BC3K 2.09 installation problem

[Guest Vermin]

OK, so I have downloaded the BC3K209FREE file from Fileplanet. The download completed successfully and is not corrupted, at least as far as I can tell. Now I'm running into a problem with the installer and its desire to put 131 MB of data on my Windows 98 partition for no reason I can fathom.

Some information that might help:

4.5 GB C: drive used for Win2k and all program files. 1.5 GB free.

350 MB D: drive used for Windows 98. 40 MB free.

28.5 GB E: drive used for games, downloads, etc. 2 GB free.

"SET TMP=C:TMP" and "SET TEMP=C:TEMP" added to the end of autoexec.bat . Both directories exist.

When I run the BC3K exe file off my E: drive (while running Win98, of course), I get the beginning of the installer program and proceed as normal. I ask the installer to put the game on my E: drive and click next. It eventually tells me that I do not have enough space on my D: drive to continue with the installation and does not give me any options to change in the installation other than the drive and folder. The installer wants to take 500 KB of space on C: . That is understandable. It also wants to take 321 MB of space on the E: drive. That is exactly what I'd expect it to do. However, it also wants to take up 131 MB of space on my D: drive. This is what I just don't understand. Why does the installer want to take up 130 MB (coincidentally, very close to the size of the BC3K file) of space on my Win98 drive? Nothing I can think of points to it as the area a program is supposed to store any of its files, and the manual and FAQs do not seem to have any information about this error.

Anyone have a suggestion for a workaround for this problem, or at least have an opinion as to what might be causing this?

Thanks in advance,

Vermin

BTW, I got this exact same problem when I attempted to install the first BCM demo in Windows 98 a few weeks ago. It worked in Win2k though, so I just forgot about it.

[Papi]

I think you could try installing under win2k, although you play it under win98.

That should prevent the install using the swap file in your win98 drive.

Correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

After install create shortcuts in win98 (but that you knew already )

[Guest Vermin]

Yeah, I did try that. When I use the Win2k compatability thingy to trick it into thinking it's running in Win98 it always forces me to restart my computer after saying that it updated my installer. After it restarts, it forgets that it's supposed to be emulating Win98. Then, of course, it tells me that my operating system is insufficient to run the installer, and it forgets whatever update it did to my installer.

Thanks for the suggestion though. I appreciate it,

Vermin

[Reven]

This is due to the way the file is packaged. It is stored as a Microsoft Windows Installer package file (.msi). This is embedded inside the .exe with a Windows Installer runtime. InstallShield is doing that nowadays and it's pretty brain dead.

When you run the installer, this is what happens:

1) It unpacks the .msi insall package into your temp directory along with an .ini file and the Microsoft Windows Installer runtime.

2) If you already have the Micsosoft Windows Installer on your machine it then immediately tries to run it. If not, then it installs it, and adds an entry in your HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/RunOnce registry key that will cause the installer to try and install the package when you reboot.

3) It then creates ANOTHER copy of the package file inside your temp directory. So, you now have the .EXE at 137MB of space and two copies of the package at 131MB each on your system.

4) It then finally processes the install script inside the second copy of the .msi package.

I've tried a lot of different ways to try and get it to install under Windows 2000 and no go. But, for the one who is trying on 98 with the small boot drive, what you need to do is edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and put an entry with TEMP=X:/TEMP where X: is a drive with lots of space. Once you do this and reboot, your Windows temp files will now be on the larger drive (which it should be anyways).

Anyone who is developing install scripts, I highly suggest using Wise Installer Pro. It doesn't yet bow to the Microsoft Windows Installer foolishness that InstallShield does.

[Supreme Cmdr]

quote:

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Anyone who is developing install scripts, I highly suggest using Wise Installer Pro. It doesn't yet bow to the Microsoft Windows Installer foolishness that InstallShield does.

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I'm gonna kill you!!! I've only just last week, forked out $164 to upgrade from ISX 3.03 to ISX 3.5!!!

[Guest Vermin]

Well, a friend suggested something today I simply hadn't thought about. I could resize my partitions using Partition Magic, which I have. So, after giving the D: drive 150 MB more space from C: , I was able to install the game fine. I have no idea why it needed that space on D: . It deleted whatever it put there immediately after the install was completed, and the Temp directories are all on C: . Wierd. Sucks that I had to shorten my C: drive. Hope you guys can eventually fix this in the BCM demos and the full game for Win98/2k multiple partition users like me.

Thanks for the ideas and information,

Vermin

[Supreme Cmdr]

quote:

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Hope you guys can eventually fix this in the BCM demos and the full game for Win98/2k multiple partition users like me.

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....and how EXACTLY do you suggest we fix something that (a) has NOTHING to do with BCM ( bears NO relevance to BCM?

This, I've GOT to hear

And the Installer is not some arbitrary program. It obviously looked at your D drive because either (a) you executed the .EXE file from it or ( you have your TEMP variable pointing to it.

Doesn't it strike you as odd that the OS you are installing it under, is under D:? Doesn't it then stand to reason that, somehow, its using the OS drive? Think man, think!!

[ 08-15-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

[Guest Vermin]

quote:

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And the Installer is not some arbitrary program. It obviously looked at your D drive because either (a) you executed the .EXE file from it or (

you have your TEMP variable pointing to it.

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Yes, but I thought of that though! The .exe is on E: , so that shouldn't make it refer to D: . Also, before I added "SET TMP=C:TMP" to my autoexec.bat the installer never even got to the point where it would begin the installation of the game itself. During the time when the "Preparing to install" window was showing, a message window would come up saying "You do not have enough space - Retry or Cancel." I would always have to cancel. When I added the variable, the installer successfully initialized and gave me the option of folder installation. Thus, since I *know* the temp directory now referrs to my C: drive, I must infer that the problem arises from some path within the installer itself, leading it to look in D: for some space.

What I was thinking of as a possible "fix" for this problem is simply to use a different installer program. If this game had been in a self-extracting .exe file, I am confident it would have extracted without difficulty (not that I'm suggesing you make it a self-extracting .exe). The installer you guys are using is the most peculiar one I have ever seen.

I'm not really a programmer; I've only been on the receiving end of these installation programs. So, if any of this is exceptionally difficult or implausible, feel free to tell me.

Thanks,

Vermin

BTW, I found out something interesting back when I was working with the temp directories. There are actually two temp variables in Win98/2k. One is the TMP variable. This refers to the normal Temp directory. The other is the TEMP variable. I believe that this one actually refers to Internet Explorer's "Temporary Internet Files" directory. I'm not really sure though. I changed both just to be safe.

[demolition]

I cant get mine to Instal PERIOD

it dls right, but when installer starts runing it just takes up my ram while sitting there doing nothing

Its the windows installing shield thats the problem, i think

But i use the same intalling shield on my other downloads and it works fine

[Sennover]

quote:

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Originally posted by demolition:

I cant get mine to Instal PERIOD

it dls right, but when installer starts runing it just takes up my ram while sitting there doing nothing

Its the windows installing shield thats the problem, i think

But i use the same intalling shield on my other downloads and it works fine

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Well, I had the same problem, with the same version, a the end I just letted it run, took a while, but if you're patient and let it for a few moments without touching the PC, it should go.

Anyway, now that I've got my game installed, I'm go into space