Patch 552 install problems

catalina

New Member
Downloaded and unzipped this patch. The Programming Editor - InstallShield Wizard commences to run, with welcome ... Computing space requirements, but jumps to message

Programming Editor Installer.
Error 1327. Invalid Drive F:/

Can't understand this error as F drive not fitted

Tried the bas805.exe suggested on RevEd's web site and after inputting the password the same messges arise.

Apart from trying another downolad of 9+ Mb, can anyone suggest a workaround please?
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
This seems to be your PC specific - Do you have a memory card reader fitted, has there been a memory stick plugged in which gets allocated F:, is there a networked mapped drive ?

I would try doing an install immediately after a re-boot and see what that does, whether you get the same message.

That you get the same error with a BAS805.exe which has worked and been installed indicates some other problem that needs to be investigated before presuming the downloaded patch is corrupt of faulty.

Which version of the Programming Editor install you are using as they haven't asked for passwords for a while now ? Also which OS are you using ?
 

catalina

New Member
Patch 522

Thanks hippy.

Tried an install immediately after re-boot with the same result.

I'm using Programme Editor V5.2.0 with XPHSP2 OS. An external USB storage is used for personal items but is connected only as required, and not when PE is used.

The password was required with bas805.exe and is the only occasion where it has been needed

Can you suggest something else please?
 

Ralpht

New Member
Sounds very much like a PC or OS issue.

I have installed the patch with no problems at all. I also use USB sticks a lot and coincidently one of them gets allocated as drive F:

I always eject them though, not just removing them.

Try putting a stick in, accessing it then ejecting it. That may get your OS to forget it had something in the F: drive.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
As suggested, try installing with what would be drive F: connected. This seems to be an OS issue, F: is being reportd as existing even though it is not actively present. Is there some utility in the System Tray which handles this F: when inserted ? If so it may be possible to close it down. It might be possible to boot into Windows Safe Mode and get it to ignore the F:

Do you have some other product which can be temorarily installed which uses InstallShield ? That may exhibit the same problem or maybe help fix things.

Another alternative may be to 'fake an F:', in MS-DOS use a "SUBST F:\ C:\" or map a network drive to F:

I'm still intrigued by this password being required. You may be better off installing the latest full version (5.2.1) though that may still run into F: problems.
 

catalina

New Member
Patch 522 install problems

Here's an update on this problem.

I tried the solutions offered in the reply posts to no avail. Western Digital, the makers for the external drive, agreed with the suggestion of an operating system problem.

Whilst not entirely in agreement, I searched the web and XP discussiion groups and found satisfaction at this InstallShield site

http://consumerdocs.installshield.com-Q110636:Invalid Drive

Although targeted on software developers, it pointed me to the XP registry where a fault lay. Technical may like to examine this lead to see if it has relevence for them.

In using the WD drive I moved My Pictures and My Music folders from C: drive onto the F: drive and, although the external drive was disconnected, it left two pointers to the F: drive in the registry. By moving these folders back into the C: drive these pointers were changed and the problem has vanished. The 522 patch has now updated PE to version 5.2.2 and all is well.

I've reported this outcome to WD for their comments.

Thank you all for your assistance
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
http://consumerdocs.installshield.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=Q110636&sliceId=1

We will bear that in mind but it generally falls under the "something on your PC has configured it in a manner which causes problems for InstallShield and/or other programs". It's very difficult to give specific advice when it's not clear what a user has done or what effect that has had which brings a problem about and 'hacking the registry' to fix one problem can cause worse problems elsewhere so we are cautious about giving such advice. Such problems are usually user-specific so good advice for one may be very bad advice for another, even if they think they have the exact same problem.

I wouldn't personally say the fault lies with the Registry because that does nothing in itself, it's just a data repository; something ( application or OS ) set the data within the Registry.

Windows needs to know where specific things are and keeps internal links pointing to files and file directories, particularly desktop links and what it considers essential folders like My Documents etc, and moving those to other drives can cause problems. These are not real physical links and folders ( they have the same name but they are different directories depending on who has logged on ) so have to be handled in a special way by Windows. My gut feeling is that it was Windows which created the Registry entries when you instructed it to move the files elsewhere.

WD seem to be the innocent party unless they did update the Registry. Microsoft could be accused of failing to make Windows deal with the movement of files to different disks and external drives in a better way but they would likely argue the mechanism works well, and as it should, and pass the blame to Acresso for InstallShield failing to deal with an unexpected situation in a more elegant way. Both could potentially argue you brought the problem on yourself by moving the folders without understanding the consequences of that, but you could, usually quite reasonably, retort, how were you to know what the consequences would be, and ask why was there no warning when you did what you did ?

It's a chain of cause and effect but at least you've managed to reverse what was causing the problem and got a satisfactory outcome. In order to avoid future problems I would suggest creating additional folders for music, pictures and so on on the external drive and putting your files there rather than moving any of the "My ..." folders.
 

catalina

New Member
Patch 522 install problems

Thanks for the comments hippy. There's a saying that problems are only solutions in disguise. But, when the disguise is stripped away the remainder is not always what one expected. Yes, there has been an acceptable outcome in this case as updates can be installed again. However, my expectations on the utility of an external drive will have to be modified in light of this experience.

Thanks again for your helpful assistance.
 

papaof2

Senior Member
You just discovered one of Microsoft's unwritten rules - never *move* a system folder to a removable drive. While the OS will allow you to make the move, the OS also expects system folders to always be available.

You can make a Windows PC unbootable if you move the wrong stuff.

It's usually safe to make subfolders under the system folder and experiment with them.

John
 
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