Trying to enable TLS 1.1/1.2 and encountering many issues

F22 Simpilot said:

Read this: SmartFTP - Enable TLS 1.2 on Windows 7

I'm not familiar with manually editing the registry, so this is alien territory to me. The first link I gave in the OP (Update to enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 as default secure protocols in WinHTTP in Windows) lists registry changes that need to be made as well, and links a microsoft-made EasyFix as well. Using these did nothing for me, and I suspect it is because TLS isn't even visible under SCHANNEL. Will these somehow help with that? Could you give me a bit of a layman's explanation on how to make these changes? I'm especially confused because the 4 registry keys listed in your link are all identical, and the string of 00000000 at the end looks like it's meant to hold the registry value - e.g. the first link says 0x00000200 is the value for TLS 1.1. Sorry, I'm a bit out of my depth and I guess I know only just enough to confuse myself.

Also, Roy, I found TrustedInstaller in my C:/Windows/servicing folder. It's there, just failing to initialize. I'm attaching screenshots of both the regedit page and the servicing folder.

Go back to the link I gave you and download the already made registry file. It's at teh bottom called Alternatively, download Enable TLS 1.x.zip and double click (import) the Enable TLS 1.x.reg. Double click it and it will add those values. Or just click it here now that this board parsed the link.

How are you confirming whether TLS 1.1 or 1.2 is actually working?

Edit-

I should note that to be safe you should read what values the registry file adds before you willy-nilly double click on it. Chances are it's safe, but you really want to make absolutely sure. You can do this in one of two ways. The first and easiest (for me anyway) is to install Notepad ++ then right click the registry file and open in Notepad ++. The other method is just by renaming the registry file to a .txt so that you can read it in Windows Notepad. Once done right click a white space in your window there and select Undo Rename. Or simply remember the extension of the file to be renamed back the way it was. In this case a .reg file.

In order to rename extensions you have to go to the control panel under folder options and untick the option Hide extensions for known file types.

F22 Simpilot said:

How are you confirming whether TLS 1.1 or 1.2 is actually working?

After using the file linked I can now see TLS where it is supposed to be. IDK if there are additional steps I need, but it's not quite doing what I need yet. The whole reason behind me doing this was so that No Man's Sky would work properly for multiplayer again - whether or not I am capable of connecting to the Discovery Service is how I am determining if it's working properly. The Windows update I initially linked is cited everywhere as what you need to make TLS (and thus the game) work properly again on Win7, but it's apparently no longer possible for me to download windows updates. I may just be stuck, regrettably, but that's why I'm here trying to get help.

If this doesn't work with the easy fix, update and registry values, it's because you more than likely needed to install SP1 first. That was in fact the prerequisite prior to installing the easy fix. It sounds like you installed the easy fix before the SP1 update.

You can most certainly install updates. Manually that is. This is the stand alone SP1 installer. I think you need the AMD 64 version since you indicate you have a 64 bit version of Win 7. The other versions are for 32 and Itanium type CPUs. Though, there are two 64 bit versions and I'm not sure what those differences are. I guess if it don't run you have the wrong version. LOL I think the ISO is the whole lot. You can mount an ISO like a DVD with a program that creates virtual DVD drives called WInCDEmu. You'd right click the ISO and select mount. To eject, right click the drive. Just food for thought if in case one day you run across an ISO that you don't want to burn to CD/DVD. If it's a game, that involves more.

Looking at your CBS log, there seems to be all kinds of failed issues. Why I don't know. This may or may not be the reason why you can't download that update as you said. However, what browser are you using to do so, and what error if any do you get when you try to run the update? Can you actually download the .msu update file?

You may want to try the system file checker tool and see if that fixes any issues you may have in your OS. To do that go to the Start orb and in the search box enter CMD. Right click the command prompt and open as Admin. Now enter the following:

Code:

sfc /scannow

Note the space after SFC and before the /scannow. You can just copy and paste it into command prompt.

I just have to go off topic here about copying/pasting commands and say to you or those that may use Linux. Be very leary of copying/pasting terminal commands right from a web page. Java script can fill your clipboard with a terminal command that wasn't even the command you thought you were copying. Go ahead and paste and execute that in Terminal and now your system is compromised. So be extra sure the command looks the same as what you copied from the web page.

Okay, back on topic. If SFC /scannow doesn't fix any integrity violations and/or you still have an issue installing the needed update, the you may have to do an in place repair install. This requires you to have the same version Windows CD you have now installed. And I think the product key may be needed. When I did this on a Dell I do believe it asked for a product key even though it's OEM reading code from BIOS. Go figure. I can explain this process latter if need be.

This is probably a broad sword approach. How to fix Trusted Installer its self I'm not sure. And why you have this issue I'm not too sure either. On its face it could be a sign of data corruption due to a bad HDD. If SFC /scannow finds all kinds of integrity violations then that would lead me to believe your hard drive is at issue. It's just that a normal operating system shouldn't have this issue unless it was malware, a bad program/driver install or something or a HDD issue. You undoubtedly have some system file corruption there.

How old is the HP? Is it a platter or SSD hard drive (HDD)?

I've done sfc /scannow and it returns an error. The odds are high I need a repair install, but this pc is 7 years old and that disk is almost certainly long gone as I've moved at least once since then, and thus that is almost certainly not an option. I've had malware in the past, and more recently power outages that caused bluescreens and other problems that took ages to fix. Every run of chkdsk finds new errors to fix and nothing is ever permanently sorted. The OS is installed on the factory hard drive that came with the PC. If I cannot restore TrustedInstaller to working condition without a fresh/repair install, she might just be dead. I'll probably have to grab a fresh hard drive and, regrettably, a copy of Win10 and start fresh if it comes down to it. I was trying to avoid that at any cost but if it causes me more problems beyond NMS not working then I won't have much choice I suppose. I'll try a few places the old install disk might be but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I suppose the last question for this thread that I can ask is: Is there any possible way for me to download the windows update I mention in the OP, kb3140245, that does not involve TrustedInstaller in any way? Otherwise, my only answer is to get a new HDD and I'll mark this thread as resolved.

When I made my last post I did look for the stand alone update but came up empty handed. I'm thinking, but not sure, the .msu update from that catalog web page is the actual update its self and not a downloader stub thing. I can't be certain because I don't need that update as it stands now. Whether the update is stand alone or a downloader stub, it appears TrustedInstaller is an integral part of the OS operating as a user account. So it would need to be working to get the update or any update to work for that matter. And TrustedInstaller more than likely needs to be working for all kinds of other things. You can read a quick bit of Info. on what the TrustedInstaller is here: What Is TrustedInstaller & Why Does it Keep Me From Renaming Files?

Based on what you said, your OS integrity is shoot due to a dying HDD or from the power loss. At this point what you need to do right here, right now is backup any and all important data. Even your browser bookmarks, etc. This is just one reason it's so very important to have a good backup regimen. And those backups need to be air gaped. I in fact have two. In one backup method I'll just backup certain data by a simple copy and paste. This data is saved on external USB HDDs, Blu-ray and DVD/RW disks and in the cloud. All data is encrypted especially if I upload it to someone else's server, i.e the cloud. The primary backup method I use is a full disk clone to an external USB HDD. Depending on how much data I write to my computer's will dictate how often I make clones and/or file backups. All of my media is then stored in ziploc bags and stored in a fireproof safe should good forbid there's a fire. Backups are great, but then you also need to protect the backups. Fireproof safes can be had for about $35 on eBay. And they do make them for electronics. The use of Ziploc bags is important because if there's a fire the contents inside the safe will get moist. This also applies to paper documents like a house deed or a renter's agreement, etc.

Now moving on about the issue of power loss. I have been a member of many tech forums since 2006 and I have indeed read many posts where someone had a power loss due to factors such as a lightning storm in the area. And the common denominator to all those forum posts were that their computer got hosed. A sudden lose of power can damage a computer. And tis the season right now to get power sags and what not due to the sheer volume of wattage being consumed by everyone's air conditioner. In fact, because of this the power station some 30 miles north of me is principally a coal fired power station, but they have to increase their electrical output during the Summer due to high demand and that is achieved with at least four to five huge natural gas powered generators at the plant. I've seen them myself from Sat imagery.

So anyway, you want to invest in a good, high quality, pure sine wave UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) so that a sudden loss of power doesn't affect your computer. For a laptop it's not so much of an issue so long as its battery holds a charge. My UPS is a model from Cyberpower. This is the exact model. CP850PFCLCD - PFC Sinewave UPS Series - Product Details, Specs, Downloads | CyberPower I have connected to it my gaming desktop, two monitors and a 5.1 surround sound audio system. If I can remember right, the UPS will give me about 19 minutes of runtime. This is plenty of time to save my work and power the computer off in a normal fashion without the risk of data loss and hardware failure due to an abrupt loss of power.

Now you wanna make sure the UPS is compatible with your computer's PSU (Power Supply Unit). If the PSU is an active PSU then you need a UPS that is compatible to active PSUs. In the case of my UPS it is compatible with active PSUs. Not only that, but it is pure sine wave. And that's important because if you willy-nilly attach a surge protector power strip to the back of the UPS and the UPS isn't pure sine wave, you'll end up with a fire. That's because a UPS without pure sine wave technology doesn't create a sine wave comparable of that from your wall outlet, and it's my understanding that a non pure sine wave output will cause heat to build up in the electronics of a surge protector power strip. I think it's the simulated false sine wave that causes oscillations in the power strip's circuitry. Thereby creating heat and a possible fire. This is analogous to using a florescent light or LED light in a dimmer switch or photo resistor activated socket. These things have what is called a TRIAC in them and that can build up heat and start a fire. So with those types of sockets and switch a regular light bulb will do. You can buy light bulbs meant for street stop lights on eBay and they should last years and years. I bought one for around $5 I think it was for the front porch light which in fact uses a photo resistor so that the light turns off during the day.

At any rate. You have a clear hard drive issue based on what appears to be data corruption. On top of that, your PSU or maybe the motherboard could be damaged due to the sudden loss of power. If the computer is working fine except the apparent HDD issue, then perhaps the motherboard and PSU are alright. There probably is a source for the HP OEM version of the OS and all you'd need to do is type in the product code from the sticker that should be affixed on the computer. I have seen eBay sell genuine OEM reinstall disks for Dell. HP might even be there.

For a future HDD purchase consider a SSD or an enterprise grade Hitachi platter. I have two of those and they have around 22,000 hours of run time and so far so good. They are 2 TB spill over drives even though I have a 500 GB Crucial SSD. It's nuts at how massive games are these days and ever since I decided to check out Steam and then Epic Games and Battle.net for the latest Call OF Duty, I honestly think I have at least 200 GB or more of data on the damn spill over drive where I direct these game installs. Once upon a time I used to go into Target or Walmart and see the actual game in its colorful box with all of its marketing lure and not only was the game about $30 bucks, but the install could have been no more than 600 MB per disk. In the case of Command & Conquer Zero Hour, those games were on regular CDs so that's at least 600 MB per disk.

I'll take that all into account. Thank you to everyone who replied and helped!