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  • Stupid Installer...Stupidities

    Yey! It's the weekend, and I'm bored.

    For those of you who have had the dubious pleasure of doing installs for various kinds of hardware and software, which ones stand out to you as the most idiotic, pointlessly complicated, glitched-up-to-all-hell, etc etc etc? Feel free to post even if you have not been stuck with the role of "the one who knows how them thar winders thingy work", and have simply faced frustration with one of these wonderfully "simple" things that are supposed to make our lives sooooo easy...



    The one that stands out for me was of the glitchy variety.

    When I used to work for an accounting firm, doing training/installs/support for "rapid tomes" and "fuzzy pink arbor" software (the latter has since had its name changed to something other than parsley, rosemary, or thyme), we had issues with one specific year's release of "RapidTomes". I wanna say it was the 2006 edition.

    Ya see, in order for certain of its functions to work properly, it relied upon Flash (mainly for tutorials); most or all of these functions were optional. As such, the people who designed the default Installer wisely chose to have it check for the presence of the proper version of Flash before proceeding with the install. They also used what I believe was a Flash-based frontend for said installer, just for good measure (there was a pure Windows API-type installer buried on the CD's as well, but it was harder to use for laymen).

    Now, when you have such a thing, you normally have it check for "Version X.XX of Flash or later"....right? Not in this case! This particular installer set checked for one very specific version of Flash, and would accept nothing older, and nothing newer. AT ALL. This meant that, if the comp had a later version of Flash on there, we had to temporarily downgrade it to that specific Flash version (I carried it with me for all installs), do the install, then update Flash, as the program itself didn't actually give a damn about it, only the installer was FUBAR. Aternatively, as we learned later on down the line, we could also use the WAPI installer, as it was designed to kick in AFTER the compatibility checks had already been done, so we saved it for a last resort.
    "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
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  • #2
    About a year or so ago, I was doing some work on a server for a business. They ran a program that they said was written especially for them. That must have been true because I couldn't find anything about the program when I searched Google.

    The screenshots in the manual made it look like a bastardization of Microsoft Money 2003 and some offbeat version of Quickbooks. Their server had bought the farm in a spectacular way, so it was my job to repair the server and reinstall the software. Little did I know that this would be the Installer From Hell.

    First, I inserted the main install disc into the DVD drive. Things seemed to be going well for a while. Then it wanted me to insert Disc 2. Normal enough, until I inserted Disc 2 and it popped up a dialog box telling me to reinsert Disc 1. I put Disc 1 back in the tray, and it asked me for Disc 4. (What, no Disc 3?) Put in Disc 4, and it asked me for Disc 2 again.

    Luckily I had the phone number for the business owner on speed dial. It was an interesting conversation. Apparently he hated that software with a passion because it was, and I quote, "a poorly-written piece of monkey shit," that he'd spent years "fumble-dicking" with until he was ready to throw the whole package into a stockpile of high explosives. I'd imagine his day was usually something like this:

    Long story short, that software got retired pretty quick. They're happily running a very popular piece of software to replace the monstrosity they were using, and it seems to work extremely well on their aging hardware.

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    • #3
      Just this past week in fact. I had ordered a 3TB external hard drive for backup and a USB3.0 controller card to get the most performance out of it. The drive works wonderfully, the card...

      To start off with, it's a PCI Express x1 card so it was a simple plug in and install drivers. I proceed to do so and Windows 7 freaks out when I start it up. Trying the repair function on the install disk and that failed. Cue three hours reinstalling the OS and several more getting it back up into operation. With the card hooked up.

      Once everything is settled and I get the drivers installed for the card I check the card status in the device manager. Error on the info. Wonderful. Check the info it says it's a code 10 error. check the database and it says it's a driver issue. Perfect. Hunt down updated drivers (which are damn near impossible for this card) and install those. No dice. Check the hardware connections and connect another power lead into it. Success! Yay! I plug my HDD into the USB and start the backup procedures.

      And two days later the same issue pops up. Damn it. Try a different set of power leads and it works again! Back to backing up. (bear in mind this is several years of data, it's taking a while) Two more days and it drops again. Goddamn it! Try another lead in the same group and back up and running. I tell myself that if it drops again I'm going to say "eff it" and send it back. Defective or not it's a pain in the ass.

      Which brings us to Friday evening when it dropped for the final time. Out it came and I got the RMA approved for the refund. It is now sitting in a box waiting for Monday so I can send it back. The Hard drive is presently plugged into a v2.2 port which is getting me half the speed the 3.0 as getting me. The backups are taking a little longer but at least it works.
      I AM the evil bastard!
      A+ Certified IT Technician

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      • #4
        Quoth lordlundar View Post
        Which brings us to Friday evening when it dropped for the final time. Out it came and I got the RMA approved for the refund. It is now sitting in a box waiting for Monday so I can send it back. The Hard drive is presently plugged into a v2.2 port which is getting me half the speed the 3.0 as getting me. The backups are taking a little longer but at least it works.
        Can't recall the exact quote, but "Guns of the South" by Harry Turtledove had one character saying something along the lines of a rifle that could fire 3 rounds a minute was better than one that couldn't fire 300 rounds a minute.
        Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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        • #5
          Similar to the Flash version problem, I have four Puzz 3D computer games that require a specific older version of Quicktime. To play them I had to delete the current version of Quicktime, then install the antiquated version of Quicktime provided on the game CDs. After finishing the games, I reinstalled the up-to-date version of Quicktime.
          "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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          • #6
            Quoth lordlundar View Post
            Just this past week in fact. I had ordered a 3TB external hard drive for backup and a USB3.0 controller card to get the most performance out of it. The drive works wonderfully, the card...
            One thing about USB controller cards: Sometimes they have trouble pulling enough power off the system bus to run the peripherals that are connected to them. Most cards I've played with have a header connector on them designed to plug into the smaller 4-pin power connectors used for hard drives and such - but very often, it's undocumented or very lightly covered in the info that comes with the card. Connecting this up may make the power handling to your external drive more solid.

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            • #7
              Quoth TheSHAD0W View Post
              One thing about USB controller cards: Sometimes they have trouble pulling enough power off the system bus to run the peripherals that are connected to them. Most cards I've played with have a header connector on them designed to plug into the smaller 4-pin power connectors used for hard drives and such - but very often, it's undocumented or very lightly covered in the info that comes with the card. Connecting this up may make the power handling to your external drive more solid.
              The one I had (yes had, it's on the way back) had a connector for a SATA power lead and I did have it connected. Every time it went out I would switch it the SATA power lead and it would work for a while. I got sick of constantly doing that though.
              I AM the evil bastard!
              A+ Certified IT Technician

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              • #8
                Quoth lordlundar View Post
                To start off with, it's a PCI Express x1 card so it was a simple plug in and install drivers. I proceed to do so and Windows 7 freaks out when I start it up.
                Which chipset is on the card (you can see that from the Device Manager when you install the drivers). I've had bad experiences with everything but NEC/Renesas, though sometimes it helps if you upgrade the firmware and drivers (the drivers you get on CD are almost always out-of-date - look at station-drivers for the newest ones).
                If you decide to replace the card, just order something with Renesas uPD720201 (2-port) or uPD720202 (4-port) chipset. You can find them on eBay if you search for D720201 or D720202, prices are $10-$15 with postage.
                Quoth TheSHAD0W View Post
                One thing about USB controller cards: Sometimes they have trouble pulling enough power off the system bus to run the peripherals that are connected to them.
                USB3 cards won't work without external power header at all - the system will detect them, but devices connected to them won't appear.

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                • #9
                  Quoth ender View Post
                  Which chipset is on the card.
                  It was a Renesas chipset.

                  Moot point under any event. The card is back and refund was processed. I looked if any local shops had a card for a decent price to see if it was just a faulty card but when those struck out I just said "screw it" and stuck with the 2.2 I have. Apart from the wind up time on the drive it handles fairly well.
                  I AM the evil bastard!
                  A+ Certified IT Technician

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post
                    Similar to the Flash version problem, I have four Puzz 3D computer games that require a specific older version of Quicktime. To play them I had to delete the current version of Quicktime, then install the antiquated version of Quicktime provided on the game CDs. After finishing the games, I reinstalled the up-to-date version of Quicktime.
                    Good old quicktime. I've sure I have a couple of titles in my own collection with this same issue. I'm guessing that it's probably a game originally designed for Windows 3.1 or the first few years of Windows 95. (or maybe the company just never got better at programming...) It seems like there were a whole bunch of games and applications (though mostly games) relying on quicktime around that era. And it's actually easier to install some of this stuff through emulation and sandboxing (even WINE) than the proper "windows compatible" way.

                    Speaking of quicktime, for a whole bunch of versions, apple used installers that didn't do a version check at all and would install it's specific version over a new version. It got quite annoying when these older quicktime installs were part of a larger installer package that gave no indication it was going to install it. Again, games seem to be the worst offenders. I specifically remember Sierra games for some reason too...
                    Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart!

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                    • #11
                      Quoth MrSmiley View Post
                      Good old quicktime. I've sure I have a couple of titles in my own collection with this same issue. I'm guessing that it's probably a game originally designed for Windows 3.1 or the first few years of Windows 95. (or maybe the company just never got better at programming...) It seems like there were a whole bunch of games and applications (though mostly games) relying on quicktime around that era. And it's actually easier to install some of this stuff through emulation and sandboxing (even WINE) than the proper "windows compatible" way.

                      Speaking of quicktime, for a whole bunch of versions, apple used installers that didn't do a version check at all and would install it's specific version over a new version. It got quite annoying when these older quicktime installs were part of a larger installer package that gave no indication it was going to install it. Again, games seem to be the worst offenders. I specifically remember Sierra games for some reason too...
                      Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post
                      Similar to the Flash version problem, I have four Puzz 3D computer games that require a specific older version of Quicktime. To play them I had to delete the current version of Quicktime, then install the antiquated version of Quicktime provided on the game CDs. After finishing the games, I reinstalled the up-to-date version of Quicktime.
                      Been there! While back, I tried putting a few older games on my PC, only to be stymied by the installer complaining that I didn't have DirectX 2 installed, and refusing to go further. While it was technically correct, I had DirectX *9*....
                      Cheap, fast, good. Pick two.
                      They want us to read minds, I want read/write.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Ceir View Post
                        Been there! While back, I tried putting a few older games on my PC, only to be stymied by the installer complaining that I didn't have DirectX 2 installed, and refusing to go further. While it was technically correct, I had DirectX *9*....
                        Had that happen to me a couple of times. I back around 2006 I bought one of those fish tank simulation programs. It kept insisting that I have DirectX Vwhatever installed when I had DirectX Vwhatever+2 installed.

                        I e-mailed the companies tech support and they sent back some form letter e-mail stating how great their program was and how fun it was but never answering my question about how their program was dependant on DirectX Vwhatever.
                        I'm lost without a paddle and headed up SH*T creek.
                        -- Life Sucks Then You Die.


                        "I'll believe corp. are people when Texas executes one."

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                        • #13
                          Quite a few years ago, I had a K6-3 450 mhz based gaming machine. Found my old Hexen 2 cd that I'd lost track of some time before, decided what the heck, let's install on this machine, it's been a few years since I last played it.

                          That misbegotten thing decided I didn't have at least a 90 mhz cpu, somehow...

                          (When it comes to Hexen and Doom, Doomsday really fixes a surprising number of issues, even now.)
                          "English is the result of Norman men-at-arms attempting to pick up Saxon barmaids and is no more legitimate than any of the other results."
                          - H. Beam Piper

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                          • #14
                            If your clock speed is over 2GHz, then that's actually quite understandable. Somewhere around 2 billion, a 32-bit signed integer wraps around to *minus* 2 billion...

                            OTOH, mistaking a 450MHz machine for under 90MHz s a bit less understandable. It's only a 5-fold increase, after all.

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                            • #15
                              Quoth Chromatix View Post
                              If your clock speed is over 2GHz, then that's actually quite understandable. Somewhere around 2 billion, a 32-bit signed integer wraps around to *minus* 2 billion...

                              OTOH, mistaking a 450MHz machine for under 90MHz s a bit less understandable. It's only a 5-fold increase, after all.
                              Then you get to try playing old sierra adventure games without a timing limiter in place. Hit something timed and it's over before you could even think to blink.

                              It's a major reason why's there an official website with special installers for newer systems.
                              I AM the evil bastard!
                              A+ Certified IT Technician

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