If you are about to install update #1 for Delphi XE2, the first thing you will need to do is uninstall your current version. But beware – the uninstaller doesn’t tell you something quite important.
When uninstalling a folder in the XE2 Program Files area (“InstallAware”) cannot be deleted, presumably because it contains the installer files that the uninstaller needs/is using. So this folder is instead marked for deletion at shutdown/restart.
Consequently, if you attempt to run the XE2 Update #1 installer and install into the same location, you will get a cryptic “Permission Denied” error when it tries to create/write into this folder.
This had me chasing all sorts of file, folder, user, administrator, elevation issues – all in vain. When all that was needed was to shutdown and restart before attempting the new install.
The most annoying thing is that error occurs someway into the installation process.
Very frustrating.
imho the uninstall should tell you that a restart is needed to complete the uninstall. Failing that, the installer should tell you – at the start – that a previous uninstall is still in progress and that the installer cannot proceed until you have restarted.
I am sure I have seen other product installers do this and hopefully it is something that the bundled InstallAware product will allow us to incorporate in our own installers should it be necessary, and Embarcadero simply forget to utilise the feature in their own installer.
Disclaimer: This has happened to me twice in two different VMs – once when uninstalling the trial version to install the full version (which I put down to bad luck/some screw up on my part) and now again when installing update #1 (yeah, yeah: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… I shoulda known better!) 🙂
On both occasions running the installer elevated AND in an admin user account. So whilst this may not be a universal problem it seems common enough that others may encounter it, but I do not have any other concrete examples of other users having the same trouble. Yet.
Yeah, we know, the Delphi installer sucks. 😛 Thanks for the heads-up on this specific issue, though.
I really wish Embarcadero would just switch to a better installer. That would save a lot of users a lot of hassle…
It bugged me too. I’ve managed to install Delphi XE2 on Win7x86 under built-in Administrator login but not under the user with administrative privileges. Thanks for this article, it saved me some time and nerves 🙂
I never noticed that?
I have done the same steps, more or less.
Uninstalled trial, installed XE2, uninstalled XE2, installed XE2 update 1.
And don’t remember restarting the VM between uninstall – install.
Running Vista in the VM and have XE2 Professional.
Is it just me that have restarted and then promptly forgot about it or is it something else?
@Peter : I did wonder if it might be something particular to my setup (hence the disclaimer) :
Also XE2 Pro, but maybe the different OS ? I am running 64-bit Windows 7 in Parallels.
In my case, uninstalled Delphi XE 2 Pro then reinstalled Delphi XE 2 Pro Update 1 on exactly the same location without any issues, no reboots. Win7 x64.
I have never had this issue when uninstalling and (re)installing Delphi’s XE 2 betas/RTM either.
@lifepower… Very strange. I wonder… I was installing from iso image, could that be a factor ?
Also, was “the same location” somewhere other than the default (Program Files[ (x86)]\…) ?
There are so many variables that could be in play here that it perhaps isn’t surprising that some edge case slipped through whatever testing the install/uninstall cycle was put through.