error messages- help please

hi ncep!

just doublechecking this, since the 1620 is an extremely rare error message on an itunes install.

is this the text you were getting with that message?

This installation package could not be opened. Contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package

... or were you getting something different? if you were getting a different text, could you let us know precisely what it says?

love, b

🙂 s'okay. i make typos all the time.

okay, with a 1628, let's try both the specific 1628-related links and the general advice on this document:

Trouble installing iPod, iTunes, or QuickTime software in Windows

but if it persists , let's try throwing the InstallShield Tips and Pointers at the beast:

InstallShield Consumer Central Frequently Asked Questions: Tips and Pointers

love, b

i wish it was that simple,
unfortunately been there done that. next please?

🙂 what else have you actually tried that you haven't told us about yet?

be specific and explicit please. (that should save you some time down the track, in regard to reading posts about techniques you've already tried, and informing us that you'd already done that.)

love, b

hi ncep!

have reinstalled windows, tested burner, emptied temp folder, tried to uninstall and reinstall itunes

(puzzled look) so you haven't followed up on the link to Error 1628: "Failed to complete script based install" in the Do you see an error message? section in the first document i linked you to, and you haven't tried anything in the InstallShield Tips and Pointers (the second document i linked you too)?

confused, b

I am basically having the same problem and it appears to show up again and again in the threads here and elsewhere, which I assume means the problem is much more widespread. I have a 40gb 4g ipod with click wheel recently purchased refurbished from apple.
I always get the 1628 error alone, tried every possible combination and permutation the five r's and all the possible help references on the support site. Can't find a phone number, or for that matter an e-mail for Apple support which dismays me to no end. I find it doubly frustrating as a PC user that has constantly heard stories of the greatness of Apple, I wish Apple would broaden the scope of their help pages to provide more windows specific support if they expect to keep selling to windows users. It's just one frustration after another...this will likely be my first and last apple product.

I always get the 1628 error alone, tried every possible combination and permutation the five r's and all the possible help references on the support site.

hmmmm. let's just check on some exotica then.

first thing.

when you try to empty your TEMP directory, do you keep finding seven-character file names with .tmp extensions?

if so, could you post back with one of those filenames?

love, b

exotica eh...

Do you mean seven characters plus extension or including...I don't think I see any seven chars plus extension anyhow. One thing that I have noticed lately is that the error report mentions ipodformatsupport.dll

Oh yes, and I tried the update but it sayd it can't mount...the drive doesn't show up in my computer either but can be seen sporadically under computer management

methinks I am going to have to buy a firewire card perhaps

The most frustrating thing about all this is that it appears problems like this are very commonplace and all but ignored by Apple, I should have done more research before I bought this stinking piece of crap. Blaming installation problems on installshield is like Ford telling you they won't fix your brakes because your warranty is void because you use castrol oil and texaco gas, if it is on the market it should work or else they should warn people.

I guess I should have known what to expect from a company with overpriced products that tries to sell everyone overpriced extended warranties so you won't have to pay for their insanely overpriced repair services.

Do you mean seven characters plus extension or including...I don't think I see any seven chars plus extension anyhow. One thing that I have noticed lately is that the error report mentions ipodformatsupport.dll

okay, that seems to rule out a W32.Pinfi infection compromising the install:

W32.Pinfi

second piece of exotica.

have you ever moved the TEMP directory on your PC to a different location? that has been reported as a cause of the 1628 on an itunes install before. the original post is no longer on the Discussions Archives (long story to do with the server software that used to be used for Discussions prior to 11 Nov 2005), but here's the text of the Michael Robinson4 post:

After some more investigating, I discovered the cause of all my problems. Sometime in the past I had changed my temp directory for some other work. A normal temp directory says:
%userprofile%\local settings\temp this normally translates into c:\Documents and Settings\user\local settings\temp.
When I had changed the temp directory back, however, I had mistakenly used the following: c:%homepath%\local settings\temp. Since %homepath% only returns the directory, not the drive, I had to add a c: prefix In the environment variables dialog box, this resolves to the same address as %userprofile%\local settings\temp.
Apparently some installers have a problem using %homepath% instead of %userprofile% because when I changed it back to %userprofile% the installer worked fine, no 1628 error.

love, b

I tried the temp thing and it seemed to be working (it went a little longer than normal) but it still ended the same way. I am starting to understand this all a little more and is it right that 1628 error just means the installation ended, it doesn't necessarily imply anything?? I have noticed in leaving the ipod connected to the computer that the little "safely remove hardware" thingy in the toolbar keeps coming and going while it is connected. Is this caused more by the ipod or the usb ports? While swapping around USB cables in the last coupla days i've had the computer freeze up a couple times (that never happened before) so i'm wondering if maybe the whole reason behind is the crappiness of my usb ports? I am considering going out to buy a firewire card tomorrow to try it out. Or is that a waste of time/money? Thanks for all your help, you're a star,
Derek

Well I had a sinking feeling about this all along and despite apple trying to tell me it was something wrong with my computer and my software I am thinking the stupid thing is toast. I went into the diagnostics and both hd tests end up failing. I assume that they will fail whether or not the ipod software was ever loaded on it (it would be abit hard to load the software whilst the drive is toast). I have an exam now but will have to call when I get back home. This is seriously ******* me off because I paid for express shipping because I wanted to take it to England with me this summer and I am leaving in a little over two weeks. Now I am going over empty-handed and light of pocketbook.

I am not surprised the hdd is toast because I have never felt or heard the slightest bit of motion from it which kind of surprised me, I definitely never felt hard drive spin up and many people say. Oh well.

BTW, it displays that ******* folder icon all the time too...piece of ******* ****

Athlon 2500 Windows XP

I am starting to understand this all a little more and is it right that 1628 error just means the installation ended, it doesn't necessarily imply anything?

only if it appears at the end of a "chain" of error messages. fairly rare in that context in an itunes/ipod/QT install. the only circumstances that i'm familiar with that is (occasionally) after a (-3) on an itunes install. you're overwhelmingly more likely to see a 1603 as a "sign-off" in a chain of error messages.

can you clarify something for me? under what precise circumstances are you getting the 1628?

is it when you install the ipod updater on the PC?

or is it when you run the ipod updater to format your ipod?

it's a pretty crucial distinction. your earlier posts were suggesting the former (which was ncep's problem). you later posts are suggesting the latter.

(when did you tell Apple that you were getting this? or did you just say "i'm getting a 1628"?)

love, b