Error Code 2716 on XP

[SteveDude]

I am getting an Unexpected Error Code 2716 when installing on XP. The error does not happpen on Vista.

Any ideas and/or is there anywhere to find a list of error codes?

This installation was just rebuilt using the 7.9.2 and I have been using it for awhile.

Ran it with a log file and it didn't tell much except for the error code.

[SteveDude]

This is what I found about it on MSDN...

Could not create a random subcomponent name for component '[2]'. May occur if the first 40 characters of two or more component names are identical. Ensure that the first 40 characters of component names are unique to the component.

...just, I haven't changed anything, except rebuilt the same project in 7.9.2. Was the prior release.

[SteveDude]

This must of been an issue with 7.9.2, because a recompile with version 8 works fine.

[[email protected]]

We have exactly the same problem but we're using v8 and it still occurs.

Has anyone found a solution to this?

[[email protected]]

Found an answer to this.

We were trying to write about 140 registry entries and it was these that caused the problem. Due to the 40 char limit on unique component name generation imposed by Windows Installer (eluded to earlier in this thread) these entries in the MSI code broke with a 2716 error.

The problem was that the initial part of the registry key we were trying to write for all 140 entries had the same 40 characters for all keys. Thus, at number 41 it broke.

We got around it by assigning a variable $REGROOT$ to contain the common key base (e.g. HKLM\\Software\\Blah\\Blah\\Blah) and changed each Write Rgistry line to use $REGROOT$\\Unique Part of Key and this fixed it.

Using $REGROOT$\\Unique Key means each line has a unique name so there is no problem with the installer creating unique component names.

[lynnj57]

Pardon my ignorance, but where do I define my variable? I see I'm in the same bind, but not having used this product previously, I'm not sure where to define the variable, and how to do a 'replace all'. If you want to tell me to RTFM, I'll give that a shot too. Thanks!

[ulrichard]

Hi,
I had a similar problem when upgrading from IA7 to IA8. InstallAware support advised me to enable the compiler optimizations:
In Build Compiler Options enable "Reduce MSI File registry component count".
This worked for me.

Rgds
Richard