Incorrect application version when looking at a computer: Install version differs on what "About" section is showing.
Article ID: 232088
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
The customer noticed that when he look at the "software" blade for any of their client machines, the version associated with Microsoft Outlook is incorrect.
For example on his workstation: The software section is reporting Outlook 2013 (15.0.4569.1506), but Outlook 2013 on his machine is showing (15.0.5353.1000) under "About" within the application.
If you query the database, there are no indications of that Outlook version 15.0.5353.1000:
select vsc.name as [componet name],
vsppi.name as [product name],
isc.version,
vci.name as [computer name],
--ra.*,
iis.InstallFlag,
iis.InstallDate
from Inv_InstalledSoftware iis
join Inv_Software_Component isc on isc._ResourceGuid = iis._SoftwareComponentGuid
join vRM_Software_Component_Item vsc on vsc.Guid = iis._SoftwareComponentGuid
join vRM_Computer_Item vci on vci.guid = iis._ResourceGuid
left join ResourceAssociation ra on ra.ChildResourceGuid = iis._SoftwareComponentGuid
--join item i on i.guid = ra.ResourceAssociationTypeGuid
and ra.ResourceAssociationTypeGuid = '9D67B0C6-BEFF-4FCD-86C1-4A40028FE483' --Software Product Contains Software Component
left join vRM_Software_Product_Item vsppi on vsppi.Guid = ra.ParentResourceGuid
where vsc.name like 'Microsoft Outlook%'
order by 1, 4
Results from the query above:
| Microsoft Outlook MUI (English) 2013 English | Microsoft Outlook 2013 | 15.0.4569.1506 |
Capturing the NSE created when the "Collect Full Inventory" task is run shows that we are reporting Microsoft Outlook as version 15.0.4569.1506.
<resource typeGuid="{07849305-D41A-45C2-95F0-333FA79FB862}" name="Microsoft Outlook MUI (English) 2013 English" ref="4842" rename="false"><resource typeGuid="{07849305-D41A-45C2-95F0-333FA79FB862}" name="Microsoft Outlook MUI (English) 2013 English" ref="4842" rename="false"> <key name="vendor|name|ver|lang|arch" value="MICROSOFT CORPORATION|MICROSOFT OUTLOOK MUI (ENGLISH) 2013|15.0.4569.1506|EN-US|X86" operationType="Add"/> </resource>
....
<row c1="Microsoft Outlook MUI (English) 2013" c2="[RESOURCEREF(4842)]" c3="1" c5="7156127" c7="2021-10-12T00:00:00" c8="" c9="15.0.4569.1506" c10="Microsoft Corporation" c11="1" c12="MsiExec.exe /X{90150000-001A-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}" c13="{90150000-001A-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}"/>
Environment
ITMS 8.5, 8.6
Resolution
After further review by our Development team, Here is the feedback regarding the Microsoft Outlook versioning:
We take the version of the installed software from one of the following registry paths:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\<XYZ>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\<XYZ>\DisplayVersion
where XYZ stands for the branch where an application registers its installation.
We would suggest anyone to lookup "Outlook MUI" under the corresponding parent "uninstall" branches and find/know what version is written there.
This is related to how the installed Microsoft Outlook updates versions are displayed. If the assumption is correct, it is technically impossible to derive which update modifies version in the about dialog.
If customer confirms what he sees in the registry coincides with the SMP Console, then our product works as designed and this issue should rather go to Microsoft to assist in where and how they determinate the version provided in the "About" section.
After knowing where this information is stored, a custom inventory can be setup to grab that information and use it for further reports.
KB 178555 "How to inventory a specific file using custom inventory"
Feedback
