Source file not found error

[e_m]

Hello,

we are using Advanced Installer 12.5 for our product. we have an issue with one of our customers where installation sometimes fails with an error:
"Source file not found: C:\Windows\TEMP\abc\install\9B1C6AF\x86\abc.dll. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it."

Attached is the relevant snippet from the installation log (error.txt attachment).

This dll is the first dll installed by the installer - so it fails right at the beginning of the installation. however, sometimes the installation is successful also for this customer.

I ran process monitor and compared installation successful scenario to failed scenario. when the installation fails I can see that first msiexec.exe searches for abc.dll and doesn't find it, then ABCInstaller.exe (our installer exe) writes this dll into the temp folder. When the installation is successful I can see that the order is reversed - first ABCInstaller.exe writes this dll into the temp folder and only then msiexec.exe searches for this dll and finds it successfully.

Are you familiar with such issue and root cause of this behavior?

Thank you

[Catalin]

Hello,

This error may be caused by an Advanced Installer limitation regarding the file extraction.

Currently, the .EXE setup files built with Advanced Installer extract the embedded files (MSI, CAB, etc) asynchronously during the Wizard Dialogs stage to improve the installation time. Our old method was to extract the files at the very beginning of the installation, before the UI dialogs appear.

Can you please try to set the "ExtractFilesFirst" property to "1" in "Install Parameters" page, rebuild the project and see if that helps? This way, the old extraction method will be used.

Regards,
Catalin

[e_m]

I see, thanks for the answer. Does running the installer as "ABCInstaller.exe ExtractFileFirst=1" has the same effect as changing the Install Parameters page? also, is this issue somehow depends on the environment - we have many customers but only one reported this issue, which is quite strange...

[Catalin]

Hello,

No, running the installer as "ABCInstaller.exe ExtractFileFirst=1" does not has the same efect as changing the specified property's value from "Install Parameters" page. Please keep in mind that only public properties can be set through command line as it follows:

Code: Select all

MY_PROPERTY="myValue"

An example would be as it follows:

Code: Select all

msiexec /i "C:\Example.msi" MY_PROPERTY="myValue"

In what regards the environment where the setup is deployed, indeed, this may happen due to the environment as well. This is why we always suggest to be used virtual machines with clean states every time a setup is tested. That way, you can always revert to an earlier checkpoint when something goes wrong.

Hope that helps!

Regards,
Catalin