Thursday, April 23, 2015

Fix for - InstallScript Setup Launcher Unicode Has Stopped Working in Windows 2008 or Windows Server 2012

If you have some software and they use the Flexera windows installer, you may get the error: "InstallScript Setup Launcher Unicode Has Stopped Working."  If you look at additional data on the error you may see it say APPCRASH in ISSETUP.DLL with an error of c0000005.

I searched high and low and there isn't much documented about it, at least nothing that fixed it for me on a Windows Server 2012 R2 XenApp server.

I'll cut to the chase, the ultimate problem is that the stupid installer program crashes if it can't find the STARTUP folder in the All-Users menu.  It doesn't even put anything in there, at least not the program I was installing, Modelogix.  The more frustrating issue is that it doesn't tell you what the problem is, just the useless error code mentioned above.  Err!!  So I spent countless hours troubleshooting this.

All the other solutions out there must only work in Windows 7 and below, not Windows 8 or Server 2012 and above.

Other solutions say to manually create the following folders if they are missing:
1. C: > Users > ("Yourname" Windows account ) > My Documents
2. C: > Users > ("Yourname" Windows account ) > AppData > Local
3. C: > Users > ("Yourname" Windows account ) > AppData > Roaming > Microsoft > Windows > Start Menu > Programs > Startup
4. C: > Users > Default > Documents
5. C: > Users > Default > AppData > Roaming > Microsoft > Windows > Start Menu > Programs > Startup
Source: https://community.flexerasoftware.com/showthread.php?207204-InstallScript-Setup-Launcher-Unicode-Has-Stopped-Working-%28Windows-message%29 

The problem is that Windows 8 and Server 2012 don't use C:\USERS\DEFAULT for the all-users area any longer!!

In Windows 8 and Server 2012 and above, they use the hidden root folder C:\PROGRAMDATA.  To be 100% sure on your system type SET ALL from a command prompt; this will display the value for the ALLUSERSPROFILE system variable and will tell you the path.

So for me, all I needed to do to fix the issue was to create the STARTUP folder in the following path: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs   
We had removed it as it wasn't used and I was trying to simplify the menu for our users.  This folder is hidden but you can manually type it into windows explorer, or change your settings to view hidden folders.

Once I created it in there, tada, the stupid setup program would run. I believe Flexera may have fixed this bug but your software vendor may still be using this older version.


Let me know if this helped YOU!!  

27 comments:

  1. THANK YOU. Just had this happen on an install of some software.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad it helped. I struggled with it (on and off) for days. Hopefully I saved you some pain!

      Delete
    2. This worked for me, adding: : > Users > ("Yourname" Windows account ) > AppData > Roaming > Microsoft > Windows > Start Menu > Programs > Startup

      Delete
    3. This worked for me, adding: : > Users > ("Yourname" Windows account ) > AppData > Roaming > Microsoft > Windows > Start Menu > Programs > Startup

      Thanks for Posting!!!

      Delete
  2. Hi Brian. I am desperately trying to install a piece of software on my server at our church (Server 2012 r2) and am having no luck. any other ideas? Many thanks!

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  3. Thank you Brian, this resolved the issue for me too!

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  4. Wow! this worked for me as well when trying to install a different software! Thanks!!

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    Replies
    1. Awesome. I believe it has more to do with the Installer software that a lot of various software makers use to package and install their stuff. So this could potentially be an issue with hundreds of applications.

      Delete
  5. yay! same problem trying to install the latest update 6.1 of corel's graphics suite x7. fixed it flawlessly, THANKS!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Trying to install software on a Server 2012 R2. The startup folder you mention already exists on my system. The install STILL crashed with this error.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi guys,
    I solved it by installing this patch released by Flexera:
    https://flexerasoftware.flexnetoperations.com/control/inst/AnonymousDownload?dkey=8061751

    Hola, Ross ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need you to know that your comment helped me get around this very frustrating problem almost two years later. Thank you, you beautiful angel.

      Delete
  8. F**KYESS! You have no idea how long this has plagued me without any clue of what was wrong. I should clarify, I'm a *user* of a piece of commercial software whose installation programme is Installshield. I installed the software successfully a good while ago, then at some point must my filesystem must have lost a copy of the "Startup" folder from one of the several places it apparently hangs out. Fastforward 5 months, and I'm trying to update the software, fails at splashscreen. Then repair, fails. Then uninstall, still fails!

    This has been a very frustrating week, but I am glad I was able to find your answer. THANK YOU.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks! In our case it was that the MyDocuments folder was redirected to a network share. The installer did not like this. I reset the Shell Folders and UserShellFolders in the registry to point to the usual Documents folder locations and then the installer did not complain. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

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  10. THANK YOU! I have been trying for weeks to fix this for a Sage update. I only had to add folders 4 & 5 and it worked!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Brian,

    Could there be other reasons for the error as well on Windows 10/Windows 2008/12? My software also uses the Installshield engine and in very few cases, installing after creating a new profile helped. In one case, I was able to replicate it at my end when I used local user on Windows 2012? I think there could be other reasons for this error. I just now, deleted the STARTUP directory from Windows 10 but my software install didn't get the error. I think had STARTUP been the problem, this error could have been replicated easily.

    Thank you,

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi bro,

    Thank you so much. Hit this error when try to install Nexus Personal 4.23 in WIN 7 32bit. Able to install after create the Startup folder.

    Thank you so much.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yes also the above issues of missing default folder might be resolved by uninstalling from a new User Profile.

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  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. THANK YOU Brian! Surprised that this is STILL an issue! I installed the requisite folders on my D: drive where the program resided, and rather than hanging for hours, everything installed in seconds!!! Thank you SO VERY MUCH!!

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  16. I had the same issue and it was caused by the antivirus blocking the installation. Once disabled installation was not a problem.

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  17. Did no work for me.

    I have:
    - Upgraded Installshield from 11.x to 2018.
    - Windows 2012 R2 machine

    I tried:
    - Creating missing Startup folder at "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" location.

    - Creating new user with admin privileges

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am facing this problem updating sage, having no luck yet but will report back

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  19. Thank you, this helped us track down an issue! Keep up the great work.

    ReplyDelete

Please let me know if this helped you out, or if you would like to submit other suggestions or correct something I may have mis-stated.

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Science Fiction Author / Vice President of Technology for The Christman Company