InstallShield 2011 LE package won’t run until user ID has logged in once

[dknoles]

We use a number of virtual servers in our environment. A basic operating system load, using Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard 64-bit, is augmented by a number of installation scripts that are run by a Windows service. One of the installation scripts attempts to launch an InstallShield package created by InstallShield 2011 LE. If the domain user ID that the service is running as has never interactively logged into the server the InstallShield package will not run. The VBScript Run() command that launches the InstallShield package never returns from the call and no MsiInstaller messages appear in the event log. If I log into the virtual server using the domain user ID and then log off and restart the installation scripts, everything, including the InstallShield package, runs correctly.

Is there something that occurs during a first login that is required before InstallShield will run?

[Keerthana]

Hello,

I am currently working on this issue and would get back to you as soon as I have further information.

[Keerthana]

Hi,

Thanks much for your patience. I am working with the product specialist on this issue and would be able to give you more information on hearing from them.

[Keerthana]

Hi,

I have been working on this issue and understand that the user account used by the service to launch the IS installer does not run unless the user has logged onto the system once. Since it is the behavior pertaining to the user accounts but the IS installer is launched successfully I suspect it could be a Windows issue. Could you please check on this issue with Microsoft and update us on the same?

[dknoles]

Looking in Control Panel, this list of programs has been installed successfully on a PC that will not run the InstallShield LE package. If these programs all install successfully, without an interactive login, and the InstallShield package will still not install, how can it be a Windows problem?

Debugging Tools for Windows (x64)
IIS Advanced Logging 1.0
Microsoft .NET framework 4 Client Profile
Microsoft .NET framework 4 Extended
Microsoft Office Access database engine 2007 (English)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable (x64)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x64 9.0.30729.17
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x86 9.0.30729.17
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x64 Redistributable - 10.0.30319
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable - 10.0.30319
Microsoft WSE 3.0 Runtime
MSXML 4.0 SP3 Parser
PerfStat
Tivoli Endpoint Manager Client
Trend Micro OfficeScan Client
VMware Tools

[Keerthana]

Hi,

As a test I request you to try installing Orca.msi (http://www.technipages.com/download-orca-msi-editor.html) using the script that you use. If this fails too then it is an issue outside InstallShield. However if you are able to install Orca.msi using your script kindly run the setup.exe with the /debuglog parameter and share the log file that is generated that would help us debug the issue further.

[dknoles]

In my testing, orca.msi installed successfully with no user login. After the orca.msi installation, my InstallShield package still failed to run.

My installation package is a single file package. It has no setup.exe. I install it with the following command line: /s /v/qn

What is the correct parameter to pass to my installation package in order to get debugging information logged?

[dknoles]

I was able to add the /debuglog parameter to my command line. What is very interesting is that in my first two tests my InstallShield package ran successfully, without a previous user login, if the /debuglog parameter was included in the command line.

This command line fails to run: /s /v/qn

This command line succeeded twice (so far): /s /v/qn /debuglog"C:\temp\SetupLogFile.txt"

I will do some additional testing to see if the pattern holds true. Creating a debug log file is a small price to pay to get the installation package to work.

[dknoles]

Additional testing has shown that the /debuglog parameter has nothing to do with the success or failure of the InstallShield package. What makes the difference is whether the InstallShield package is launched from a .BAT file or from a VBScript.Run() command. In either case, Orca.Msi installs successfully.

Orca.Msi
Succeeded when launched from a .BAT file.
Succeeded when launched from a VBScript.Run() command.


Succeeded when launched from a .BAT file.
Succeeded when launched from a .BAT file with /debuglog parameter.
Failed to run when launched from a VBScript.Run() command.
Failed to run when launched from a VBScript.Run() command with /debuglog parameter. No log file produced.

[Keerthana]

Hello,

Thanks for the response!

I am glad that we have reached a point to make the package work as expected however I am working on the reason for this behavior and would get back to you at the earliest.

[Keerthana]

Hi,

Thanks much for the patience on this.I am still working on this issue and would require your inputs. Could you please try building a simple msi that installs an exe such as setup.exe and see if that works using your script.

[dknoles]

I asked around and found two other InstallShield installation packages in our business that are experiencing the same problem. They also will not successfully run until an interactive login has occurred on the deployed server. Both packages run Setup.exe with accompanying .CAB files. They both use InstallShield 7 Professional instead of the Limited Edition version that my package uses. The owners of the packages also confirm that the issue with InstallShield and an interactive login began with Windows Server 2003. There were no issues with NT4 or Windows 2000.

[Keerthana]

Hi,

I hope you doing well!

Kindly try using a Process Monitor and capture the trace of the installation. You may use the below links that would help you capture the trace.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dswl/archive/2010/01/10/how-to-capture-a-process-monitor-trace.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/calvin_hsia/archive/2009/07/28/9851739.aspx

Please take a look at the trace and let me know if it was of any help to you.

[dknoles]

Sorry I haven't replied sooner. I have found no way to run the Process Monitor without logging into the server. Once I log into the server InstallShield works so the test becomes invalid.

[bharath_k_s]

Hello dknoles,

I was going through this post and I noticed that you had mentioned that the package which you are trying to launch isn’t Setup.exe. Could you kindly confirm whether you are trying to launch *.Msi file using script?

Thanks,
Bharath

[dknoles]

It is a SingleImage executable. It runs when double clicked in Explorer. It runs from a VBScript Run() call if a user login has ever taken place and it appears to always run, with or without a login, when executed by CMD.EXE from a DOS batch file. I'll know more about this tomorrow after my latest modifications get installed in our data center.

[dknoles]

I can confirm that the same InstallShield package that will not run when called from a VBScript Run() command will run if executed as part of a batch file.

I would post some sample code showing what works and what fails but your Incapsula web monitoring service flags the sample code as some sort of malware attack and prevents the post.