Stuck in a Reboot loop on a live company server - Help! :-S

Hi Friedrich (or anyone else)

I've got an install program which keeps looping over the same bit.

Basically, its trying to download a patch from MS, it fails with errorcode
259 and Returncode 1 or -1 which isnt too important at this stage as I
suspect those errorcodes are something to do with ISA Server being rather
tightly locked down, but is there anyway I can stop it from looping over the
same code and stop the installer from running so they can gain access to
their server desktop?

I've tried all sorts but the companies owner wanted to go home by 7pm
tonight so I've just got back dialled remotely into their server to try
again to fix it but so far no joy and no ideas came to mind on the way
home.<g>

Before I left them I looked in the registry under all the run and runonce
instances I could find looking for a call to relaunch the installer but cant
find anything thats telling windows to restart the installer after logging
back in to the server. So I must be looking in the wrong place.<g>

I've compiled the installer this morning using SB7.1 2842 if that matters as
well.

Fortunately I've been able to blag it a bit by shifting focus and probable
cause on to their H/W support company so they have allowed me to carry on
and rectify the problem and they gave me permission to dial in remotely to
their server as well which is helpful, but ideally I'd like to be able to
say in the morning its all fixed.

The OS is Server 2003 and as I discovered their H/W company hadnt been
carrying out updates on their machines either so I'm wondering if this might
have been a factor in the installer getting stuck in a loop.

So any ideas greatly appreciated, I'm going to carryon poking around here to
see if I can break the loop in the mean time and get it all fixed.<g>

Cheers

Richard

Success!

When using terminal server or remote access to log into their server, I
found the key combination below so I managed to get the task manager up, and
then I simply killed the process from the process tab rather than the
application tab.

The reason to kill it from the Task manager Process tab instead of the
Application tab which might have been a one off or not, was this, when I
tried to end task the installer from the application tab it rebooted the
computer and carried on in the loop. Killing it from the Process tab killed
the process with no reboot.

As I had my installer setup to load Teamviewer when an error was
encountered, I tried using TeamViewer to send a CTRL+ALT+DEL but that
wouldnt work and I did'nt want to try a reboot into Safe mode from
Teamviewer incase I couldnt gain access to the server once in safe mode as
its a TV feature I've yet to use. As I'm running VM workstation I started up
a couple of guests and then uses the Windows Remote Access to their server
and Teamviewer from another VMguest giving me two different remote access
links into their server.

Anyway got task manager up using CTRL+ALT+END at my end to replicate the
C+A+D at that end and voila.<g>

Anyway some useful key combinations (which I didnt know of<vbg>)for Remote
Access program built into windows machines are these:
Key combination Function Similar local keys
CTRL+ALT+END Opens the Windows Security dialog box CTRL+ALT+DELETE
CTRL+ALT+BREAK Toggles the Terminal Services client display from window to
full screen NONE
ALT+INSERT Cycles through running programs on the remote computer ALT+TAB
ALT+HOME Displays the remote computer's Start menu
ALT+DELETE Displays the remote window's Control menu ALT+SPACE BAR
CTRL+ALT+NUMBER PAD MINUS Places an image of active window onto the TS
clipboard ALT+PRINT SCREEN
CTRL+ALT+NUMBER PAD PLUS Places an image of the entire Terminal Services
client on the Terminal Services clipboard PRINT SCREEN



Seems it might be a bit of a common problem with installations that get
stuck in loops judging by google and its links, and whilst most advice says
load Regedt32, find the RunOnce or RunOnceEx key in HKLM, I couldnt see any
entry in these Reg Keys to remove.

Friedrich, when does the installation program write the entry in RunOnce to
reload the installation program? Is the "Reboot Computer System and Resume
[Silent]" the part of the program that writes the reg entry in Run Once,
becuase that would explain why I couldnt see it, as I just kept the Display
Message window on screen and didnt press OK to reboot.

Cheers

Richard


Code snippet with asterisked code that was looping.

ElseIf %WINDOWSVERSION% Equals "5.2" Then
If %IS64BIT% Equals "1" Then
Wait Dialog: Display "Downloading a required file from
Microsoft - WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x64.exe" [Thread]
Download File from
"http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/6/1/261fca42-22c0-4f91-9451-0e0f2e08356d/WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x64.exe"
to "%TMPDIR%"
If %_SB_ERRORCODE% Greater Than "0" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error
downloading a file f..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
Wait Dialog: Update Status Text to "Installing Windows Installer
4.5 - WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x64.exe"
Run Program %TMPDIR%\WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x64.exe
/quiet /norestart (Always Install) [ShellExecuteEx] [Wait]
If %_SB_RETURN% Does Not Equal "1" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error during
installation ..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
Else
*********** this bit was looping on reboot *******************
Wait Dialog: Display "Downloading a required file from
Microsoft - WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x86.exe" [Thread]
Download File from
"http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/6/1/261fca42-22c0-4f91-9451-0e0f2e08356d/WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x86.exe"
to "%TMPDIR%"
If %_SB_ERRORCODE% Greater Than "0" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error during
installation ..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
Wait Dialog: Update Status Text to "Installing Windows Installer
4.5 - WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x86.exe"
Run Program %TMPDIR%\WindowsServer2003-KB942288-v4-x86.exe
/quiet /norestart (Always Install) [ShellExecuteEx] [Wait]
If %_SB_RETURN% Does Not Equal "1" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error during
installation ..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
End
*********** this bit was looping on reboot *******************

! Windows 7 or Vista
ElseIf %WINDOWSVERSION% Greater Than or Equal "6" Then
If %IS64BIT% Equals "1" Then
Wait Dialog: Display "Downloading a required file from
Microsoft - Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x64.msu" [Thread]
Download File from
"http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/6/1/261fca42-22c0-4f91-9451-0e0f2e08356d/Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x64.msu"
to "%TMPDIR%"
If %_SB_ERRORCODE% Greater Than "0" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error during
installation ..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
Wait Dialog: Update Status Text to "Installing Windows Installer
4.5 - Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x64.msu"
Run Program %TMPDIR%\Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x64.msu /quiet
/norestart (Always Install) [ShellExecuteEx] [Wait]
If %_SB_RETURN% Does Not Equal "0" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error during
installation ..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
Display Message Box "The PC Work Time program will now reboot
your comp..." -- "Reboot Required"
Else
Wait Dialog: Display "Downloading a required file from
Microsoft - Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x86.msu" [Thread]
Download File from
"http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/6/1/261fca42-22c0-4f91-9451-0e0f2e08356d/Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x86.msu"
to "%TMPDIR%"
If %_SB_ERRORCODE% Greater Than "0" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error during
installation ..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
Wait Dialog: Update Status Text to "Installing Windows Installer
4.5 - Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x86.msu"
Run Program %TMPDIR%\Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x86.msu /quiet
/norestart (Always Install) [ShellExecuteEx] [Wait]
If %_SB_RETURN% Does Not Equal "0" Then
Run Program %_SB_INSTALLDIR%\TeamViewerQS.exe (Always
Install)
Display Message Box "You have experienced an error during
installation ..." -- "Installation Halt"
End
Display Message Box "The PC Work Time program will now reboot
your comp..." -- "Reboot Required"
End
End
*********** this bit was looping on reboot *******************
Wait Dialog: Close
Register all pending file operations
Display Message Box "The PC Work Time installation program needs to
reb..." -- "Reboot Required"
Reboot Computer System and Resume [Silent]
End
*********** this bit was looping on reboot *******************

Hi Richard,

>
> Success!
>

Cool :)

> Friedrich, when does the installation program write the entry in RunOnce
> to reload the installation program? Is the "Reboot Computer System and
> Resume [Silent]" the part of the program that writes the reg entry in Run
> Once, becuase that would explain why I couldnt see it, as I just kept the
> Display Message window on screen and didnt press OK to reboot.

Yes, that is correct. The "Reboot Computer System and Resume" script
function writes the RunOnce entries.

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

SetupBuilder is Windows installation -- "point. click. ship"

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

Hi Friedrich

I dont know how many others or if this problem might be on the increase or
not, but just thinking aloud, would it be possible to build something into
SB where it could monitor for instances where an installer gets stuck in a
reboot loop and it could automatically prevent a reboot if its detected
thats its run the code in the installer already.

I know I could build something into the installer myself, but maybe it would
be more productive for everyone if it was built in as a preventative measure
and you could even use this feature as another selling feature for SB
putting SB even further above the other installers on the market.

Obviously this idea would only work if this becomes a more common place
problem over time but just thinking allowed in case it becomes an issue in
the future. <g>

Cheers

Richard