Problem upgrading my DB to 2023

[banzai]

Hi there,

just installed IMatch 2023, eager to see the new version... but when I try to open my existing DB, I get this:

Used ProcessExplorer to check if any process has a handle open... nothing.
Copied the DB to a new file. Same result with the copy.
I can also open the .imd5 file in Notepad++ and edit it without problems (not that it makes sense, just to check the privileges).
I guess I'm missing something obvious here??

[banzai]

Argl...
I tried it again to check if I see something in the logfile and now it worked!
So forget my post.

[Mario]

Strange. Never hand that before, I think.
I would have suggested a reboot, as a first measure.

This message is shown by IMatch when it cannot open a database file with write access privileges. Which is quite rare.

[banzai]

I think it was the "controlled folder access" feature of Win11. The new executable wasn't in the whitelist yet.
Cause today I got the same message, but now Windows gave me a popup that the access was blocked.
Just strange that it worked yesterday after some tries and that I didn't get a popup...

[Mario]

The "Apple walled garden" is slowly seeping into the Windows world.
Microsoft protects you from potentially harmful stuff. Maybe. For your own good. Really.

Nope!

Virus checkers now use measures like "reputation" of software and "number of times seen" to determine if something is a potential threat. This means that big software vendors like Microsoft, Adobe etc. get a white list entry in virus checkers. Small independent software vendors like me don't. IMatch is not Photoshop and it is not downloaded millions of times. This does not make it a bad product or a problem.

When a new product comes out (or a new release like IMatch 2023), which has not yet been downloaded tens of thousands of times (or comes from the Microsoft store), some virus checkers decide that it might be a threat and block it, delete it or simpley corrupt the installation. And, often, silently, without actively telling the user (you!) what they did - to prevent the you from irritating messages and questions. They assume their users are dumb, frankly.

Despite all IMatch installers being signed with my expensive digital certificate (Microsoft invented and demands that now), IMatch being around since 1998 (!) and both the trial version and the licensed version get 100% clean mark from Google's Virus Total web site, some virus checkers don't get the message. Symantec/Norton are often way behind, for example.

Since the free Windows Defender go so good (and free), anti-virus vendors have a hard time to justify their annual cost. And so they invent all kinds of stuff, pseudo threads, side-shows and ridiculous false alarms which make all our lives much harder. To justify their annual cost. For our safety, of course.

I'm really tired of this, but there is nothing I can do.

[banzai]

I can completely understand you and share your opinion regarding Anti-Virus tools.

But to be fair: this "controlled folder access" feature is turned off by default in windows. I turned it on after reading about it in the c't magazine. And the article already warned that it could get annoying to add everything to the whitelist before the user can work like normal. But I wanted to try it out, so it's my own problem I guess. And I also had to allow other, more known software like DxO Photolab, TotalCommander, WinMerge and my beloved Factorio

[Mario]

But to be fair: this "controlled folder access" feature is turned off by default in windows. I turned it on after reading about it in the c't

I also read the c't. But I've never feel tempted to make my life harder by enabling this

[beeellecee]

The "Apple walled garden" is slowly seeping into the Windows world.
Microsoft protects you from potentially harmful stuff. Maybe. For your own good. Really.

Nope!


Despite all IMatch installers being signed with my expensive digital certificate (Microsoft invented and demands that now), IMatch being around since 1998 (!) and both the trial version and the licensed version get 100% clean mark from Google's Virus Total web site, some virus checkers don't get the message. Symantec/Norton are often way behind, for example.

I'm really tired of this, but there is nothing I can do.

Norton blocked installation of IMatch entirely for me. So I sacked Norton, told them why in their feedback form, ans switched to ESET instead. IMatch up and running assisted by having antivirus aimed at adults.

[Mario]

Very well.
Microsoft's Windows Defender (built-in and free) gets top marks in virus checker comparisons.
I use Windows Defender on one of my Workstations and my notebook, and two virus checkers on my main Workstation - so I get excellent coverage.

[beeellecee]

I only switched to Norton because...it was cheaper. ESET has always worked for me. Lesson learned: don't fix things that are not broken.