topic Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse in Installation & Licensing Forum

IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:28:35 GMT

I made an install image of IDSP 2018 with no problems.

When I run it, it always hangs on the vb_powerpacks.msi, saying it can't find it in its randomly named "sandbox" folder it makes on my C drive.

Of course, if I hit browse, it looks in the right folder and finds it, and continues no problem to completion.

Why is it getting confused on that sandbox folder?

It happens no matter if you have a b drive as shown below, on my laptop it just uses C drive and has same error.

I would guess the installer is confused because its a suite which has multiple products.

Here is the screenshot when it asks:

I guess I could work around it by installing the power packs 10 first, but that is more complication added to something I will be running on 100 machines remotely.

If anyone says I should just switch to the AEC collections instead, the mere act of typing that will fry your computer instantly, so don't do it.

thx

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

natasha.l — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 23:43:28 GMT

Hello @Anonymous,

This points to an issue on the system these Powerpacks are a part of Visual Studio on the operating system. I would correct this issue on the operating system before creating a product deployment.

Take a look at Microsoft's website for more support on this here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/visual-basic/developing-apps/windows-forms/power-packs-controls

Best of luck.

Please “Accept As Solution” if a reply or replies have helped resolve the issue or answered your question, to help others in the community.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 23:52:35 GMT

@natasha.l

You do realize your install image is trying to install them, don't you?

So your image is not working right.

How do you conclude its someone else's mistake?

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

natasha.l — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 00:22:15 GMT

Hello @Anonymous,

Let me clarify the application has prerequisites components like.NET Framework runtime they must be available on a target computer in order for the application to run. The deployment tools in Visual Studio include the capability to automatically detect the existence of components during installation and install a predetermined set of prerequisites.

So it seems...the Windows Installer is letting you know by producing this message & pointing to the vb_powerpack.msi.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 00:32:10 GMT

@natasha.l

I think you are getting sidetracked.

The issue is the admin image has the needed .msi, but somehow it gets confused where it has copied that locally to the sandbox folder.

All the things you mention cannot be the issue as it got past that.

It knew it needed the .msi, it obviously copied it to some sandbox folder, as I did not copy it there.

It went to run it and simply looked in the wrong place.

Once it was pointed to the right spot, it ran fine, correct version, its all good.

That blows your theories out of the water, why do you conclude what you are saying?

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

natasha.l — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 00:49:53 GMT

Hello @Anonymous,

Thank you for clarifying that it was in the wrong location & letting us know where you were in the process.

I am glad you resolved it by fixing this strange little delay.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 01:06:11 GMT

@natasha.l

We are going in circles, its not fixed.

When I said "pointed to right spot", that is a manual step I have to do during the install.

Its still broke.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

m_latz — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 22:20:31 GMT

What I know is, that if a msi package is already installed and you want to modify it windows installer uses the "SourceList" to find the msi package. If the msi package could there not found you get this dialog. To prevent this, you could modify the "SourceList".

So as @natasha.l said, the origin of the problem is from the 1st installation of the vb_powerpacks.msi.

I do not have access to IDSP 2018 so I'm not sure how vb_powerpacks.msi is called during the installation.

If you could upload a log file or your setup.ini file I could take a look.

If you do not want to upload, you can also send me a private message.

regards

Markus

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 23:18:15 GMT

@m_latz

Thanks, but the error was happening on machines that never saw the vb powerpacks install.

I recreated the admin image and the problem went away (so far).

Its the Hydraflow extensions that need the vb powerpack stuff, not something I am adding to IDSP.

I doubt we will ever use hydraflow here so why I bother keeping it in the install is beyond me.

thx

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

natasha.l — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 23:32:08 GMT

Hello @jmaeding,

Thank you for coming back to let us know the issue was with the admin image. Glad to hear that it seems to be resolved.

We appreciate the follow-up & contribution to the community. Keep posting!

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 14:42:25 GMT

jmaeding , Thanks for this post as it guided me in the direction I needed to find the vb_powerpacks.msi file. Just wish I would have seen this post 9 hrs ago.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 16:24:03 GMT

Interesting.

I only saw the problem happen when using an admin image for the install.

Did you go direct from media, or from an image?

Of course, if from an image, that hangup is a disaster as the whole point of an image is an automated silent install.

I believe if you uncheck the Hydraflow part of the suite, you get around the problem, as that is the feature that needs the powerpack.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 13:50:28 GMT

I downloaded the install and installed locally from the computer. If that helps?

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 16:08:36 GMT

@Anonymous

Please actually read the posts before responding, of course it does not help.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

RodWing — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 19:08:36 GMT

I am having the same type of issue.

Attempting to install Civil 3D 2018 standalone via the AutoDesk Desktop App.

The install fails when attempting to install the VBA PowerPacks. Looking at my list of installed software I can see that it is already installed.

I have Visual Studio 2015 and Visual Studio 2017 installed on my computer.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 19:18:11 GMT

wow, love that Desktop App. It just works so well.

I would recommend getting the media first, then you can separate out desktop app defects from actual install defects.

Adesk has not figured out yet that cloud type hookup adds a layer of problems we users essentially cannot troubleshoot.

My infraworks 360 still won't start correctly and I think its because of the cloud projects it tries to show in my startup page.

What do you wanna bet the guy that could have helped me just got layed off?

Its unresolved of course as my firewall may be involved.

Adesk though it would be nice to add back in layers only the IT dept can troubleshoot, and when they find the problem, decide they can't open the firewall more anyway.

thanks autodesk, hope your stock drops another $20.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

RodWing — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 19:21:05 GMT

A little more info on my situation....

I have an installation of Civil 3D 2016.

When I attempt to install Civil 3D 2018 I turn off all of the installation of all Sub-Components as well as Autodesk Seek, Migrate Custom Settings, and Hydraflow Extensions.

During the install it tells me that VB PowerPacks has failed to download, Unknown Error.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

RodWing — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:43:58 GMT

I've tried everything I can think of on my end to try to get around this. No luck.

- Changed the install options so that only the base Civil 3D package would be installed

> no change

- Removed my current install of the VB Power Packs

> no change

- Removed install of Civil 3D 2016

> no change

- Reinstalled VB Power Packs

> no change

I should add that after every attempt I rebooted my computer.

One question I have after multiple attempts at the installation.....

If the required DirectX and VB Power Packs versions are already installed on my computer, why is the Civil 3D installation process trying to download and install them again?

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:51:03 GMT

You are doing the right things, but will likely not solve it if using desktop app.

Part of the deal is you don't know if the desktop app is simply not downloading the powerpack msi (most likely answer I think), or if it does not know its supposed to, then the install itself says it needs it, or some other issue.

If you can get the msi, it might let you browse to it during install by hand, I was able to.

That thrashes any kind of silent install hopes, so is not helpful to me.

I can probably grab that msi from a machine here if you need.

Re: IDSP 2018 vb_powerpacks.msi always not found until I say browse

JamesMaeding — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 17:22:44 GMT

This weekend my IT dept tested my new admin image on 30 machines, and many failed.

I went and did one and saw that darn powerpack message again, and browsed it by hand and it worked.

I noticed the long randomly named folder where the install put it was on the B drive.

I think I might have missed that pattern before, for a few reasons.

I don't know what controls where windows puts those temp long named folders but since autodesk is not likely going to fix its 2018 install, that might be the thing to look at. I'll check with my IT dept again on that B drive pattern.

In addition, I need to look at the admin image ini file to see if I can strip out the powerpack install, and install it myself.