How to workaround install problems with MSN Remote Record on Windows Vista x64

Vista x64 Fix for IE7 User Agent String

Robert McLaws: Windows Vista Edition — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:27:59 GMT

If you're a Media Center buff, than Aaron Stebner's blog is a good one to have in your blogroll. Today

Vista x64 Fix for IE7 User Agent String

VistaJuice — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:36:37 GMT

Straight from Windows-Now.com: If you're a Media Center buff, than Aaron Stebner's blog is a good one to have in your blogroll. Today he posted about the MSN Remote Record service, and the issues it has installing on Windows Vista...

re: How to workaround install problems with MSN Remote Record on Windows Vista x64

Heath Stewart — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 01:59:00 GMT

If ClientServiceInitHelper.exe was 32-bit it would be redirected to the WOW6432Node. I suspect it is with one 32-bit MSI available. So why would it even check the 64-bit hive in the first place?

Or is this a managed CA (EXE CAs are bad enough; managed are worse) not targeting a specific archicture, hence running in the 64-bit CA remote server?

re: How to workaround install problems with MSN Remote Record on Windows Vista x64

astebner — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 02:05:47 GMT

Hi Heath - I'm still not clear exactly how that is happening. It is a managed code EXE CA, so I was originally thinking that your last statement was the cause. However, when I ran the setup with verbose logging enabled, the MSI log stated that it was starting a 32-bit custom action server, and when I looked at the list of processes, it appeared to be running in a 32-bit instance of msiexec.exe. I'm trying to get more information from the Remote Record team about the exact root cause of this issue....

re: How to workaround install problems with MSN Remote Record on Windows Vista x64

sbone99 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:16:49 GMT

It's been a while since I posted on my own blog, but, yes, exe custom actions are very poor. I'll have to check to see if I posted some example code that can write to the MSI install log from a CA, and if not dig it out and post it.

This particular custom action exe writes to the system event log the exception details that would lead to 'easy' resolution. I would normally not look there when troubleshooting an install issue.

Heath - If you have some time to blog, it would be great to see some x64 info. I was quite surprised at the differences.

re: How to workaround install problems with MSN Remote Record on Windows Vista x64

astebner — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:34:33 GMT

Hi Sbone99 - Heath has posted some information on his blog already about x64 installation issues. Check out his x64 tag section at http://blogs.msdn.com/heaths/archive/tags/64-bit/default.aspx for additional info.

re: How to workaround install problems with MSN Remote Record on Windows Vista x64

Heath Stewart — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:41:28 GMT

The 64-bit EXE CA wouldn't be affected by a 32-bit msiexec.exe remoting CA server. I believe something else is going on here.