What is PatchFactory?

PatchFactory™ version 3.3

PatchFactory for Windows is a full-featured byte-level patching system for bandwidth-efficient software updating which is sold at a reasonable price comparing to systems of the similar class. PatchFactory provides a robust feature set that gives software developers the ability to tailor the update process to their specific needs.

Keeping customers on the most current version optimizes the performance of your product and significantly reduces your end-user support costs.

PatchFactory is a new and innovative software updating and delivery solution, ensuring that end-users always have the latest version of your software. When integrated into your application, PatchFactory performs almost any updating task, including synchronizing files, running an installer, updating your software, and even performing a custom action to keep your customers up-to-date and your technical support calls/inquiries to a minimum.

The patch-building engine is an innovative standard for producing version-to-version or cumulative software updates contained in one small, reliable package.

Generated patch packages are small size self-extracting executable update programs in a famous installer style with adjustable user-friendly interface (silent mode is also available). Patches can modify or replace the installed files to add new features, fix bugs, or add new security features.

Unlike setup files, which contain all files needed to run the software, the result update program only contains information concerning modifications (including changes in files/folders structure) made to old version software files relatively to new version files and has an easy-to-use interface with user-friendly dialogs.

Using PatchFactory you can create a complete yet compact update installation package for the application and make it available for download, or issue a media that contains the update package. You can also use PatchFactory to keep up-to-date any important data that must be updated very often and which freshness may be critical for your business.

The idea behind PatchFactory is simple: when modified file(s) must be transmitted, send only the changes (byte level differences) stored in one reliable self-installing update module rather than the entire software installation package. PatchFactory lossless byte-level compression is not content dependent, so it may be used whenever data is changed at one location and must be efficiently updated and/or archived at another.

NOTE: PatchFactory does not deal with any specific data structures, it operates with files as a binary data. Databases or files of other formats can be updated only as binary files (warning: database update can be implemented only if it is not changed on the end-user's machine).

Whatever you want to patch, update or upgrade - PatchFactory offers you the most comprehensive, professional, reliable, easy and safe to use, efficient and reasonably priced software update solution. Make your customers always feel up-to-date!

Key features of PatchFactory v3 :

·	Patch building:

▪	Easily create self-applying patch file executables with customizable GUI interfaces

▪	Powerful patch engine helping generate extremely small size patch packages.

▪	Multiple version components support (with different target location on the end-user's machine).

▪	Integrated compression technology.

▪	Update of folders/files structure: addition of new/deletion of old folders or files, ignore missing files.

▪	Effective patch building for executable EXE or DLL files.

▪	Easy and visual navigation through images of old and new versions of your files.

▪	Utilizing of the registry, INI files or a fixed path for smart file location.

▪	Cumulative patch building to integrate several updates into one patch package.

▪	Storage of difference building results in intermediate files helping significantly increase the speed of reiterated patch building.

·	Patch applying module is based on the powerful InnoSetup engine which has the following features:

▪	Support for all Windows versions in use today -- Windows 95, 98, 2000, 2003, XP, Me, and NT 4.0 SP6.

▪	Powerful integrated Pascal-based scripting engine providing lots of new possibilities to customize/enhance update Install or Uninstall functionality at run-time.

▪	Silent install and silent uninstall.

▪	Support for multilingual installs: English (default), German, Spanish, Italian, French and Russian.

▪	Creation / changing of registry and .INI entries.

▪	Run an external command or executable before, during, or after the patch process

▪	Support for passworded and encrypted installs.

▪	Optional license information and release notes presented to your end-user.

▪	Apply Interface message management to customize messages presented to your end-user.

All features of patch module installation (except file update procedure itself) are implemented using standard InnoSetup resources.

Source codes of scripts used are available for free modification/enhancement.

·	Additional features of Patch applying:

▪	Smart automatic version check to determine the installed version.

▪	Ensure that no system is ever partially updated (automatic Rollback function during patch applying guarantees that end-user's system is successfully updated or not updated at all)

▪	Capability of automatic backup of modified and deleted file(s).

▪	Rollback / uninstall of the update after installation

▪	Delayed patching support for locked files

▪	Small size of base update modules (without patch data).

▪	Log errors at apply time

▪	Easy-to-use optimized interface that can be enhanced with the help of InnoSetup resources

System requirements :

- Minimum

▪	Microsoft Windows 98, NT4, 2000, ME, XP or above

▪	Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later

▪	Display resolution 800x600 hi-color (16 bits)

▪	Processor 486 and above, 32 Mb RAM

- Recommended

▪	Microsoft Windows 2000, XP or above

▪	Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later

▪	Display resolution 1024x768 hi-color (16 bits)

▪	Processor Pentium II and above, 128 Mb RAM