On some of my Lenovo systems, one specific file often shows up in the Software Update Monitor (SUMo) in need of a newer version. It’s named dolbydax2desktopui.exe . According to Lenovo, it’s part of the Dolby Audio X2 system (DAX2) and comes preloaded on some of its PCs. Updating this Dolby Audio X2 file has been problematic, because a file source and update method have been unclear. No longer!

Updating Dolby Audio X2 Is Easy, If You Know How…

Most software updates require … well … an update of some kind to be applied. Not so for this particular file. One simply needs to overwrite the older version with a newer one in its default path:

C:\Program Files\Dolby\Dolby DAX2\DAX2_APP\

Of course, this raises an interesting question — namely, where might one find current versions of this file? I finally found them at a website named pconlife.com, which describes itself as “aimed at recovering the .dll or .exe file lost by Windows OS for computer users.” In general it seeks to help users replace lost, missing or damaged Windows files. For me, it’s shown itself to be a safe and reliable source of current versions of the afore-named DAX2 file. (Note: VirusTotal gives this file a 0/68 finding on its comparative checks).

Now, when SUMo tells me I need to update this file, I know where to go to get its specified version. I also know how to “update” that file. Choosing “Copy and Replace” in Explorer when seeking to over-write its predecessor does the trick nicely, thanks very much!

Yet Again, Persistence Pays Off

Learning how to keep Windows apps and components current is mostly a matter of routine. But for some things — this DAX2 item is a good example — one has to figure out how to do that, and where to get new versions as they appear. It’s easier when the vendor or maker provides an update package (and easier still when applying that package can be automated). But with enough investigation and elbow grease, these problems can be cracked over time. I’m glad to have this one finally made routine as well.

I’ve been whipping my PCs into shape, preparing for a trip away from home. I’ll be OOO for all of next week, attending a legal process in Waco. Naturally, before I go, I’m making sure all the PCs here — especially production ones — are entirely up to snuff. I must be getting close to my goal, because I’m currently fighting off update OCD. Let me explain…

What Fighting Off Update OCD Really Means

As you can see from the SUMo listing for my production desktop (in the lead-in graphic above), I still have three items that appear to be obsolete or outdated. At least one of them is a false positive.

I just checked on FileZilla. And while no update was available yesterday, one is  indeed available today. Fixed! Here’s how I found that out just now by asking the app to check for updates:

When I checked yesterday inside the app: nada. Today I found — and installed — 3.60.1. Notice: It bears today’s date (6/1/2022). Go figure!

When I check on status for voidTools Everything (sometimes called Search Everything), it still reports itself current. That’s good enough for me, so I’ll quit looking for the putative 1.4.1.1017 version that SUMo recommends. Here’s what the program tells me when I tell it to check for updates:

If the auto-checker says “OK,” I’ll take it at its word.

The last item is the sometimes tricksy Intel ® PROSet Adapter Configuration Utility. It’s easy to go round and round on this one. I’ve learned to search on the first two digits of the version number — that is, 27.3 — along with the utility name at intel.com. If it comes up, I’ll try it; if not, I’ll wait until next time around. I did find such a version, and thus I downloaded and installed it.

Two False Positives, One Gone

Even though I got to a new version of FileZilla, it wasn’t new enough to satisfy SUMo (it shows up in the app as version 3.60.0.0 rather than 3.60.0.1, despite its own self-labeling). But that’s close enough for me.

AFAI can tell, there is no such Everything version as 1.4.1.1017 — or at least, I couldn’t find it. Again, given the auto-updater’s response in the application, good enough for me.

Downloading and installing the Wired_PROSet_27.3_x64.zip file did clear the PROSet warning, though. Again: good enough for me.

I’ll waste no more time obsessing, and let my OCD find something else to obsess about instead. Basta!

OK, then, I just updated from Build 25120.1000 to 25120.1010 on both of my test machines. In what’s becoming an emerging pattern, the X380 Yoga sailed through the process. OTOH, the X12 Hybrid tablet PC did not. Hence my assertion that my X12 Hybrid Tablet 25120 issues continue unabated. They’re weird, but they don’t last long. Let me explain…

Why Say: X12 Hybrid Tablet 25120 Issues Continue

This time around, I saw similar weirdnesses with 8GadgetPack after the reboot to the desktop on 25120.1010. But because I RDP’ed into that PC anyway, it looks like things fixed themselves as a result of that maneuver. Makes me wonder if my earlier repairs were really necessary. I’m killing my RDP session right now to check the desktop locally…

Indeed, everything looks normal from both a local and an RDP vantage point. But getting to the desktop this time around was time-consuming. The post-GUI restart took 25-30 minutes to complete vs. a more typical 5 minutes or 20. Post-GUI seemed to take the same amount of time, though — about 5 more minutes.

Where Things Get Weird

In fact, the post-GUI reboot didn’t complete until AFTER I’d disconnected the Thunderbolt 3 dock I use on that PC for external storage and a wired GbE connection. Once the PC got to the desktop, I reconnected the dock. Immediately, the OS recognized the dock and its drives. As the following graphic shows, it also reports what it sees correctly:

Eventually, after disconnecting the Thunderbolt dock, post-GUI reboot completes, as does the update

Of course, there’s only one way to show my possible diagnosis is correct. When the next CU or upgrade comes along in the Dev Channel, I’ll disconnect the dock before I start that process. If it completes normally, that’ll demonstrate the dock is a potential culprit. If I still have problems, I’ll know it’s something else. Stay tuned: I’ll let you know. It’s interesting and weird, whatever it is…