the ini file in an editor.
You'll find a lot of lines that start with ;Chk_
Remove the ; in front of the apps you want to have installed.
Save the ini file. Of course it needs to be saved in the folder of PatchMyPC.
Now when you start PatchMyPC these apps will be checked so they will be installed when you run the update/install.

[trading10]

This is great!

What I'm doing for anyone who might be interested, is using a free 'answer file generator' online to create a Sysprep 'answer file', saved to the flash drive, which the Windows installer uses to configure the system during the installation.  There is a way to execute a program this way, which now that I know about the ini file and removing the ';' to make each application install, after that initial install, the system is much farther along without having to install a ton of programs manually.  So what I get is a clean install of Windows 10 with all the applications installed upon first login.  Nice.

Thanks for sharing this info about the .ini file editing technique.  Much appreciated.