Help needed w/Runtime, XP, and "Can't be started…" error

[Tony Ciconte]

We distribute a commercial product as an Acc97 runtime using the Wise
Installation system and Sagekey scripts. Up until a week ago
installations have been rock solid. Recently, however, we have two
Windows XP PCs, with full versions of Office installed, fail to
install the software properly. When the user tries to start the
program they get the following error:

"Can't be started was unable to initialize the Windows Registry rerun
Microsoft Access or Microsoft Office setup to reinstall"

The problem is that the same identical installation CD will work on
one PC in the same office and not another. The policies and
permissions appear to be the same on each PC but we get the "can't be
stared" on one and not the other. Each machine is a Dell, fairly new,
and is configured exactly the same.

We have looked on Google for past items and have seen a few over the
last several years that have had the same problem but there appear to
be no answers posted. If anyone has seen a solution or even a cause of
this problem, we would be grateful for the help.

TC

 

[GVaught]

How was the machine logged on at the time of the install. If the logon was
not an administrator logon or logon hat has permissions to write to the
registry, perhaps this is your problem. This is entirely different than what
permissions the user has in regards to the machine and other network
locations.

If your users have any full version of Access, you should not install the
runtime version at all. You should just install the databases and any other
objects needed with your application. If the users have Office 2000 or above
and you are installing the 97 version afterwards, you most likely need to
uninstall/reinstall the 2000 version in a separate directory than the
location of your 'runtime' version. Also, having said the above you are
begging for trouble with two different versions running.

Note: User has 97 database open and wants to open database in 2000. They
will get an error that tells them they can't open the 2000 database as 97 is
already active and that is what is used to open the 2000 database. Note:
this is if they double click on the database from a shortcut or Explore
window. If they open Access 2000 from the Start menu and then open the 2000
database they will have no problems.

Reverse scenario: User has 2000 database open. Trys to open 97 database. If
it is an mde they will get an prompt to open or convert the database.
Selecting either one will prompt an error message as you can't convert or
generally open an 97 mde with Access 2000 (or at least I haven't been able
too). If it is an mdb that is loaded and they choose 'convert', then your 97
database will get 'Converted' and none of your 97 users will be able to open
the database.

Possible solution: Make sure the database is installed as a split database.
The back-end (tables only) reside on the network server and remains in the
97 version. Each user that has only Access 97 gets only the database (no
runtime files) and users with NO Access version on their database gets the
Access 97 front-end version with the runtime files. The users that have
Office 2000 or above gets a different install with the program as an Access
2000 or whatever database and NO runtime install.