Fixing Error 1603 on MSI installs

For some reason that I have not been able to figure out yet, I have been having problems with some software installations failing on my Windows 7 system with a message like this (or similar to this):

In this case, it was installing Intellipoint, but I had the problem with installing Mozy Backup client, VirtualBox, and a couple other apps that I don't remember right now.  I was able to fix each of these installations individually, and will describe it here (so that I can find it again when I need it).  But this does not seem to be a widespread problem, and I am still not sure why my system does this and not (many) others.

I used the instructions on John McBride's blog (Virtual Box 3 and Windows 7 (Making it work!)), with a couple of additional items relating to logging the install and finding the msi installation package.

1. First, we need to see the log to see what caused the 1603 error above.  By default, any system does not keep the installation logs or the installer files when it fails.  So first we need to have Windows Installer log its steps so the we can see what caused the error.  Using instructions from MS Support (How to enable Windows Installer logging) I edit the registry with the following entry:
   
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
"Logging"="voicewarmup"

Or you can save this to a file and dbl-click it to install it in your registry.  This will create a log file in your temp directory for each installation using Windows installer. 
   
2. So now run your install that will fail again.  Don't answer the error message yet!  When you answer, it will clean up the installation files and you may want to grab those files first.
   
   Did you start the installation by running an .msi file?  Then that is good, you have the file that you need to possibly fix.  But it is likely you started using an .exe file, and it is a compressed self-extracting file, the .msi is packed in that file with other files for the setup process.  We want the files that were extracted.
   
   Go to your Temp directory to open the log file.  (Tip: at least in Vista and Win7, you can easily get to your Temp directory by clicking Start button and typing "%Temp%" without the dbl-quotes; hit enter and you're there.)  The log file will be named Msi*.log, and probably the most current file is the one you are after.  Open it in your favorite text editor.
   
   In the log file, within the first 20 lines or so, it will tell you where the temp directory that the files were extracted.  In this case, it's a line like this:
   
   Package we're running from ==> C:\Users\Mark\AppData\Local\Temp\msiB374.tmp\mozy.msi
   
   This shows our installation files are in C:\Users\Mark\AppData\Local\Temp\msiB374.tmp\, so go there are copy the directory to another directory so you have copies of the files to work with.
   
   Now you can answer the error message and let the installation clean up after itself. 
   
3. (The rest of this is from John McBride's blog (Virtual Box 3 and Windows 7 (Making it work!)).)
   You will need Orca MSI Editor from the Platform SDK installation ( I used Windows 7 Platform SDK).  For these particular errors, it a problem with the DIFXAPP drivers in the installation package.  I got updated files DIFxApp.dll and DIFxAppA.dll from the Windows Driver Kit for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (from MSDN Downloads).
4. Open the MSI file in Orca MSI Editor.  Select the Binary table on the left.  You should see the 2 dll's listed on the right.
   
5. Delete each of these rows: right-click on the row and select "Drop Row".
6. Right click in empty area on the right side and select "Add Row".  Navigate to the location of the updated drivers from the Drivers Library (C:\WinDDK\7100.0.0\redist\DIFx\DIFxApp\WixLib\x86).  Add both the DIFxApp.dll and DIFxAppA.dll files, making sure the row name is the same as the DLL file name.
7. Save the MSI file.
8. Install.
   

That's it.  Each of the 4 installations worked for me then.

NOD32 changes licensing

Looks like Nod32, my favorite recommended antivirus solution, is changing their licensing just a bit, but will cost me bucks.

First, a little about what I am trying to do.  I run a pretty decent laptop with Windows Vista, 4gb ram, and anywhere from 2 to 7 hard drives (1 internal, of course, and the others on USB).  As a software development consultant, I run a number of virtual machines. Some are for unique setups for clients (their VPN, or older version of Visual Studio or Windows); some for testing purposes (e.g. clean systems for testing setup packages, older browser versions); some with server OS's (Windows server 2003 or 2008) with older SQL server, or SharePoint development.

Trying to have an antivirus solution properly licensed for all these virtual machines is a pain.  The only av product I found that allows virtual machines to share the same license as the host is Nod32.  So besides the very reasons to use this product (fastest, smallest memory footprint (100mb), and best detection (it heuristic engine has never missed an in-the-wild virus, ref), having to buy only one license makes it a very good fit for me.  And it is one of the few client antivirus products that will install on server OS's.

Starting with their version 3.0, the server OS's were no longer permitted for a single-user license, only a business edition license could install Nod32 v3 on Windows Server 2000/2003.  This was not too much of a problem, as we were permitted to use the previous version, v2.7, on the servers and was still supported.

Now here is the new problem.  Nod32 v4 was released this week.  And when my license it renewed, the new username will not be permitted for v2.7.  Nod32 v4 will still not allow installation on Windows servers with single-user license.  I will have to buy a new business edition license to be able to install on Windows servers on virtual machines.  But business licenses have to be purchased with a minimum of 5 users, at (currently) $42.99/user ($214.95), as compared to $39.99 for home/single-user.  So in order to install Nod32 on my server VM's, I need to buy for 4 unneeded/unused users.

My options are somewhat limited.  No one else allows licensing on virtual machines except as a separate machine and license (and since I have about 15 virtual machines, buying licenses for them is not an option).  AVG free edition is not an option, because it does install on server OS's.  Looks like I have to buy wasted business user licenses.

IE Critical Update

Microsoft has released the ultra-important IE Update. 

Run your Windows Update ASAP (if not sooner).

This fixes the recent exploits that have been working for the past 5 days or so.

Backup that USB flash drive

I had a problem with a flash drive this weekend, and it points to a problem that we all should be aware of.

Flash drives (those USB memory sticks) have a limited life to them. The cheaper ones (most all of those that you can buy now) can only be written to approximately 10,000 times. (More expensive drives can be written to 100,000 – 200,000 times, but all drives have a limited life that way.) Now, for most uses, that can be a very long time. But if you depend on a single drive for frequent usage, it can fail.

I have been using a Lexar 8gb ExpressCard SSD (solid-state disk) in my laptop for holding my ReadyBoost cache for Windows Vista. ReadyBoost improves system performance dramatically, especially in a laptop. However, after about 1½ years, the memory card failed. That’s when I found out about this limited life for flash drives. Although Microsoft says flash drives for ReadyBoost should last 10 years, my device may have had a defect, or a bug in Vista that was fixed may have caused extra unnecessary rewriting of the device when resuming from standby (which I do all the time instead of shutting down). For now, I am just getting another memory card and doing the same thing. If, in another 18 months, it fails again, then I will reconsider more expensive memory, but $47 for 18 months of use is not a bad trade-off.

So, if you are using a USB drive to do frequent backups (that’s you, Dad), you should be aware that the drive could fail, and have an alternate storage of that data. If you are backing up your QuickBook files to a USB flash drive, make another copy of that drive each time to another device, preferably a hard drive with better life. Or maybe an online backup like using Mozy, Windows Live Skydrive, or even just storing it in a Gmail account.

Free Windows Mobile Remote Admin App

Larry Larsen on Channel 10 posts about an neat free little app for remoting into Windows Mobile phone.  Will do screenshots and video capture for documentation and training sessions, as well as making the screen larger for those of us that are a little older and more visually challenged.

 
Screen shot from my BlackJack

Free Windows Mobile Remote Admin App | Larry Larsen | Channel 10

Doug Seven : Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Joint Launch Announced

Doug Seven : Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Joint Launch Announced

Note that "Visual Studio 2008 will be released before the end of the year".

Taskbar Shuffle

Neat little app. Written in Delphi, but we won't hold that against him. ;)
Taskbar Shuffle

No hotkey, no extra steps, rearrange the programs on your Windows taskbar by simply... well, dragging and dropping them! Neat concept, huh?

Some Vista/Visual Studio Stuff

SSW Rules to Better Windows Vista Deployments

Taking Advantage of Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 for Developing and Maintaining .NET 1.1 and 2.0 Applications in Microsoft Windows Vista (whitepaper)

SSW Rules to Better Virtual PCs

These are couple of articles on how to do VS development with Vista development.

Windows Vista RTM - Demonstation of Windows ReadyBoost

In this video, a user tested how fast Windows Vista boots to the desktop with and without a 512MB SD card.

Have Data Will Travel : Whither IMDB?

Have Data Will Travel : Whither IMDB?
Interesting article from Roger Wolter as to why Microsoft dropped the idea of In-Memory Databases from Windows 2000 Server. At the time, having used MTS Shared Property Manager in several applications, I was really looking forward to using IMDB when it was announced. MS dropped it last minute, but promised it for an Application Center product they would come out with. But IMDB never saw light outside of MS. Here's why. Thanks Roger.