Trouble
report 494
Installed application doesn't run,
can't uninstall, "Could not open INSTALL.LOG"
Versions affected
3.0-3.4, 4.0
Description of the problem
This problem occurs only on some computer systems. The following
describes the problem behavior:
"I installed the software and then tried to run it using the commands
in the Windows Start Menu. Nothing at all happens when I select any
of The Panorama Factory entries in the Start Menu, including the uninstall
item. When I try to remove the software using the Add or Remove
Programs item in the Windows Control Panel, it displays the message "Could
not open INSTALL.LOG file."
What causes the problem
Please note that this problem affects only the small number of
systems on which 8.3 filenames have been disabled. The problem
occurs only if someone has explicitly disabled this option on your system.
This option is normally enabled when Windows is installed.
This problem occurs when creation of 8.3 filenames is disabled on your
computer system. Although The Panorama Factory does not require 8.3
filenames, the software is installed by Wise Installation System which
does require them. If 8.3 filenames are disabled when The Panorama
Factory is installed, the Start Menu entries and the Control Panel
uninstall entry are created incorrectly and will not work properly.
Background information
8.3 filenames are a legacy feature of Windows from the days of DOS.
An 8.3 filename has up to 8 letters or numbers, a period, and up to 3 more
letters or numbers.
Windows supports long file names up to 255 characters in length.
Windows also generates an MS-DOS-compatible (short) file name in 8.3
format to allow MS-DOS-based or 16-bit Windows-based programs to access
the files. These filenames are normally hidden from the user, but
are used by certain software programs.
Creation of 8.3 filenames is normally enabled in Windows, but sometimes
users disable the option in an attempt to improve performance.
To successfully install The Panorama Factory, you must enable 8.3
filenames before installing the software. You may disable the option
again after installing the software. As long as the option is
enabled during installation, the software will run properly and will
uninstall properly even if you disable 8.3 filenames afterwards.
Microsoft indicates that creation of 8.3 filenames may hurt performance
for directories containing a large number of long filenames. See
NTFS Performance with
Numerous Long Filenames (Q130694) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at
support.microsoft.com for an
explanation of this issue.
However, our own testing suggests that this performance issue may not
apply to Windows XP. Note that the previously referenced Knowledge
Base article mentions only Windows NT 3.x.
We have tested directories containing as many as 10000 long filenames
and are unable to detect any difference in performance when 8.3 filenames
are enabled compared to when they are disabled.
For additional information, read these Microsoft Knowledge Base
articles:
Workaround
NOTE: This workaround is applicable
only if the Program Files folder has an 8.3 filename. It will not
correct systems that do not have an 8.3 filename for the Program Files
folder. To determine whether your system's Program Files folder has
an 8.3 filename:
- Click the Windows Start menu
(lower left corner of your desktop).
- Select All Programs, then Accessories,
then Command Prompt.
- In the Command Prompt window, type "dir
/x c:\Program*Files". Note that you must type this command exactly
as shown. If you replace the "*" with a space, for example, it
will not display the proper directory listing.
- Examine the line printed for the
Program Files folder to determine whether this folder has a short
filename. If it does, you will see something like:
11/03/2005 11:05 AM <DIR>
PROGRA~1 Program Files
If the folder does not have an 8.3 filename, you will see:
11/03/2005 11:05 AM <DIR>
Program Files
Please contact support@panoramafactory.com
for assistance if:
- Your system's Program Files folder does
not have an 8.3 filename.
- You have any concerns about this
procedure.
- You are unable to carry out the
procedure.
To work around this problem, you should
follow these steps.
- Enable 8.3 filenames:
- Click the Windows Start menu
(lower left corner of your desktop).
- Select Run, type regedt32, and then
click OK to run the Registry Editor.
- Double-click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
folder, then the SYSTEM, CurrentControlSet and Control folders.
- Single-click the FileSystem folder.
- Double-click the
NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation value on the right hand side of the
window
- Type the number 0 in the Edit DWORD
Value box, and then click OK.
- Quit the Registry Editor, and then
restart the computer.
WARNING: If you use Registry
Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require
you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that
you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
- Remove the application files for The Panorama Factory that were
created by the failed install:
- Using the right hand mouse button, click the Windows Start menu
(lower left corner of your desktop).
- Select Explore from the popup menu.
- Double-click the C: folder, then Program Files.
- Single-click the Smoky City Design folder.
- Press the Delete (or Del) key on your keyboard to delete the
folder.
- Reinstall The Panorama Factory.
- After installing The Panorama Factory, you may disable 8.3 filenames
if you wish. However, we recommend that you leave 8.3 filename
creation enabled to avoid similar problems in the future.
Status
Corrected in V4.1. The installer for V4.1 warns if 8.3 filenames
are disabled on your system and offers to enable 8.3 filenames.
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