Software Deployment

As ever, run the MSI with verbose logging. This will give you rather more information than the simple 'Fatal error during installation' message

I am deploying through group policy computer only, there is no way to run verbose logging?

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
"Logging"="voicewarmup"

...is alll you need. Remember to turn it off once you're done, otherwise %SystemRoot%\Temp (where GP dumps its logs) gets pretty full, pretty quickly.

this is the log file it produced,

=== Verbose logging started: 12/10/2007 14:01:40 Build type: SHIP UNICODE 3.01.4000.4039 Calling process: \??\C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe ===
MSI (c) (F0:BC) [14:01:40:185]: User policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
MSI (c) (F0:BC) [14:01:40:185]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
1: 2905 2: C:\WINDOWS\system32\appmgmt\MACHINE\{7e1c719f-2dbf-4271-bbef-39a9b6a37698}.aas
MSI (c) (F0:BC) [14:01:40:195]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Rollback\Scripts 3: 2
MSI (c) (F0:BC) [14:01:40:195]: DoAdvertiseScript is returning: 1603
=== Verbose logging stopped: 12/10/2007 14:01:40 ===

Hi Dan,
Look up the Error Codes here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa372835.aspx
The problem for a GPO install is the empty 'AdvtExecuteSequence' table.
This seems to be a MS thing, as several MSI's from the inventor of Windows Installer lack this table....
To populate this table, see: http://itninja.com/link/appdeploy->-package-knowledgebase->-msn-messenger
Notes: Step 2.
Regards, Nick

this is the log file it producedThat's the advertising script (the .AAS file which you can see if you browse the AD using ADSIEdit or similar), not the installation log. If there's no other log with the MSI name in it, it's most likely that the policy wasn't applied.

Hi folks,
@Ian: IMHO, that's not the advertising script, but the log file of the try to add this MSI to a GPO.
@Dan: Am i right in the assumption, that this log came from the machine, with which you tried to add this MSI to the policy?
Regards, Nick

sorry it took a while to get back to this, other projects took priority.
I am attempting to install this on a clean virtual xp machine. the policy is applying to only that machine. I followed vbscabs instructions above to enable logging and deleted all the logs in the %systemroot%temp folder before restarting to apply the policy. there were 4 or 5 logs identical to the one i posted. Am I just all messed up here and should have enabled logging on the DC that is pushing policy?

Nick,

I think Ian is correct in his assumption.
When you assign a package through GPO per-machine there will be at lease two logs.
First the one when the Group Policy is advertising the package and another one were the package is actually installed.
The log part posted by DangIt seems to be the first.

If the AdvtExecuteSequence table wasn't included in the package from the first place the package wouldn't be able to be added to the GPO. This table is one of the requirements for being able to add a package to a GPO.

DangIt,

You do not need to enable logging on the DC.
For more info regarding logging for Group Policy have a look at: http://207.46.196.114/windowsserver/en/library/0907105e-7856-4c93-b97f-a9a306623af51033.mspx?mfr=true

Try doing a validation on the package and see if that gives you any hints on why it may fail through GPO deployment.

Hi folks,
don't know which distro of S/MIME v6.5.7651.60 you have, but the one i was looking at,
had definitely not a single line in the advertising table.
So this would be the first thing to check for Dan.
Did never test my self, if it is possible to add a package with an empty advertising table to a GPO.
Regards, Nick

First, thanks all for the help. I got it working today by importing an advtExecuteSequence table from the sequence.msi that comes with microsoft sdk. Had to use orca to do this as wininstall pro would not. vbscab was right on the money.

Thanks Again

Hi Dan,
glad to hear it worked out.
One final question: Could you really import the package into the GPO with the empty 'AdvtExecuteSequence' table?
Regards, Nick

Yes, it imported fine. The log file I posted earlier is from the workstation trying to install it through gp.