InstallAware

I've developed a setup, made a built and everything worked fine.
Now I've made some minor changes and when I build and run the setup, the window with the message "InstallAware is preparing the Installaware wizard ..." appears and after that setup exits without any message. There is no entry in the eventlog.

I've tried a debug build. When I run this build within the IDE it works fine, when I start the setup from the explorer, it fails.

I've tried to run the setup on a different computer: same problem.
It seems that there is a problem with the bootstrapper?
I've installed the latest version of IA, but the problem remains the same.

Can anyone help?

My installer -- a compressed, web-based EXE -- is stopping at the same point; however, it issues an error message:

Access violation at address 7365807B. Read of address 7365807B.

It gets the error shortly after you see "Preparing InstallAware Wizard".
The PC is running a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate RC 64-bit, on a system based on an Intel motherboard with a Core2 Duo CPU and 2 GB RAM (this system has proven its reliability running Vista 64 for over a year).

The installer was built successfully from the IDE in InstallAware Studio Admin 9.06, and when you run the EXE, it passes the initial validation (integrity check) routine, before failing at "Preparing InstallAware Wizard".

My installer incorporates the following 3rd party plug-ins:

• mdPlugins (v1.26) -- 'Reset Date' Plug-in

• A. Neilans' 'InstallAware 5 RegEx' Plug-in

• AxoNet (v 2.1.0.20) -- 'Windows Firewall' Plug-in

• AxoNet (v 2.1.0.20) -- 'Volume Info' Plug-in

I have not found any information on InstallWare's web site as to whether these plug-ins will work in an installer intended to run on Windows 7 64-bit.

I intend to install Windows 7 64-bit RTM soon, to see if the error condition also occurrs in the release build of Windows 7. I will also test the installer on other versions of Windows, and report back here.

If there is no fix avaialble from InstallAware Corp, I would appreciate any advice on simplifying the installer, so I can narrow down the failure point.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

I would first recommend commenting out or disabling the plugins that you have in the project; this sort of "disappearing" act is typically a problem with a plugin or part of the initialisation logic at the top of the script.

However, if you continue to have problems, please submit a complete copy of your script (without dlls, etc) via our support system and I will have it investigated.

I would first recommend commenting out or disabling the plugins that you have in the project; this sort of "disappearing" act is typically a problem with a plugin or part of the initialisation logic at the top of the script.

Andy,

I'll try that if I get the error again.

I may have found a possible work-around: go into the IDE and open each of the dialogs where project options are set. Edit a value in one field on each dialog screen (e.g. backspace a character, then retype it -- no need to actually change anything), then OK out of the dialog. Repeat for each of the various dialogs*, then save the project and rebuild it.

Not sure why this worked for me. One theory: it rewrites the project's .MPR file in a way that some previous editing of the project had caused to be wrong.

* The dialogs in which I edited a field prior to building (which apparently fixed this error for me) are:

Project Options (from MSIcode tab, Project Settings button)
--Project
----Summary
----Add-Remove
----Compiler Variables
--Build
----Authenticode
----Compression
----Compiler
----Output
----Patch
Product Details button (from Design Tab)
--Application Information
----Project Properties
----Summary and UAC

- Michael

OK, I've solved the problem as well.

I don't know what caused the problem. I've changed some settings, rechanged them to their original value, moved the main setup script to another location ... things like that. And the it worked.

I don't feel very comfortable with such magical healings, but at the moment everything is OK.

I had a recent instance of a user getting a similar Access Violation error when running the installer. They resolved the problem by clearing their Temporary Internet Files folder (the IE browser cache) via Control Panel, Internet Options.

The user had received the installer as a download, and the theory is the download may have been corrupt. By clearing the IE cache and re-downloading, they got a good copy of the installer, and no error occurred when they ran it.

I have seen the Access Violation error when installer downloads were not involved. Either way, clearing the Temp Internet Files folder is a quick thing to try.

- Michael

We recently released our product under InstallAware 9.0. It passed through QA trying to break the install by interupting the installation at various points and resuming the install later.

However, it is apparently possible to put a target machine into the state mentioned above where a repair install or adding options results in the exception on preparing to install. This may compromise the ability to do update installs.

The cause may have something to do with canceling the installation right before the final step.

I would be happy to forward my entire script if it would help troubleshoot this issue. It is rather large so I'm not sure I can send it via a post here.
Let me try to attach the text equivalent.

Clearing the internet cache has no effect on the problem at all.
This is an install over the web.

Another unrelated question... How do I tell the version of InstallAware? I see folks referring to version 9.05 or 9.06. I don't see that in my version screen.

How can I get the latest hotfix(es)?

File Attached:

ASIMVConnectSetup.mia.txt

For some reason, InstallAware developers have not made it easy to determine the version you are running. You can launch InstallAware, click the Project tab, and click the Version button on the toolbar. This will show a build code of some type, but it will not show you the "9.06" version number.

Checking InstallAware EXE or DLL version numbers is also not an option. The Help file does not contain the version, nor do log files generated via miabuild.exe (command-line builds).

I know the version number of InstallAware only by referring to the bottom of the web page where I downloaded the installer, at http://www.installaware.com/downloads-p ... nloads.htm

- Michael

I found one cause of ACCESS VIOLATION errors in InstallAware 9.06. This can happen if you install your product, then launch the installer to check for updates more than once (you can use the shortcut that is located in the cached installer folder to launch the update check).

Of course, you would not want to run more than one simultaneous instance of the update check. But end users may do this, if the first instance's screen gets hidden behind a larger application window.

FYI

- Michael