Problem uninstalling ... "removing backup files"

[Shuttledude]

When uninstalling an Installscript MSI project, I encounter a very long delay (about 90 seconds to 2 minutes) on the dialog that says "removing backup files". If I wait it will finish normally, but it's a hassle.

I just noticed this today with a new project I created; no problems before now with other projects. I have not applied patches to InstallShield 12, or the operating system (XP Pro). I'm logging on as the same user with the same privileges. This happens on at least two computers.

Any idea what's going on?

[Shuttledude]

I'm still having this problem. I install only three (count them, three) files. Whenever I uninstall the product it takes two full minutes while I see "removing backup files", during which time the processor is pegged at 100%. It's true that I'm also installing .Net framework 3.5, but it is not uninstalling the framework upon uninstall (and that's the behavior I want). So I can't figure out what the delay is. Any ideas, anyone? By the way, I'm now using InstallShield 2008.

[Stefan_Krueger]

Maybe a log file and/or monitoring your setup with Process Monitor from SysInternals will help you finding out what's taking so long.

[NHM2007]

I am seeing a similar problem---except the hang seems permanent. I've left it overnight (on various machines etc.) and can see it still hung. The issue is also posted on other threads here and I noted in one of those as well.

Essentially:

Hung at "Removing backup files"; not related to earlier, known, MSI leak. No Idriver.exe relationship (nothing to do with InstallScript); 2 custom actions (both MSI DLLs) are called just before the hanging but so far testing shows that they are likely not the cause.
Issue is reproducible discrepantly; however, once seen it is easily reproducible on same machine.
Strangely, when it hangs at this execution step, the cancel button does not show...
The only workaround right now is to kill all 5 msiexec.exe processes seen in the task manager; why there are 5 is another issue... Else, system is in a stage where anything else is uninstallable (MSI setups anyway.)

Have looked at details in userdump file and also MSI log and run the custom action code outside of MSI etc.; no clear indication of what is causing the hang.

My guess was that it was a handle in a custom action that was not being returned properly... but the test results do not back that up.

Any thoughts gentlemen?

Thanks!

[NHM2007]

That one line I take back: I am now unable to reproduce the issue on the machine on which this was happening for the past 9 hours!
But when it was showing up, I was able to constantly reproduce the hang... sigh... 😞

[brianthegood]

I found this entry when I had a similar problem on uninstalling an app.
It seems I had an outstanding SdShowMsg just like joshstechnij suggested in this reply here

[NHM2007]

In my case, I am using a Basic MSI project w/no InstallScript. That said, my mind set has been that a custom action called close to removing backup files (one in deferred mode and one in commit right by InstallFinalize) may be hanging.
I eliminated these from the setup to test---and it still hung. 😞
So... it seems to be something else...

[Stefan_Krueger]

When you generate the log file include the ! switch to make sure each line gets written to disk immediately. When you kill the process you should see the last action in the log.

Additional msiexec.exe processes are created for custom actions. Maybe you can un-hang the setup if you kill only one of them - if you can guess the right one (maybe the youngest).