Crystal Reports for .NET Framework 2.0 (x86) MSI hang on Windows 7 ... maybe

[Former Member]

We have noticed a small percentage of installs of the Crystal Reports for .NET Framework 2.0 (x86) 10.2.0, found http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-27942, will appear to hang when starting the MSI installation (i.e. after all the user input prompts).  This only occurs for one of our large corporate clients and only on a small number of Windows 7 32 bit machines.  In some cases the machines are freshly imaged and in others they are machines that have been in use by the user for a number of weeks.

In all other cases the installer runs zip, zip, zip, complete in a matter of 30 to 60 seconds.

Today we were lucky enough to work with a Sysadmin who had the patience to let the installer sit until it either returned an error or completed.  We were curious and hadn't found any other reason why the condition would exist.  Sure enough after about 20 minutes the installer made a jump from almost no progress on the progress bar to about 40% on the progress bar.  However, it appeared hung there now as well.  The sysadmin was patient and let it run another 20 minutes.  Sure enough at about 19 minutes the installer continued installing, zip, zip, zip, complete.

Odd.  We tested to make sure the crystal runtime when executed actually worked and it did.

Having not seen this behavior prior to the last 3 or so months and seeing the condition only occur on a select few machines for a specific customer .....

What in the world could be happening during this time when the installer appears hung (maybe it isn't hung after all)?

[former_member11696 · Accepted solution]

Hi Dev,

Possibly your AV software is scanning your complete install folder? I've seen that happen before.

Go to MS's site and search on how to enable MSIExec logging. See if the logs show you what is happening when it hangs for the 20 minutes.

Try right clicking on the setup.exe and select Run As Administrator.... maybe a Profile issue also. If you can try deleting that users Profile and re-creating it, it will remove all of their info so they may want to back it up first.

If you are installing any Java components that can take time also, CR does use the JRE for parameter prompts, possibly search the install log for java install also.

Don

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks.  I've been saying it smells of antivirus interference but haven't been able to prove that.  Typically they have a copy of the MSI on the desktop that they are running.

MSI logging.  I was fixated on a hung scenario.  Should have thought to do that.  Thanks.  If the environment wasn't so security sensitive I'd say sysinternals procmon was in order.

Profiles have been known to be corrupted at this corporation.  Will keep that thought in mind on the next one.

[former_member11696 · Accepted solution]

Yes AV logging and logs can be a pain to find and decode when found... I've never had any luck finding them either on my home PC. I just disconnect from the network, disable AV ( hopefully, with some you can never be sure if they truely do stop running ) and then install.

Procmon would be a good tool also if you can... Is the CPU maxed out or even busy during those 20 minutes? If not then it could be some timeout issue, not sure what but 20 minutes is the default Web setting in IIS and Tomcat and your Browsers session. Of course likely a lot of othet things also.

May DEP is getting in the way also, or if they are using MS's local firewall it could be also. It likely is security permissions of some sort but without info on which AV they are using I can't suggest, maybe it's help file might tell you what and where to look for.

Try disconnecting and least then if it is trying to authenticate to something it should typically time out after a minute.

Good luck.

Don