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.

Windows Anytime Upgrade and Family Pack Pricing

Microsoft announces Windows 7 Family pack pricing and Anytime upgrade pricing.

$149 for 3 family Home Premium licenses is pretty good, especially considering that 1 Home Premium license is $199. Or is the 3 licenses only for upgrades? Not sure, I've posted the question to the Windows team blog post.

Windows Anytime Upgrade and Family Pack Pricing - Windows 7 Team Blog - The Windows Blog

Updated 8/1: Family Pack is upgrade license only. Raelize that you will only be able to upgrade from Vista SP1 or XP SP3, and it must be currently activated.

Using Windows 7 and Vista features in .Net code

Just released from Microsoft:

Windows? API Code Pack for Microsoft? .NET Framework (v0.90) - Home

Vista Bridge Sample Library 1.4

Some of the newer features in Vista and Windows 7 are not exposed in the .Net Framework (yet).  This package of source code from Microsoft shows how to access and use these features from managed code.  Some of the features here are:

Windows 7 Taskbar Jump Lists, Icon Overlay, Progress Bar, Tabbed Thumbnails, and Thumbnail Toolbars.

Known Folders, Windows 7 Libraries, non-file system containers, and a hierarchy of Shell Namespace entities.

Windows 7 Explorer Browser Control.

Shell property system.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Common File Dialogs, including custom controls.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Task Dialogs.

Direct3D 11.0, Direct3D 10.1/10.0, DXGI 1.0/1.1, Direct2D 1.0, DirectWrite, Windows Imaging Component (WIC) APIs. (DirectWrite and WIC have partial support)

Sensor Platform APIs

Extended Linguistic Services APIs

Power Management APIs

Application Restart and Recovery APIs

Network List Manager APIs

Command Link control and System defined Shell icons.

Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets

 

50 seriously useful Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets | News | TechRadar UK

Windows 7 RC: After 2 weeks

Well, I have been running Windows 7 RC for 2 weeks now on my main production machine.  Overall, it is very good: fast, pretty stable, and the new features are good. 

I especially like the new taskbar.  Reading the descriptions of it before I installed Win7, I was a little leery that it was better, that it was just different to be different.  But after working with it, it really is better.  I was worried that it would be confusing having both the "quick links" and taskbar together, but it really is not a problem; the active apps have an "aero" frame around them, and the unlaunched buttons do not.  I like the aero preview windows that popup when you hover the mouse over the button, but especially like when you hover the mouse over the preview window, the rest of the windows go "aero ghost" mode, so that window is the only one visible.

Problems so far are few, but here's what I have:

*  My Bluetooth mouse (MS Mouse Presenter 8000) frequently disconnects.  Sometimes it will reconnect in about 15 seconds or so, but most of the time I have to power cycle the mouse.  Hope a fix or updated mouse driver fixes that soon.

*  Windows Live Photo Gallery screensaver crashes and locks up.  I can get back by hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del, then Cancel and the system window then pops up about an unresponsive application.  So far, that is only screensaver that has a problem.

*  My Sierra Wireless AirCard 875U cellular modem needs to use the old Sierra 3GWatcher app, and Win7 does not "recognize" the network.  It works, and I connect OK, it is just that Network Center says it is "Unidentified Network", and I cannot properly set firewall options (public/private) or name.  I understand Win7 has newer drivers that treat cell modems like full fledged network adapters (like WiFi adapters), but not for my old(er) device.

And one changed item I am not completely sold on yet: taking out the Sidebar frame.  Sidebar gadgets are now undocked and floating (like you could in Vista if you dragged it from the frame).  But I liked how the Sidebar frame gave me "pages" for gadgets, and I could have a dozen or so gadgets ready when needed, but not cluttering up the desktop.  But now, floating gadgets are the only option.