B3D_Sage

hmm I just restarted my system to make some changes to my partition table and thought “hmm I might as well try it again” and waddya know, it installed just fine!

Make sure that you have administrative privileges to run the setup on the machine. To run InstallShield Express 3.5 SP4 setup, users need full admin privileges on Windows NT, 2000, and XP machines.
yes, I am logged on as administrator
Download and run IsScript.msi. This file internally sets the ALLUSERS property, which is known to fix the issue in some cases. After downloading the attached file, replace the IsScript.msi shipped with InstallShield Express 3.5 SP4 setup with this updated version. The file IsScript.msi can be found in the same path as InstallShield Express 3.5 SP4 Setup.exe.
I dont understand this, it wants me to replace it with an existing file? what file? all I see is a single install program and I can't unzip it
Make sure that the Installer folder in the Windows directory on the machine is not read only. The path to the installer folder is typically C:\Winnt\Installer on Windows NT, 2000, and XP machines and C:\Windows\Installer on Windows 9x and Me machines. Right-click on the Installer folder and select Properties. Make sure that it is not read only. On some machines, the Installer folder may be hidden. Before searching for this folder in the above path, make sure to show hidden files and folders in the Windows Explorer options.
No, the folder is not read only. I tried moving the installation file to C:\ and run it from there, it didnt work.
You may want to manually uninstall any previous version of InstallShield Express 3.x from the machine before installing the new version. If the uninstallation fails, use MsiCleanUp utility to uninstall the old product. You can download MsiCleanUp from MSDN at Q238413 OFF2000: Windows Installer CleanUp Utility.
dead link but i did find the windows cleanup utility. ran it and it told me “The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not crrectly installed.”
Launch the Task Manager to see if multiple instances of Msiexec.exe or IDriver.exe are running on the machine. You can launch the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete. You should have at least one instance of these files running as these engine files drive the setup. However, if you see more than one instance of Msiexec.exe or IDriver.exe, it could be the cause of the issue. If this is the case, reboot the machine and run the installation again.
hmm glad they put that bold part in or I wouldnt have noticed it… no, I don't have them running. Quick check with msconfig and no I havn't disabled them from starting, I dont even have them listed.
# Run the file InstmsiA.exe on Windows 9x or Me or InstmsiW.exe on Windows NT, 2000, or XP to install and configure the Windows Installer Service on the machine. These files can be found in the same path as Setup.exe for the InstallShield Express 3.5 SP4 setup. If the issue persists, register the file Msiexec.exe manually on the machine. To do this, run the following command-line option in the Start > Run command or command prompt of the operating system:

* Windows NT, 2000:

C:\Winnt\System32\Msiexec.exe /REGSERVER
* Windows 9x, Me or XP:

C:\Windows\System\Msiexec.exe /REGSERVER
uhhh…. something seems to be missing here, I don't have that file.
If your installation is trying to uninstall a file that is in use, the Windows Installer Service throws the File In Use Dialog. However, when you attempt to uninstall the installation via the Remove option of the Add/Remove Programs applet (ARP), the Windows Installer setup runs the uninstallation in a basic User Interface mode, which does not display the File In Use Dialog, displaying error 1607…..
definitely not the problem, I'm not trying to remove anything.


Well, I think I can safely say that my problem is I'm missing something. However, I have no idea what it is I'm missing nor where to get it.

yes, I did try what whodini suggested. yes, i read the wholre thread