GetPackageFamilyName could not be located in KERNEL32.dll

[rlebeau]

Steps to reproduce

When I started up the Element desktop app this morning, it fails to run, displaying this popup error:

The procedure entry point GetPackageFamilyName could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.

GetPackageFamilyName was introduced in Windows 8, but I am running on Windows 7.

The app was working perfectly fine yesterday. I had originally installed v1.11.22.0, but apparently somehow v1.11.24.0 got installed. I DID NOT install v1.11.24.0 myself, did it auto-update itself?

I have now reinstalled v1.11.22.0 and it runs fine.

Outcome

What did you expect?

I expected it to run.

What happened instead?

It failed to run.

Operating system

Windows 7 Home Premium

Application version

Element version: 1.11.24

How did you install the app?

https://element.io/download

Homeserver

matrix.org, gitter.im

Will you send logs?

No

[t3chguy]

See pinned issue element-hq/element-desktop#808

Also in release notes https://github.com/vector-im/element-desktop/releases/tag/v1.11.24

[durablenapkin]

If anyone wants to get it working again:

1. Edit C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts and add 127.0.0.1 packages.element.io
2. Uninstall Element
3. Download https://packages.element.io/desktop/install/win32/x64/Element%20Setup%201.11.23.exe (Windows x64 build,or 32 bit build - https://packages.element.io/desktop/install/win32/ia32/Element%20Setup%201.11.23.exe)
4. Install (shouldn't be any need to re-log in/authenticate)
5. Confirm autoupdate is disabled by going to Settings => Help & About => Click on Check for update and confirm an error message is shown

Disclaimer: this effectively disables Element autoupdates so it could break if major changes are introduced server-side, but it does get it working again on Windows 7/8/8.1

There was mention of a --no-update param somewhere in a Riot/Element Github issue but it didn't work for me.

[t3chguy]

@durablenapkin or do it the officially supported way by creating a config.json file and adding "update_base_url": null to it.

[durablenapkin]

Thanks! That's good to know, it might be good to mention that (and v1.11.23 as the last working build for Windows 7/8/8.1) in element-hq/element-desktop#808

[t3chguy]

@durablenapkin we don't want to promote staying on an old version which won't receive security updates. Just noting possibility to disable updates here in a better way than editing the hosts file.

[JeanPaulLucien]

config.json file and adding "update_base_url": null to it

Does not work, Where should I place this file in Windows 7?

[t3chguy]

@JeanPaulLucien https://github.com/vector-im/element-desktop/#user-specified-configjson

[rlebeau]

config.json file and adding "update_base_url": null to it

Does not work, Where should I place this file in Windows 7?

Worked fine for me. It is placed in the %APPDATA%\Element folder.

[DeMoN100]

config.json file and adding "update_base_url": null to it

Does not work, Where should I place this file in Windows 7?

Worked fine for me. It is placed in the %APPDATA%\Element folder.

This did not work for me either I placed the config.json in %appdata%/local/element-desktop folder.
I also tried the host edit & that did not work either.

I am using windows 7 home sp1

[Seceroth]

I would reply in the pinned issue, but it's locked.
It wouldn't have been hard to detect the OS and not update to a version that wouldn't run on it, instead of straight up breaking it.

[DeMoN100]

I've even attempted to completely uninstall & download an older version but this issue keeps coming up with no solution.

[rlebeau]

I've had no trouble using the config.json solution. I've been running Element 1.11.23 for 2 months now and it runs just fine on Windows 7, no forced updates.

[t3chguy]

I would reply in the pinned issue, but it's locked.
It wouldn't have been hard to detect the OS and not update to a version that wouldn't run on it, instead of straight up breaking it.

That means knowing ahead of time which version breaks it and baking that in months/years ahead otherwise people on really old versions would get updated. Squirrel.windows in electron doesn't support conditional updates in any meaningful way where you can set rules based on metadata on the server.

[t3chguy]

I've had no trouble using the config.json solution. I've been running Element 1.11.23 for 2 months now and it runs just fine on Windows 7, no forced updates.

Worth noting that version has published security vulnerabilities.

[DeMoN100]

Just tried again with the .json config on the newest setup.exe & now it seemed to work idk why I didn't do anything different I just get a popup an error that theres an invalid line on the config on line 17. But there is no line 17 it's just exactly how you have it in the screenshot. I can click the popup error away & it works fine now.

[rlebeau]

Worth noting that version [1.11.23] has published security vulnerabilities.

Perhaps, but upgrading past Windows 7 simply isn't an option for me right now.