New install problems with v5.5 on Windows 2000

[michaels]

Hi all,

I've just started seeing an install error that I've not seen in my 6+ years of using FMPro. We've been using v5.5 (VL version) for several years on Windows 2000, the installation being handled by Novell's ZENworks (essentially just calls msiexec). This has worked flawlessly for many years. I'm not sure what's changed but in the past couple months, several of our users have received the following error message when trying to run the program after an install: "This application has been installed incorrectly or modified by another program. Please run the Installer to get a fresh copy of the application after determining the cause."

There are no errors in the Event Viewer. In fact, Windows Installer reports that the installation was successful. The only thing I can think of that has changed on these systems would be the installation of Windows updates, which occur automatically as they become available.

Has anyone seen this or have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Michael

[Wim Decorte]

Why is it being handled by ZENworks? Maybe there's a change there?

[QuinTech]

Is it a Zenworks or Filemaker error? Have you tried uninstalling and re-installing? Maybe Zenworks needs some new files or registry entries because of a particular Windows update.

Jerry

[michaels]

Thanks for the replies.

It's a FileMaker Pro error. The title bar for the error reads "FileMaker Pro".

ZENworks just makes it easier to distribute the software to users. In this case, I'm using the MSI file from the FMPro install CD and ZENworks just calls msiexec so it's really transparent. In any case, nothing's changed in several years with regard to ZENworks - we've been using version 3.0.2 for a while. Also, other MSI installations are still working fine.

I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling, even copying the install files locally (normally, the installer runs accesses the MSI file from a network drive) and installing as administrator (using Windows' run as feature). Nothing's worked thus far.

Michael

[QuinTech]

If i understand Zenworks correctly from your comments and from previous limited exposure, what it does is installs the program when the user needs it and then uninstalls when the app is closed. Please correct me if i'm mistaken.

I can't really make any specific suggestions, but one thing that might be pertinent: FM is unusual in that it is a self-registering application. The first time the user calls it, the appropriate reg entries are created at HKCUSoftwareFileMakerFileMaker Pro6.0 and maybe some other places. (Your key might end in 5.0 instead of 6.0 because of your version, i'm not sure.) I suppose this means that those registry entries are created every time the user calls FM, since it is a "new installation" every time because of what ZW is doing.

Michaels, does ZW delete those reg keys when FM closes? If i were in your shoes, i'd try monitoring the registry through the various stages of installation and launching.

J

[michaels]

ZW is capable of doing something along the lines of what you describe. We aren't using in that way, though. It runs the FMPro installer in the same manner it would be run if you ran it yourself from the CD (i.e., permanently). Once the program is installed, you run it by double clicking the FMPro executable.

I will go ahead and grab regmon and take a look at what's happening when FMPro starts up, though.