Problem with VB Package and Deployment Wizard

I have a problem installing in other computers than mine a package I developed in VB 6.0. It sends this error message and sends
to restart over and over. In my computer (in the one I developed it) works fine.

"setup cannot continue because some system files are out of date on your system. Click OK if you would like setup to update
these files for you now. You will need to restart windows before you can run setup again. Click cancel to exit setup without
updating system files."

I looked it up in microsoft support center and found an article with 8 different solutions but none of them worked, I had to create
the package in an other computer and that package worked. I would like to know if any of you guys have been through this and found a
solution other than the ones proposed by Microsoft, I wouldn´t like to be forced to create my packages in an other PC again.

Thank you.

Hi,

Your problem is likely to be related to the DLL-Hell or dependency problems (they seem to go hand in hand). Key to the error you get is an updated dependency for a component that you used (or VB uses down in the catacombs of the VM). That component is most likely installed on your Development PC and is causing the error to pop-up when you install the program.

I have had the same problems, and the only way to get rid of them (for me that is) was to strip the development machine to bare minimal and only install applications that you will find on any of the PC's in your workstation base. In my case, I traced the problem to some obscure DB2 drivers that happilly updated some system components to the latest version.

To prevent this kind of problems we have installed a very strict policy on installing stuff on a dev PC. It's not allowed unless hell freezes over and the sky falls down on our arses.

Grtz.©

M.

Thanks for the advice. I would really like to trace the problem just as you did. Becuase usually in my workplace the dev PC's have more software than regular workstation, in this case they don´t even have MS ACCESS. And we (developers) already have just the software we use to develop, I don't even have winamp for god´s sake! Saying this, you may understand that this problem will go on and on and that´s what I want to avoid.

Do you think there is some kind of tip you can give me to trace the problem? since we know it´s VERY unlikely it´s the same driver which you updated in your case (example you gave me).

Thanks again!

Is this a problem, or just an informational popup and update step you would like to avoid?

If you want you can use the Visual Studio Installer, a free download from ms, which builds .msi installer packages. I've installed my code with packages built with the vs installer on nearly every version of windows without any installation problems.

It is a problem, becauase I am not able to install my packages in other computers, it sends me to restart windows over and over showing the same message each time I execute my setup file. This time the solution was to make the package in someone else´s PC. I am already downloading the VSI 6.0 following your advice, I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks Doug!

You will have a bit of a learning curve figuring how to create vsi packages, it's not the most self-explanatory interface. But the price is right, I don't know of a free installer that builds msi packages otherwise.

Hey Doug, you were right about that VSI interface, but anyhow I found this article http://www.devx.com/vb2themax/Article/19893, which doesn´t give much explanations but helped me through it. I already tried VSI and the package worked nicely in my computer. I might have the chance to get another PC and try it there tonight or tomorrow morning (I hope it works).

I do have 2 questions though:

1. In the user interface I tried to add a dialog that asked for customer information, but I couldn´t figure out how to enter the Serial Number, I tried typing in the property Serial the number I wanted, but when I tried to type it during the installation it always tells me the number is wrong.

2. I get many warnings in the Tasks List, they don´t keep me from getting the job done but I checked the files´ names and they are all in Outputs\Files\Dependencies in the Project Explorer window, so I don´t know why the warnings say that they don´t find the dependency to those files, nor how to avoid getting those warnings.

I really hope this package works in another computer, if it does I won´t be worrying about those file warnings and even less about using a serial number (that is just for knowledge more than for practical matters).

Thanks for your time and wisdom!

You only have basic control over the installer with VSI, if you want all the bells & whistles in your setup package you'll need to go with a commercial package like InstallShield.

If you're adventurous you can get the Orca db editor and directly tweak your .msi file. I've read this can be done but I haven't ever tried it. In my rather casual envrionment the msi created with the vsi and it's user propmts have alwas done ok for me.

Ok, I will look up some info about it myself. But by now, just as your case, vsi solves my problem.

Thanks!