Goals and Symptoms

'Windows Installer' error message appears during the starting of 'ProWORX 32'.

Facts and Changes

ProWORX 32 version 2.1

Causes and Fixes

The new version of the 'ProWORX 32' uses the new 'Windows Installer version 3.1' which also
includes newer versions of the shared ' .dll's ' written by Microsoft. Every software written for the
Microsoft Windows operating system requires at least some of these ' .dll's '. in order to be able
to work.

The 'Windows Installer' runs as a service and is used to install software in the Microsoft Windows
operating system. It also maintains a database of the installed software and it's components.
The installing software can request that the 'Windows Installer' perform a diagnosis and repair the
program if it's component is missing or corrupted (see attached 'Overview of the Windows Installer
Technology' by Microsoft.) If the component is missing or corrupted, it will ask the 'Windows
Installer' service to repair the program as necessary by copying the files from the install source
hard drive path or CD. During the repair process, the 'Windows Installer' will display a message
requesting the install CD.



During the installation, it also checks to see if the software component is already in Windows.
If it is already installed, it checks the installed version number against the version number of the
component being installed. If the installed version is older, it overwrites it with the the newer
version and updates the 'Windows Installer' database.

After 'ProWORX 32' is started, the 'Windows Installer' checks it's database to see what '.dll's'
are being shared by other installed software. When it finds that another software is sharing a '.dll',
it does a diagnosis if the other software requires it when the '.dll' is run. If the 'Windows Installer'
finds something wrong it returns the 'Windows Installer' error.

The reason that the 'Windows Installer' message is appearing is because the 'Windows Installer'
found a difference during the diagnosis when it compared the version number of a shared '.dll' (used
by the 'ProWORX 32') in it's database against the version number that was in the registry setting
of the other installed software.

Note: This problem is outside of Schneider Electric's control.