dMaintenance custom app help

[4ycr]

I have been messing around with the portable version and looking at the custom apps section now.

What I want to do is download a hosts file from here extract it and then run the batch file. I may end up creating my own hosts file but the principle will be the same

what I want to know is where will the downloaded file go to, I would like it to stay in the dMaintenance folder and will it run a batch file?

Hope Nick or someone else can help

 

[FoolishTech]

Ya know, the custom apps system is dMaint is so primitive compared to what I have in dSupportSuite, I can't answer that question right off.

I'm pretty sure that it downloads direct to the dM dir, or possibly in dm\3rd party tools.

Let me attempt to configure it myself, and we'll see what happens.

 

[FoolishTech]

This will work:

download url:  http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.zip
download name:  hosts.zip
app name:  whatever
app path/exe:  hosts\mvps.bat

Note the test button is broken in dM. But that configuration will definitely work during a maintenance run, just tested. Be CERTAIN to save the app, and put a check beside it under the Custom App Actions > Custom Apps field for it to work.

Not sure what you are using dMaintenance for though, because that method comes with a caveat, which is that the mvps.bat file requires you to press a key to continue. This means if you're running automated, well it will stall indefinitely waiting for that keypress.

The solution is to run put this:

app path/exe:  %systemroot%\system32\cmd.exe
command parms:  /c "c:\program files (x86)\dMaintenance\3rd Party Tools\Hosts\mvps.bat"

The caveat with THAT approach is this: notice I wrote that for a 64bit OS, and you'll need a different config for 32bit, specifying "program files" and not "program files (x86)" This is probably best done by just creating two different dMaint configs, and running the appropriate one on each platform. The other way to do it and it would be more convenient, is to create two different custom apps (one for 32 and one for 64) within the same dMaintenance config. Whichever option is NOT correct should just silently fail, and the other option will succeed.

EDIT: It would be a LOT easier to do, and you wouldn't need multiple configs, if you were configuring this as an app in d7 (for your use) or dSupportSuite (for automated client use)...

EDIT 2: I almost missed this thread! I may not always respond right away, but my forums are a better spot for discussing this, for no other reason that I won't potentially miss the post.

 

[4ycr]

Thanks, Nick. I have just started to play about with it, the only thing that put me off Dsupport was the need for the dcloud, as I was just wanting to play with it to see if it does fit my needs.