For Windows version of FileMaker Pro 7 trial version (English) when I run the updater the following Windows Installer error message comes up - 'This patch package could not be opened. Contact the application vendor to verify that this a valid Windows Installer patch package.'

FileMaker Pro 7 and all other applications are closed. I wasn't asked to put in the original Windows XP disks. The patch package download is 'fmp_70v2_win_updater.zip' and 114,088 KB in size. There are still 24 days to go on this trial version.

The only thing I can think that might cause this is there's also FileMaker Pro 6 on this computer.

Any suggestions?

I don't think it's FM6, as Filemaker Inc. has stated, that it is allowed to have both versions running on the same computer. To me it sounds more like a windows problem or a corrupted file.

Do you have enough free hard disk space? (the Readme says, the windows version needs 430 MB!)

It's really the english trial? (the update doesn't work for the german, french, italian, spanish, dutch and swedish trial version)

Have you considered that maybe the trial version cannot be updated?

Similar concept to XP pirate copies being unable to load service packs.

Also check your zip file for errors

Download accelerators often drop packets and corrupt files

The MD5 hash should be

dbf27ccc6e257c1065ea7638a6cd74f8 for fmd_70v2_win_updater.zip

have a look on http://www.kennethballard.com/ for a decent freeware MD5 checker

The trial version can be updated (I've done it myself). I don't have version 6 on my computer. Seems like its worth a try to uninstall 6, update 7, and then re-install 6.

There's about 25GB left on the drive and the trial version is definitely English so I'll look into your other suggestions. Thank you.

FileMaker's download site says the update can be applied to the English trial versions of Pro 7. I checked the site you mentioned and need to read the related note on the IBM site since downloading zip's has never been a problem before. Thanks.

Here's the solution and it was suggested by FM tech support. Use Winzip to unzip the updater file, don't use the zip/unzip function built into Windows XP (home). I tried this and everything was okay.