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View Full Version : Disable Realplayer 8 Update Permanently?



scalar
02-09-2003, 04:52 PM
Has anyone found a way to permanently disable the update notifications in RealPlayer 8 Basic, that keep telling you over and over "YOUR PLAYER IS OUT OF DATE!"

Well, duh, I already know that.

Now, I know you can disable the notifications for 30 days, but that isn't good enough. I never ever want to see the notification again!


This has become a longstanding annoyance since I manage some 300 PCs which run "roaming profiles" (this lets you login anywhere, and your Favorites, desktop settings, and files magically appear on whatever PC you happen to be using) and NTFS file-system security (helps keep the machines from needing constant maintenance from people installing Morpheus or keyloggers or spyware, etc.)

RealOne does not work with Windows 2000 multi-user roaming profiles. The program is apparantly intended for a machine which is used by only one single user. It cannot deal with multiple people whose personal documents are stored on a remote server. But I do want people to be able to play real-media, so the choice is RealPlayer 8 since it unobtrusively works just fine with roaming profiles and a secure filesystem.

When I set up a new machine for multiple users, I install RealPlayer 8, and immediately turn off all the annoyances, like StartCenter and auto-open a web link when media is played, etc. But the auto-update notifications cannot be permanently killed. So instead users get the update notice... and if they try to download the update, it fails because they cannot write to the local hard drive. Bleah.


At this point I am thinking I need a hack of some kind:

1. When you disable RealPlayer 8's auto-update for 30 days, it makes a registry key. Can you auto-update that key on a regular basis, so RealPlayer always thinks there are 30 days left?

2. It does the update check by phoning home to real.com. Since we have all web access go through a proxy filter, perhaps I can deny the player from being able to contact real to see if an update is available? (Might be able to do this at home using Proxomitron!)

What are you doing to kill the RP8 update notifications? :)


-Scalar

OldVersion.com Admin
02-09-2003, 05:31 PM
You might want to try https://helix-client.helixcommunity.org/ as an alternative to Real Player. That player is still in development, but it reads RealMedia quite well.

Tom
02-09-2003, 09:16 PM
Here's how to permanently disable RealPlayer 8 (and RealPlayer 7) Updates:
Step 1:
Rename the directory: "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update"
to
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Updatex"
(You could also just delete this directory.)
Step 2:
Open RealPlayer. Under menu: View | Preferences, you will see that the Update tab has disappeared. Also try clicking Help | Check for Update -- it won't do anything.

So what's the catch? RealPlayer won't be able to download new codecs anymore for newer RealPlayer files.
Solution: Use Realplay8_upto_realvideo9 1.2 found here (Note: Part of the installation text is in Japanese, but it is very intuitive.):
http://202.102.234.148/soft/hnkknddown/Rea...up_Real9v12.exe (http://202.102.234.148/soft/hnkknddown/Real8up_Real9v12.exe)
or try
http://202.102.234.148/soft/down1.asp?downid=1&id=1044

Edit: It appears that this might not completely disable updates in RealPlayer 8. You need to go one step further and rename
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Plugins\http3260.dll"
to
"xhttp3260.dll".
Now RealPlayer should never successfully check for an Update.

srahe
09-27-2003, 08:14 PM
I think I used a trick to shut up the upgrades for a while. I reset my windows clock to be like the year 2055. then I downloaded and installed Real Player. then it propted me to upgrade and I clicked the "tell me again in 30 days" button.

The next time it will ask me to upgrade should be 30 days from todays date in the year 2055.

Don't forget to reset your Windows clock and best of luck
sr

locustfurnace
09-27-2003, 08:50 PM
Originally posted by srahe@Sep 27 2003, 08:14 PM
The next time it will ask me to upgrade should be 30 days from todays date in the year 2055.


Are you saying you did this, and after 30 days it did not ask you to upgrade?
or are you saying this, while the 30 days has not yet expired?
I can not be sure, but I do not think it actually reads the date and calculates 30 days that way. I do believe it just counts 30 24hr days.
So if your clock is 2055, and you reset it to 2003, it will still count 30 no matter how far in the future you had set it.

one problems with fiddling with you clock also. Some shareware programs you have installed, will detect an adjustment in your clock, and will expire the remaining trial period on their program. That is one risk you might face trying this also.

If your realplayer, does not bother you to upgrade, due to the 2055 date cahnge you wrote above. then post those reports here. I am sure many will be grateful for a solution that actually works.