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VUTRAX SOFTWARE ADVICE NOTICE 203 -
(Issue 3 - 10 Dec 2000)
VUTRAX 12.2 - Handling
Installation Problems
Usually VUTRAX installation is trouble free. The
readme.asc file deals with most installation issues.
This note explains things that might go wrong in
abnormal conditions, and what to do.
Installer Indicates an Internal Sumcheck Error
The installer includes a self sumcheck to detect virus
infection or corruption.
- If the installer was downloaded, download it again and
check the size against that listed on the download page
before running it. If this also fails please use a
virus checker on the file.- if the size has changed
then the infection
is on your machine, otherwise please notify us
immediately
- If the installer is on the CD-ROM, you probably have
a problem with your CD drive or disk. There is a
second
copy of the installer in CD directory \floppy you can
try.
Can't Locate the Required Revision or Interface Files
The standard browse selection only finds the
masters of the current issue. Assuming that you
have navigated to the
appropriate folder, select the [File Types] drop down
list and select the required file type, or All
Packed
Installer Locks up Immediately you click [Install]
If you are updating an existing Vutrax system, the
installer may be trying to stop currently running
Vutrax modules,
and something has gone wrong, issues are mismatched, or
similar. All known incidences allow a normal Shutdown
of
Windows (possibly confirming with [End Task]), and the
easiest solution is to restart Windows.
If you normally have Vutrax auto-started, shut down
the started system without using it and close
Vutrax Messenger before the icon disappears on its
own. If this does not fix the problem, use the task
manager
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) to terminate program VtxMsg after
shutting down Vutrax.
Installer can not Open the Next File
The installer automatically looks for the next file in
sequence until the content of the file indicates it is
the end of the
sequence. Possible reasons for not finding it are:-
- You forgot to download it, or the download failed and
it was discarded (depending on your Browser a failed
download will be absent, empty or partly filled).
- The filenames do not take the intended form. e.g. for
Vutrax 12.2 the form is
VTX12_2<letter><optional
description>.<letter><digit><digit>
The first master file would appear as VTX12_2C.M01,
the next VTX12_2C.M02, etc.
For the Windows version, a mix of upper/lower case
letters does not matter.
Normally the correct name will be suggested, but some
browsers are known to offer names modified from
those of the source file, or even what you specify.
e.g. some configurations of Microsoft IE 5 add extra
extensions and sometimes pairs of dots). Make sure your
files match the names specified on the download
pages. If your downloaded names are wrong you can simply
rename them with Windows Explorer to
whatever they are supposed to be.
- You made the floppy disk from the floppy images on
the CD, but forgot to rename the extension to
.<letter>PK.
Sumcheck Error, Media Error, or installer Hangs or
Crashes
Probably a corrupt file is being read.
- If the files were downloaded, note which file it is
currently extracting files from (indicated as 'switching
to ...' in
the scolling list) and download it again. While you are
at it check the sizes of all of the downloaded files
against
the expected sizes quoted along with the file links.
- If installation is from the CD, try again overriding
the automatic master file selection by selecting the
Floppy
directory and selecting the file with extension .m01.
The sequence of files for floppies is more highly
compressed than the single primary file, and includes
more checking (but is also slower so is not normally
the
first choice). Errors in this form are likely to
indicate a problem with your CD Drive.
- The installer was run directly from a floppy disk,
instead of using VTXFLOPY. If you don't have
VTXFLOPY.EXE you can copy VTXSETUP.EXE to anywhere
on the hard drive, and execute it from there.
Installation on International Versions of Windows
Vutrax 12.2 is only available in English, and does not
currently support the directory names assumed for non-English
Speaking counties. This may prevent installation, or hide the
shortcuts created.
The workaround for this and many other installers, some
foreign users create additional English language folders such as
\windows\Desktop and \windows\Start Menu. The
installation places the shortcuts here, and the user can move
them after installation.
After Installation some or all Vutrax Shortcuts are
Missing
This is most likely to occur if you install development
versions of operating systems that subsequent releases can
not
update - i.e. you have to make a 'clean install' of
the new issue. Microsoft may rename the default and
explicit user
names in various ways, and the Vutrax installer finds
the wrong one to update.
In particular, if you install Windows 2000 over a
previous Windows 2000 Beta, you can empty or adjust
\Documents and Settings first so that the
installation can use the natural names.
To simply repair the situation, first discover where the
links have gone using [Start] > [Find] >
[Files or Folders]
and look for "Uninstall Vutrax.lnk"
(including the quotes shown), searching from the root
of the appropriate drive,
and selecting [Include Subdirectories]. This should find
the main program group entry. Note the folder name
(adjusting the table bars to view it if necessary), and
use Windows Explorer to locate that folder. Right
click on the
folder name and select [Copy]. Now Right click on the
[Start] button, select [Explore] and navigate to the
program
folder you want. Now [Paste] the folder where you
want it. From here you can paste or drag individual
items to the
desktop, start menu etc. if you want.
Distribution:
- Internet Site.
- For Customers reporting Installation Problems.
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