Guest Skip Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 There's an application that I'm trying to install that uses the .msi installer. I'm using Windows XP Pro. A consistent error the application's installer reports is: "A later version of 'Bluetooth Software' is already installed on this machine. The setup cannot continue." Then the installer aborts the setup. The manufacturer has told me "We don't know, reinstall Windows". Which to me indicates they don't realize it's from the installer, not their software. It seems obvious to me that the version information would be installed in a registry key. The problem is that I have no idea how to track down the key that it would be located in. Can anyone tell me how to track down the key the installer would look in for the version number for this application? Any help appreciated! -- Skip
Guest Ghostrider Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: Windows Installer question Skip wrote: > There's an application that I'm trying to install that uses the .msi > installer. I'm using Windows XP Pro. > > A consistent error the application's installer reports is: > > "A later version of 'Bluetooth Software' is already installed on this > machine. The setup cannot continue." > > Then the installer aborts the setup. > > The manufacturer has told me "We don't know, reinstall Windows". Which to me > indicates they don't realize it's from the installer, not their software. > > It seems obvious to me that the version information would be installed in a > registry key. The problem is that I have no idea how to track down the key > that it would be located in. > > Can anyone tell me how to track down the key the installer would look in for > the version number for this application? > > Any help appreciated! Yes, the information is in the Registry, and probably in several different places as well as redundantly. What one might realistically try to do is to go into the Add/Remove applet and uninstall the "Bluetooth Software" before installing this particular application. BTW, what is it and why is it trying to re-install Bluetooth if it is already in the computer? If this is the case, there might be an optional or custom install route that bypasses this step in the setup of this particular application.
Guest Skip Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: Windows Installer question Hello, The original problem happened because I was foolish enough to run a "registry cleaner". That's not going to happen again. I uninstalled with the Add/Remove applet as well as the Anycom manual removal instructions. The application software is from Anycom for a USB dongle. How does one track where the installer is looking for the version number? -- Skip "Ghostrider" wrote: > > Skip wrote: > > > There's an application that I'm trying to install that uses the .msi > > installer. I'm using Windows XP Pro. > > > > A consistent error the application's installer reports is: > > > > "A later version of 'Bluetooth Software' is already installed on this > > machine. The setup cannot continue." > > > > Then the installer aborts the setup. > > > > The manufacturer has told me "We don't know, reinstall Windows". Which to me > > indicates they don't realize it's from the installer, not their software. > > > > It seems obvious to me that the version information would be installed in a > > registry key. The problem is that I have no idea how to track down the key > > that it would be located in. > > > > Can anyone tell me how to track down the key the installer would look in for > > the version number for this application? > > > > Any help appreciated! > > Yes, the information is in the Registry, and probably in several different > places as well as redundantly. What one might realistically try to do is > to go into the Add/Remove applet and uninstall the "Bluetooth Software" > before installing this particular application. BTW, what is it and why is > it trying to re-install Bluetooth if it is already in the computer? If > this is the case, there might be an optional or custom install route > that bypasses this step in the setup of this particular application. > >
Guest teh XKnight Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 RE: Windows Installer question There isn't any software that I'm aware of that can track changes to the registry for you, although I admit that I haven't looked for one. I know that you can track for programs asking for permission to modify the registry but I'm not sure if you can know exactly what. I haven't messed with the code side of acessing the registry much as there's usually little need from the program side. However, regedit has a search tool built in. Search for the name of the driver, the name of teh company making the driver, do some research into the driver via the device manager and search for that. Heck, search for the version code. I agree that removing the software from the Add/Remove programs would more than likely fix the registry problem. I would also manually look in HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/"name of folder in Program Files" as thats usually the first place that people store info on their programs. And I had a similar experience with a registry cleaner a few years back. Fortunately I actually made a backup for once (because the registry scared me), but I only manually edit the registry now and use backups when I do so. As for it acutally being in the registry, version info can be stored directly into the exe file using XML parsing files at compile time and this can be easily accessed in the properties pane and through software. It doesn't have to be in the registry. "Skip" wrote: > There's an application that I'm trying to install that uses the .msi > installer. I'm using Windows XP Pro. > > A consistent error the application's installer reports is: > > "A later version of 'Bluetooth Software' is already installed on this > machine. The setup cannot continue." > > Then the installer aborts the setup. > > The manufacturer has told me "We don't know, reinstall Windows". Which to me > indicates they don't realize it's from the installer, not their software. > > It seems obvious to me that the version information would be installed in a > registry key. The problem is that I have no idea how to track down the key > that it would be located in. > > Can anyone tell me how to track down the key the installer would look in for > the version number for this application? > > Any help appreciated! > -- > Skip
Guest Gary S. Terhune Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Re: Windows Installer question There are lots of apps that track changes to the Registry and the file system. I use RegSnap. But I don't think anything except the programmer who wrote it (or someone who looks into its guts) is going to know where the app is looking for this or that. OP should ask that question, specifically, of the manufacturer. If the manufacturer doesn't help, I'd dump the damned thing altogether and tell the manufacturer that not only do I think their support sucks, but I'm going to tell a lot of people about it, starting with this newsgroup. -- Gary S. Terhune MS-MVP Shell/User http://www.grystmill.com "teh XKnight" <tehXKnight@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:BA07116B-2F36-4A25-9CF2-F3314B141388@microsoft.com... > There isn't any software that I'm aware of that can track changes to the > registry for you, although I admit that I haven't looked for one. I know > that > you can track for programs asking for permission to modify the registry > but > I'm not sure if you can know exactly what. I haven't messed with the code > side of acessing the registry much as there's usually little need from the > program side. > > However, regedit has a search tool built in. Search for the name of the > driver, the name of teh company making the driver, do some research into > the > driver via the device manager and search for that. Heck, search for the > version code. I agree that removing the software from the Add/Remove > programs > would more than likely fix the registry problem. I would also manually > look > in HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/"name of folder in Program Files" as thats > usually the first place that people store info on their programs. > > And I had a similar experience with a registry cleaner a few years back. > Fortunately I actually made a backup for once (because the registry scared > me), but I only manually edit the registry now and use backups when I do > so. > > As for it acutally being in the registry, version info can be stored > directly into the exe file using XML parsing files at compile time and > this > can be easily accessed in the properties pane and through software. It > doesn't have to be in the registry. > > "Skip" wrote: > >> There's an application that I'm trying to install that uses the .msi >> installer. I'm using Windows XP Pro. >> >> A consistent error the application's installer reports is: >> >> "A later version of 'Bluetooth Software' is already installed on this >> machine. The setup cannot continue." >> >> Then the installer aborts the setup. >> >> The manufacturer has told me "We don't know, reinstall Windows". Which to >> me >> indicates they don't realize it's from the installer, not their software. >> >> It seems obvious to me that the version information would be installed in >> a >> registry key. The problem is that I have no idea how to track down the >> key >> that it would be located in. >> >> Can anyone tell me how to track down the key the installer would look in >> for >> the version number for this application? >> >> Any help appreciated! >> -- >> Skip
Guest Skip Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 RE: Windows Installer question I know it's a tad odd to answer your own question, but I've solved the problem. What I wanted to do was to be able to reinstall the software, which was being thwarted by the version check. I stumbled onto the ability to install the .msi directly via right click in Windows Explorer. When I did this, it seemed to ignore any version problem and installed without difficulty. It's all working now, but I have no intention of telling the manufacturer anything except that it's working without their help. Their support is certainly less than I care for in the future! It would have been near impossible to put in another Bluetooth dongle unless it used something besides Widcom or Broadcom based software. I'll look into Regsnap and see what that's like just in case I need it one day! Thank you all for all your help, it got me to thinking! -- Skip "Skip" wrote: > There's an application that I'm trying to install that uses the .msi > installer. I'm using Windows XP Pro. > > A consistent error the application's installer reports is: > > "A later version of 'Bluetooth Software' is already installed on this > machine. The setup cannot continue." > > Then the installer aborts the setup. > > The manufacturer has told me "We don't know, reinstall Windows". Which to me > indicates they don't realize it's from the installer, not their software. > > It seems obvious to me that the version information would be installed in a > registry key. The problem is that I have no idea how to track down the key > that it would be located in. > > Can anyone tell me how to track down the key the installer would look in for > the version number for this application? > > Any help appreciated! > -- > Skip
Guest Gary S. Terhune Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Re: Windows Installer question Good on ya. Glad you solved it. In fact, I'll try to remember it, though I suspect I won't. Rampant CRS, dontcha know. -- Gary S. Terhune MS-MVP Shell/User http://www.grystmill.com "Skip" <Skip@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:CD73EAD1-9392-4964-B2AE-7E0041CFFAA0@microsoft.com... >I know it's a tad odd to answer your own question, but I've solved the > problem. > > What I wanted to do was to be able to reinstall the software, which was > being thwarted by the version check. > > I stumbled onto the ability to install the .msi directly via right click > in > Windows Explorer. When I did this, it seemed to ignore any version > problem > and installed without difficulty. > > It's all working now, but I have no intention of telling the manufacturer > anything except that it's working without their help. Their support is > certainly less than I care for in the future! It would have been near > impossible to put in another Bluetooth dongle unless it used something > besides Widcom or Broadcom based software. > > I'll look into Regsnap and see what that's like just in case I need it one > day! > > Thank you all for all your help, it got me to thinking! > -- > Skip > > > "Skip" wrote: > >> There's an application that I'm trying to install that uses the .msi >> installer. I'm using Windows XP Pro. >> >> A consistent error the application's installer reports is: >> >> "A later version of 'Bluetooth Software' is already installed on this >> machine. The setup cannot continue." >> >> Then the installer aborts the setup. >> >> The manufacturer has told me "We don't know, reinstall Windows". Which to >> me >> indicates they don't realize it's from the installer, not their software. >> >> It seems obvious to me that the version information would be installed in >> a >> registry key. The problem is that I have no idea how to track down the >> key >> that it would be located in. >> >> Can anyone tell me how to track down the key the installer would look in >> for >> the version number for this application? >> >> Any help appreciated! >> -- >> Skip
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