Problem with Windows Installer

[Naki]

I hope someone here will help with this, I have been unable to solve this problem for almost an year!

The problem is the following - (running on WinXP Pro SP2) some installations, which use the Windows Installer system, have this behaviour - the installer starts, I can choose installation type/files to install/installation path, but when the actual copying/installing of files starts, all installer windows disappear, and there is NO installation progress window, as there should be. Installers that have this problem include vmWare, C++ Builder 6, Sun Java JRE. The installation still runs in the background, and silently succeeds or fails. It fails, for example, with C++ Builder 6, because it is on 2 CDs, and when all files needed from CD1 have been copied, NO prompt appears to insert CD2, and the installation cannot find the files needed from CD2, and thus it fails (Event ID in WinXP Event Viewer - 11708).

Installing Windows Installer 3.1 v2 does NOT help.

I got this problem even with a fresh, clean install of WinXP Pro SP2 (installed just a couple of vital drivers).

I'm thinking it could be a problem with the WinXP Pro install CD (it has SP2 integrated + updates up to Feburary), BUT when installing from the same CD using vmWare, installs function fine.

I could try installing from a CD with just SP2 integrated (without the updates after that), BUT this is getting very annoying and I want to solve this problem somehow, and not try to avoid it.

IF someone knows what could cause this problem and/or how to fix it, I will be very thankful to them...

I'm using Win2003 Server as well, and NEVER had this problem there (I assume its because Win2003 contains Windows Installer 3.1 by default, unlike WinXP Pro).

[cluberti]

If the same CD works fine in VMWare but not real hardware, then assuming you've installed NO software before attempting one that doesn't display any progress data, in both the VM and on real hardware, then the difference is drivers.

[Tarun]

Give Dial-a-fix a try.

[Naki]

The problem seems to appear when installing from a CD that has SP2 + updates up to Feb 06.

Problem was fixed after installing WinXP Pro SP2 from a CD just with SP2 integrated and no further updates. So if someone encounters the same issue, just try using a CD just with SP2 integrated and no other updates.