Release on multiple CD's fails with Error 1311.Source file not found

[Reureu]

Hi,

I am working on a Basic MSI project with IS 2010 SP1.
After working on that project for a few years, the size of the cabinet file has exceeded the size of a standard CD in mode 1 (650 MiB).

I was expecting to be lucky and that InstallShield would generate 2 release folders:

• DISK1
  
• DISK2
  

with the cabinet files automatically split between the 2 disks.

So, as expected, what IS has generated is:

• DISK1:
  
  
  
  • Data1.cab
    
  • MySetup.msi
    
  • Setup.exe
    
  
  
• DISK2:
  
  
  
  • Data2.cab
    
  • Data11.cab
    
  
  

Now the installation fails with the following error:

Error 1311.Source file not found: C:\Documents and Settings\mh\Bureau\DiskImages\DISK1\Data11.cab. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.

It means it is looking for the file Data11.cab on the DISK1, although it is on the DISK2! Have a look at the attached screenshot.

• If I click on Cancel, a rollback is performed.
  
• If I click on Retry, it just retries, and doesn't give me the possibility to set a different disk.
  

So here are my questions:

• Have I missed something? or forgotten to set any release setting (see screenshot of my release settings)?
  
• Is that another bug in InstallShield?
  
• Has Flexera Software actually tested this?
  
• Is there any workaround?
  
• Could anything be wrong in the generated Media table? (see screenshot)
  

[Reureu]

Hi,

I managed to solved that "problem".

During my first try, I only copied the DISK1 and DISK2 folders to the desktop of the test machine, and started the installation.
As the installation was started from a local drive, MSI looked for the various CAB files in the same folder as the msi package. This explains why it was looking for Data11.cab and Data2.cab in the DISK1 folder.

Then I realized that MSI behaves in a different way when installing from a removable media.

So, I copied my setup to 2 CD's and tried to install the program: it worked!

Just for the hell of it, I tried another installation from the local drive.
I copied all CAB files to the DISK1 folder, copied it to the desktop of the test machine and installed my program. It also worked!

[MichaelU]

Yes, this is a limitation (or feature?) of Microsoft's Windows Installer. I'm glad you found the proper resolution, in that for a multi-disk installation to progress, it must be on multiple actual (or perhaps VM virtualized) disks.

[Reureu]

It's hard to say if it is a limitation or a feature indeed.
On top of that, the error message I got was quite misleading.