Uninstall Reboot Setup.exe Error

[esiemiat]

When an uninstall for my pure InstallScript Setup requires a reboot I receive the following error message after the system has been rebooted.

This error also occurred for a small test project I created, so I think this may be an issue with InstallShield 2008. It appears InstallShield is deleting the cached install before it should be. Has anyone else encountered this problem, and if so do you have a solution?

[Vijay_K]

I have seen this problem, but it disappears after I reboot for the second time.
In my case, the Instance guid was not the one of the product i installed. Windows was complaining about some other installation.
Im not sure how to fix your problem. soz

[esiemiat]

Unfortunatly mine is for my installer. The error is coming from a call in the RunOnce registry key, so that is why the error only appears once. I'm assuming this call back to Setup.exe after the reboot is so my install can invoke the OnReboot event, but I'm not sure. Does anyone know if anything else gets processed by SETUP after a reboot? Can I remove this key without any adverse side-affects?

[esiemiat]

I just heard back from support and here is what they had to say.

After looking into this behavior you are seeing, it looks like this is a bug in the InstallShield 2008 engine in how it is handling the reboot during an uninstallation (…as you can see). In terms of the exact error, development will need to look into this further to see what has changed (…this behavior does not occur in IS12.0) but the work order number created on this bug is (IOC-000063184).

With that said, one workaround that was brought up for this issue is to make the following changes to your InstallShield 2008 InstallScript project…

1.) In the OnMaintUIBefore() event add code to backup the contents of DISK1TARGET during an uninstallation.

2.) In the OnMaintUIAfter() event add code to check on BATCH_INSTALL and restore contents DISK1TARGET if it’s TRUE, otherwise if FALSE delete the backup folder.

3.) Lastly to ensure future installation are not affected, you can add the OnRebooted() event and delete the DISK1TARGET folder (…however because this workaround has to be executed, it may not be a clean removal, but enough not to affect future installations).

[esiemiat]

Just in case others experience this problem, the following code is a better temporary work around.

function OnEnd()
begin
    if ((REMOVEALLMODE != 0) && (BATCH_INSTALL)) then 
        BATCH_INSTALL = FALSE;
    endif;
end;

By doing this the user is still shown the SdFinishRboot dialog, and the system is still rebooted if that was the option chosen. However, the RunOnce RegKey that causes the error is not created. This does not change the result of the install since either way SETUP.EXE is not called.

[Vijay_K]

Cheers mate. I havn't tried this yet, but it seems the problems we faced are with IS 2008. Thanks, for posting the possible solution.
🙂

[MarcCa]

I'm also experiencing these problems and I'm using workaround number 1.
But after I made a copy of the directory, that copy is also removed when FeatureTransferData is called.
Seems that the proposed workaround 1 does not work with me.

I'm using the first workaround to check if the files are removed after uninstall because the files are not removed when I use the second workaround and the Pc is rebooted.

[sybaritefury]

I have a question, though....

I am getting this error, but when I look in the registry I don't see any entry at all.

When I get to the end of my script, I tested whether BATCH_INSTALL was false. It's already false by the time I get to the end. So it doesn't look like this is helping me.

Any other possibilities?