I just bought a new dictionary (XP-compatible) and wanted to install it on my hard disk. Well, it won´t install. If I try the run-setup procedure, nothing happens. If I open My Computer and the CD drive I can see the contents of the CD, such as autorun, install and all of the data files. But if I try to open install or autorun, nothing happens… I´ve tried “runas” and “add/remove programs” as well. I´m logged in as the administrator.I´ve also switched Norton antivirus off.

There´s no problem with the CD drive if using other CD roms.And the most irritating thing is, that the program installs on my desktop (XP home) immediately.  :evil:

Can´t think of anything else to try. I´ve spent like 10 hours on this stupid dictionary already…  :x

Anybody,please…

Sounds like you have a bad CD (the disk not the drive).

but she’s mentioned that it installs fine on her desktop

It may be that the drive is having problems in reading the cd…I had experiences with (creative) drives earlier where the drive would read a few cd’s and refuse to read others (which would work perfectly fine on another cd drive). The drive is not manufactured by Creative, but something similar might be happening.  :|

No - that´s just the point - the program installs just fine on my older desktop (with XP home) :!:

Could there be a security setting on somewhere, that prevents the installation?

Have you tried the installation in Safe Mode?

Doubt it. Most likely its just not reading the CD for whatever reason.

Try putting the CD in. Go to Start. Go to Run. Type ‘CMD’ then hit enter. type ‘D:’ (or ‘E:’ depending on the drive letter) and hit enter. Now type ‘Dir’ and hit enter.

What happens?

If its having an error reading the CD you should get some sort of message..otherwise files should scroll on the screen.

Erik

Well it does NOT show an error message when checking the files on DOS, which is quite logical, since I can see the contents of the disc on Windows too! In other words, if I go to My Computer, I can see whats on the disc just fine!

The problem is that if I click on the Install icon, NOTHING HAPPENS. 

I wonder if it’s a TEMP directory problem. Usually, install programs copy the files off the CD into your TEMP directory. If your disk is full (which I doubt) or your TEMP directories are mis-setup it could cause installation problems. That might explain why it works on one system and not another. You may want to try emptying out your TEMP directories or changing the location of them. Normally, they’re hidden deep under a bunch of sub-directories in your user account. I normally point it to C:\TEMP so I don’t have to go digging for them.

Just a thought…I’ll think about it some more and see what I come up with.

i think I’m finally getting somewhere…

There’s an error message every time I shut off - something about the windows 16 subsystem being unstable and the wowexec not being able to shut down.

I searched that on google but didn’t find an answer yet (at least one that I could understand :oops: )

Anyone had this problem?

[quote author=“TRgirl”]i think I’m finally getting somewhere…

There’s an error message every time I shut off - something about the windows 16 subsystem being unstable and the wowexec not being able to shut down.

I searched that on google but didn’t find an answer yet (at least one that I could understand :oops: )

Anyone had this problem?

TRGirl, what app are u trying to install? Is it old? Like vintage?  The error message could also be a trojan and not related to the install, but it does sound like it is, exspecially if the app is 16-bit (old).  This culled from the unofficial MS forum:

There is a spoof of this process called _wowexec.exe. Running a program such as Lavasoft’s AdAware or SpyBot S&D should remove the spoof. Note that the naughty stealth authors are using this methodology more and more. Creating a spoof of a known process which you would typically miss on casual inspection. Yet another reason why it is more and more important to run such utilities. More is written on these wonderful utilities elsewhere in this section. 

See THIS forum for a link to download adaware with instructions on how to set it up.

BUT WHAT I SUSPECT AND HAVE SAID MANY TIMES is that there may be a problem with TR CD drives in reading iffy cd media, ie. bootleg, copies, cheap media. SO WHAt might be happening is that there is a read/write error because of the media, although the expected error would be “cant read the disk.”  I’ve see this on my own machine with a “less than original” copy of Encarta 2004 purchased thru a “reputable” dealer here in Kathmandu. When the drive tries to copy the very large files over to the TR, the drive chokes on the disk.  I take the disks back to the dealer who has an ancient 386 desktop that reads the CDs just fine.  This has happened over and over again, so much so the dealer wishes I would return to my country of birth.  But what it tells me is that the TR drive is fussy.

Try this: make a COPY of the application CD on your other machine, if possible, and see if that helps….oh, and don’t forget to run adaware just for luck - good luck girl….
jigs

Thanks for all of the answers, everyone!

The App is a new version of a dictionary (this version is XP-compatible). HOWEVER - I tried to install the previous version of the same dictionary some time ago - and THAT version was not XP-compatible…
I have tried to remove all traces of the faulty installation, but I presume there’s something wrong with the registers now :?

I’ll try the different solutions you’ve suggested - as soon as I get the time to do so… cause I’ve worked with this annoying problem for so long that my family doesn’t remember who I am anymore :D . Well - there’s always the nighttime!

This is what the registers should look like in Windows XP:

In Windows XP, Config.nt contains the following commands by default:
    dos=high, umb
    device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
    files=40
   
Autoexec.nt contains the following commands by default:
  @echo off
  lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
  lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir
  lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx
  SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

Now comes the stupid question: :oops:

How do I check what mine are AND how do I change them…

go into dos prompt and goto to ur windows\system32 dir

then type “edit autoexec.nt” & make/check for whatever changes and if u wish to save the file then click on file->save and then file->exit

follow the same procedure as above for config.nt