Thank you for participating in the HFNetChk 3.2 beta program.  Changes in command line syntax have been made to this version of the tool.  Please read the 'Note on KB articles' and 'List of Updates and Fixes' messages for more information on these changes.


The beta version of the tool displays the following information in the output banner:

D:\>hfnetchk.exe
Beta 3.2 Built September 11, 2001

Microsoft Network Security Hotfix Checker, 3.1
Developed for Microsoft by Shavlik Technologies, LLC
info@shavlik.com (www.shavlik.com)


The first line specifies that this is the 3.2 beta.  The second line references version 3.1 - this is to allow the tool to read the existing XML file.  When the final version of the tool is released, the first line will be removed, and the version number in the second line will be officially incremented to version 3.2.


OVERVIEW
========

The remainder of this document covers:

 - System and Language Applicability
 - System Requirements
 - Reporting Bugs or providing Feedback on this beta
 - Joining the HFNetChk Beta program for future beta releases
 - Note on KB (Q)articles
 - List of Updates and Fixes in this beta




SYSTEM AND LANGUAGE APPLICABILITY
=================================

The beta version of HFNetChk may be run from Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP machines.  This tool will NOT operate on Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me systems.

This beta will only provide valid data when scanning English-language Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 systems.  Non English-language systems are not supported in this beta.  Future beta versions may include support for other language systems.


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
===================

HFNetChk relies upon data stored in an XML file.  An XML parser is necessary in order for the tool to function correctly.  Systems not running Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater will need to download and install an XML parser in order to run this tool.


Obtaining an XML parser

XML parsers have shipped in each version of IE since IE 5.0.  If you are running IE 5.0 or greater, you do not need to install a separate parser.  

 - If you are running IE 5.0 or greater but the tool is still unable to read the XML file, there is a chance that some other application may have unregistered the XML parser.  To re-register the XML parser, please type the following at a command prompt:

	'regsvr32 msxml.dll' (without the quotes)

 - If you are running an earlier version of IE and do not wish to upgrade to IE 5.0 or greater, you may download and install the Microsoft XML parser.  MSXML version 3.0 SP1 is available from the following location:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp?URL=/downloads/sample.asp?url=/msdn-files/027/001/591/msdncompositedoc.xml

(above URL may be wrapped for readability)

Additional information on the Microsoft XML parser is available from 
http://www.microsoft.com/xml



REPORTING BUGS OR PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON THIS BETA
=================================================

All bug reports and product feedback should be submitted via the BetaPlace HFNetChk bug report form.  Go to http://www.betaplace.com and login to the HFNetChk page using the following username and password: 

UserID: HFNetChk
Password: FooBar

Click on the 'Submit a Bug' icon in the left navigation pane.


Email support is not available for this beta.


JOINING THE HFNETCHK BETA PROGRAM FOR FUTURE BETA RELEASES
==========================================================

This beta release is intended to address particular bugs and known issues.  Future beta releases will include feature enhancements.  To receive notification of future beta releases, you may register to join the HFNetChk beta program.  When the next beta is available, you will receive an email from Microsoft containing a unique username and password with access to the beta program.  If you are already a member of another Microsoft beta program, please include your betaID in the form and this program will be added to your list of beta programs.

To join the beta program, please visit the betaplace.com website, enter the above username and password, and select the Survey icon in the left navigation pane.


NOTE ON KB (Q) ARTICLES
=======================

HFNetChk Beta output may include references to KB articles that are not currently available on the Microsoft website, or have not been updated with new information.

Specifically, 
Q306460 is referenced for each NOTE message in the output.  NOTE messages are new - they replace the WARNING message that indicated the XML file contained no files or reg keys.  In the current 3.1 released version of this tool, there is no way to make these messages go away - no matter how many times you install the patch or follow the workaround.  KB Q306460 will discuss this message in more detail, and will encourage users to follow the advice in the relevant bulletin, or install the patch, however, the NOTE message will not go away.  To remove these NOTE messages from the default output, use the new -s (suppression) switch, as detailed in the HFNetChk beta syntax (hfnetchk /?)

Q306460 has not been published at this point in time. It will be published prior to release of the final 3.2 tool.


Q303215 will be updated to discuss the new -s switch, and the removal of the -a switch.  -history replaces the -a switch.  DO NOT use the -history switch unless you understand what it does.  In short:  '-history 2'will show those patches that have not been explicitly installed.  (This is similar to the -a m switch in the 3.1 release.)  By 'not explicitly installed', this means that the specific listed patch was not specifically installed at any point in time.  You may have effectively patched against this vulnerability by applying a rollup patch (for example Q299444), however, the early patch was never explicitly installed.  Use this switch only for viewing history of installed patches - DO NOT use this switch to determine what patches are necessary to install.   The default output from the tool understands supersedences and will only display those patches that are not superseded by later patches.

Q303215 has not been updated with the new switch information.  It will be updated prior to release of the final 3.2 tool.



UPDATES AND FIXES IN HFNETCHK 3.2 BETA
======================================

The following issues have been addressed in this beta:

Functional Updates: 
 - Erroneous message "Administrative rights required to scan" even though you were indeed an administrator has been fixed. 

 - HFNetChk could provide inaccurate results when performing a "local" scan via against a Terminal Server via a Terminal Services session. System environment variables (used to locate %systemroot% directory) from the Terminal Server client, rather than the Terminal Server, were being used. Tool has been updated to always retrieve environment variables from the system being scanned. 

 - Supercedence code has been updated to better handle operating systems and applications running with less than current service packs. 

 - Improved handling when encountering systems that are not at least Windows NT 4.0 or greater. 
 

Output: 
 - Screen output and word wrap format has been updated.
 
 - Added text in tool output to say "Tool is valid for English-language systems only" 

 - Warning message related to security patches for which no files or registry keys exist in the XML file has been changed to read "NOTE" instead of "WARNING". 

 - Text associated with the former WARNING message (now NOTE) has been changed to read "Please refer to Q306460 for a detailed explanation." (discussed above)

 - Additional error reporting has been added for instances where the system running HFNetChk is unable to parse the XML file. 
 

Changes to command line syntax: 
 - Action switch (-a) has been removed. 

 - New -history switch has been added. The history switch will enable you to view hotfixes that have been at one point in time "explicitly installed" or "explicitly not installed". This switch does NOT recognize superseded patches - it will only show those patches that at some point in time were explicitly installed, or were never explicitly installed. This switch should only be used in special circumstances (i.e. to determine if a specific patch was installed, not via a superseding patch). The default tool output (without this switch) will show hotfixes that are "missing" and need to be installed to be current - taking into account superseded patches. More information about this switch will be added to the usage section of Q303215 after the beta period has ended and the revised tool has been released.

 - New suppression switch has been added. NOTE and/or WARNING messages may now be suppressed from the default output. 

 - Usage syntax documentation for -i and -r has been updated to note that these switches are only available from Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems.