Getting MSIEXEC Errors

[BPopilek]

Hello, I have completed my unattended XP Pro SP2 install CD, and the install works perfectly. The problem I am having now is when I try to install other programs I am getting a MSIEXEC error. This happens when trying to Install Symantec 10.2 and the VMWare tools as well. I get the following.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I do have some registry tweaks installed, but I am not sure if this is the problem or the silent install of the windows installer. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[benners]

I would check the switches you are using to install the programs. Take a good look for extra spaces, spelling mistakes or missing /, you could also run the installers with the switch to enable logging.

[BPopilek]

I would check the switches you are using to install the programs. Take a good look for extra spaces, spelling mistakes or missing /, you could also run the installers with the switch to enable logging.

That is the thing. I am not using any switches or anything to install the apps. When I try to start either the Symantec 10.2 or VMWare installs, I double click the setup.exe like I normally would, and then that MSIEXEC window pops up and the install quits. I have never had to use special command switches to install these apps before, I just always use the default setup program from the CD.

Could this be caused by the slipstreaming of the new Windows 3.1 v2 installer? I have checked all of my registry twaeks that install and nothing in them does anything with the installer etc. Kind of at a loss as to why this is happening after I created the unattended install CD. Thanks!

[benners]

If the slipstreaming of the new Windows installer is the only thing you have done since the disc worked it is a good possibility. I have the same version installed but it is installed by Ryan VMs update pack and I have had no problems.

Try to back track changes made, I normally write stuff down that I change and always keep a working disc to check against a non working one and see if I can find out anything from there.

[BPopilek]

Could this be caused by the slipstreaming of the new Windows 3.1 v2 installer?

I did try a new disc without this hotfix installed and it made no difference. I guess I will have to start by removing groups of hotfixes to see if I can narrow it down. Unless someone else out there may know what could be the exact cause? Thanks!

[benners]

I'm still leaning towards a switch problem, I know you mentioned that you don't use any but the setup from the disc probably does. I have only seen that dialog when there was a typo or incorrect switch. If there was any other type of error a different dialog showing a specific error code

Are the exes on the CD a single file or are there many files in the dir, are they the files from the original source?. If there is an msi amongst the setup files try running it by itself and see if it installs correctly. There should normally be a setup.ini file if it is an installshield setup that takes some parameters then passes them to the msiexec, if there are ini files open them and check for cmd line arguments I know if you haven't touched them they shouldn't alter but you need to start ruling things out and I have lost count of the head slappingly obvious things I have sometimes found that I cannot explain.

It sounds from your post that you add the hotfixes yourself, have you thought about or tried using RyanVm's update pack?, it saves a lot of time and if there is a problem with the pack the forum is a good place to check for people with similar situations.

[BPopilek]

I'm still leaning towards a switch problem, I know you mentioned that you don't use any but the setup from the disc probably does. I have only seen that dialog when there was a typo or incorrect switch. If there was any other type of error a different dialog showing a specific error code

Are the exes on the CD a single file or are there many files in the dir, are they the files from the original source?. If there is an msi amongst the setup files try running it by itself and see if it installs correctly. There should normally be a setup.ini file if it is an installshield setup that takes some parameters then passes them to the msiexec, if there are ini files open them and check for cmd line arguments I know if you haven't touched them they shouldn't alter but you need to start ruling things out and I have lost count of the head slappingly obvious things I have sometimes found that I cannot explain.

It sounds from your post that you add the hotfixes yourself, have you thought about or tried using RyanVm's update pack?, it saves a lot of time and if there is a problem with the pack the forum is a good place to check for people with similar situations.

Well, it seems I solved it just now. For some reason it boiled down to my registry tweaks alone. I was loading them via the cmdlines.txt and a batch file. I found that when I removed them the OS operated and installed MSI apps normally. When I put them back in the cmdlines file it acted up all over again. I then tried loading them one by one after the OS installed to see which caused the problem, but nothing went wrong. So I moved them to the runonce on first boot up and it now will install all the 3rd party apps correctly and add my tweaks as well. Not sure why this change fixed it, but it did. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them! For now I will leave them in the runonce. Thanks!