Error 2343 - No empty path or variables to be found

[MikeMyhre]

I am trying your product by trying to re-create an old install that was built in InstallShield. I can't import it because that version didn't support saving to XML. So I was forced to enter the information manually and finally got to where it would build and should work the same as the old install from the IS version.

Once built, I can't install it on any of the machines I have tried because of an error #2343. I see in the support forums and your support web page that you even give it as an example of why you should look to Microsoft for help. I have looked at the logs and the Microsoft database and 1+ days later still have no clue what path could be empty. Everything in the MSI...log file shows a path and every line of the IA project shows a valid path. This is a very simple BCB 6 project (built with the BDE_ENT merge module) lots of files and a few shortcuts. What do I do now?

[mills]

Ideally, you would have started small and worked up, testing along the way. Once you hit the problem Without starting over again and doing that, you did mention logs...

Did you run the setup from command line like:

setup.exe /l=C:\log.txt

That will log the Apply Install (assuming that's where the error is occurring). It's possible that will help identify the source of the error.

[MikeMyhre]

Yes, I have thought of starting from scratch, but there are so many files, it is a huge job.

I did try running the setup with the /l=[filename] switch from the command line, but once you click the final install dialog (where it does the work) it only gets to "Windows Installer" and freezes. I have to kill it 1/2 hour later with the task manager. This is true on both the XP and Windows 7 machines I tried it on. It creates the log, and begins to write into it (500 bytes or so). Without the 'log to file' switch, it runs until it has copied all the files and gives the 2343 error.

I also traced via debug mode and found the ApplyInstall like was where the error was occuring.

I ran the ICE tool and it only found warnings of "target files that may be installed by two different conditionalized components of an SFN system".

[mills]

In this case, you might want to try commenting blocks of code (specifically, the Install Files and other purple, Windows Installer commands) to help pinpoint the cause...

[BobSchaefer]

When you specified the log file did you specify a relative location or an absolute location? The logging issue sounds exactly like what I was running into. You have to specify an absolute full path to the log file, otherwise it will do what you described, it doesn't complain about it, it just freezes.

In other words, specify a log location of c:\setup.log instead of just setup.log.

[MikeMyhre]

I had to restart the project from the beginning. It worked fine this time with the same data in all the fields (as far as I can tell and I went through it looking for blank or strange values many times). I believe it was related to loading a Dialog Theme since when I tried that option with a different theme, I got more errors about missing AVIs. Reverting to a previously saved copy before the Theme change worked without the new error.

The new build is working correctly.