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Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
I'm using Designer Pro X17, and it pops up all these really stupid messages trying to get me to turn on some sort of Magix update program, begging me to update the software. Really stupid amateurish way to irritate a long-term customer. Any suggestions about how to make the nag messages go away, for good? Besides switching to Illustrator or Affinity?
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Do you mean this message?
Attachment 131574
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
If that's what he's talking about, I keep getting it too, and it doesn't do anything. The installation won't start ... as it wouldn't a couple of years ago, when it kept popping up!
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
I have had it with each Magix program that I have, on two computers. As far as I know, it is just the app that keeps track of which version you have and notifies you if there is a new update for that program (You have version x.0.1, available update x.0.2). Nothing more. You just accept, ok, done. Nothing more to see.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
I've been getting this message, too, every time I run up the app, but it never installs anything, because next time whether I had clicked on it or not, it asks me to install it all over again, and the next time, and the next time. It won't install, and I get no error messages that it has failed to install. On top of that, my update subscription expired on 4th March 2020, as I also get reminded every time I've run up the app since then. It gets old really, really quickly!
Edit: Even running up XDP as administrator doesn't get it to install properly, as I just tried that in the vain hope it would stop pestering me to re-install it.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Good lord, long time no see Mike :D
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Hi, Egg, I hope you are well? I see many of the old faces (well, you know what I mean) are still around. Sorry to be coming back with problems instead of solutions these days. I did notice earlier today in an update document that SVG resizing on import no longer happens by default! :) My XPGD-17 needed a registry fix to make it behave.
I still use it almost every day, and recently Xara3D too. I'd promised to try making a stamp for wax seals for the son of a long time friend, for the son's approaching 21st Birthday last year, after which he suggested I make one from myself, so I did. And that might make for an interesting post.
Oh, dear; I think I may have just committed myself, haven't I? :D
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
I'm on it! :D Just organising things, so just a day or so, I think, and in a fresh post.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
OK, I've posted the article as a pdf in the Xara Art Gallery forum, as it seems the most appropriate place for the content. Sorry it took so long, there was a fair bit of tidying up to make things presentable! Not to mention getting the output to retain its graphic detail without going over TG's limits, because of quite a few images embedded in it.
Edited for spelling!
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
This is to answer the question I came here for, how to block the irritating Zombie update messages. I created two Outgoing rules in Windows Defender Firewall to block two of the Xara/Magix apps from calling home. Once blocked, the two message popups no longer appear, and without it appearing to affect my normal usage of XPGD-17 in any way. You will need to go into Defender's Advanced mode to create a new Outbound rule, and for each you will have browse for the relevant application, both are identified in the screenshot. Once the rules are enabled, the irritations will no longer pop up. :D >:)
edited Outgoing to Outbound.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Looks good Mike. I have XaraPro+ so don't get these messages unless I occasionaly open my outdated Xara Designer Pro X whatever ;-)
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
I'm not too worried about blocking it ... The point is that - Once again - IT ISN'T WORKING.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
"Once again - IT ISN'T WORKING."
So the popups still come? My XPGD-17 definitely stopped getting these popups when I blocked their access to the Internet. The PhotoGraphicDesigner.exe one stopped the update expiry popup, and the other one stopped the Update service updater which wouldn't update itself. The blocks weren't suppose to make it work properly, that's Xara/Magix's job. If you mean something else, can you be more specific? There were two other possible .exe files in the Designer/17 paths that I blocked but which didn't make a difference to the popups I was getting, so I deleted those specific blocks. Perhaps they need blocked for your system/setup/version.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
No, that's not what I meant. I'm not worried about the popups.
The Magix RENEW THE UPDATE SERVICE installer doesn't do anything, so even if you say "okay, renew the update service" NOTHING happens, and it pops up again next time.
You'd think that if you accept the install, it would at least work and not ask you again next time wouldn't you!
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
It's just Magix's way of showing how much it cares.
Acorn
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
"You'd think that if you accept the install, it would at least work and not ask you again next time wouldn't you!"
Agreed, the Update service updater doesn't work, but as I said that's Xara/Magix's job to fix. I don't know what's taking them so long to fix it, or to stop the constant reminder of the update expiry, but I can't believe they don't know about the complaints. The annoyance factor to what may well be many users that two useless popups have to be clicked away EVERY TIME XPGD-17 starts up is something they really need to fix, and especially the service updater which has a real job to do but isn't doing.
And it's not just the annoyance to what may be many of their users, it also questions their coding competence and their ability to properly test their code before it gets deployed onto users' machines. If I was Xara/Magix, I'd be embarrassed and worried about that!
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
This was reported in the Magix.info forum under Xara - try renaming this file Service_rel_u_x64_vc12.exe that is under C:\Program Files\Xara\Xara Designer Pro X\18 or ...\17 in your case by changing the .exe to .bak.
As I mentioned, I have many Magix products on 2 machines and the Update Service thing worked properly on all of them. For some unknown reason, some users have had problems; most users, have not had any problems with this.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Interesting, does anyone know if it is specific to v17?
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
simsmj
"You'd think that if you accept the install, it would at least work and not ask you again next time wouldn't you!"
Agreed, the Update service updater doesn't work, but as I said that's Xara/Magix's job to fix. I don't know what's taking them so long to fix it, or to stop the constant reminder of the update expiry, but I can't believe they don't know about the complaints. The annoyance factor to what may well be many users that two useless popups have to be clicked away EVERY TIME XPGD-17 starts up is something they really need to fix, and especially the service updater which has a real job to do but isn't doing.
And it's not just the annoyance to what may be many of their users, it also questions their coding competence and their ability to properly test their code before it gets deployed onto users' machines. If I was Xara/Magix, I'd be embarrassed and worried about that!
No, the issue is a pure Magix one. Magix wrap the Xara product up shoddily. All you might blame Xara for is not picking the right partner.
Acorn
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
simsmj
Interesting, does anyone know if it is specific to v17?
No, I'm using V18.5
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
"No, I'm using V18.5" I have a laptop with v16, and it doesn't seem to have an updater service, but it did have the upgrade expiry popup via PhotoGraphicDesigner.exe, but that is now blocked.
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Re: Horrid zombie update messages, how to turn off?
Just to let you know that the Updating Service app's recent update installed on my machine w/o a hitch. Perhaps some of your security software blocks it?