An beta version of HFNetChk 3.2 is now available for download. This
beta is a maintenance release that addresses certain known issues in the
3.1 version of the tool. See below for specific issues which have been
fixed.

To download the beta, please visit the Microsoft BetaPlace website
(below). The beta will be available for approximately one week, after
which time the final 3.2 version will be officially released.

http://www.betaplace.com
UserID: HFNetChk
Password: FooBar

Beta feedback should be sent to Microsoft via the bug report form on the
above beta page.

While at the betaplace site you can register for the HFNetChk Beta
program. Registrants will be informed when future HFNetChk betas become
available and will be given unique user-id's and passwords to access the
site.

Some of the command line syntax has changed in this beta release.
Please read the beta readme file ships with the tool for more info.

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.

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 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.

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

 - Improved error 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.

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