Update of XChange Editor always fails

[ChocolateFactory]

Win 8.1 Enterprise x64

This has happened both with the previous and current version:
The updater tells me a new version is available, I choose to install it.
During the installation process, it suddenly tells me, the directory cannot be accessed, and I can only choose to cancel (retry doesn't help).
After that, XChange Editor is no longer installed (obviously, the previous version was removed, but the newer version didn't finish installing).

When I download the x64 .msi installer, allow it to make changes to my computer (UAC prompt), and then I have the same issue.
After rebooting my machine however, everything works like a charm.

Could it be a problem with a linebreak in the path?
It's extremely annoying, and this has happened on more than one machine.

See the screenshot for the exact error message:


Thank you.

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello ChocolateFactory,

I've passed this to our installation package devs and we will look into it as soon as possible.

Regards,
Stefan

[Ivan - Tracker Software]

We had several cases of this issue but still cannot reproduce it on our side. So, I would like to ask you some questions:
1. Do you have only editor installed, or you have PRO package?
2. If you have PRO, was the driver updated as well? and was it updated before the Editor?
3. Was the Editor opened when installer started? Where there any opened unsaved documents?

[ChocolateFactory]

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
I only have the Editor, but I used to have the Viewer installed before.
I also think all updates went through before, this only started happening with one of the most recent versions (two weeks ago or so).

I think the Editor was opened when the update started (the updater started automatically in at least one case), but there were definitely no unsaved documents open.
It also warned me that the updater was running, but I could choose "Close and continue" and then it would continue until it hit the error.

I am a .NET developer if that helps, so I may be able to provide you with some more detailed information if you tell me what you need.

[Roman - Tracker Supp]

Hi,

Next time when you get this trouble please do the following:
1. Keep the error message window open.
2. Unpack the attached ZIP file into an empty directory (it should be on the drive that has at least 100 MB of free space).
3. Go to that directory, right click pxe_dump.cmd file and choose "Run as administrator".
4. When the script finishes you should get pxe.vhd file in the folder. Please send us this file (zipped).

[ChocolateFactory]

Will do!

[Roman - Tracker Supp]

Thank you.
I have updated the ZIP a little, so please download it again.
Also if you have installed the editor you could try the steps above just to make sure this tool is working for you.
Please remember that you must always start those steps with an empty directory. So to avoid future errors, delete all the extracted and generated files when the check is finished.

[ChocolateFactory]

Ok, it seems to work.
But ONLY if run from a console window, right-clicking the CMD file and running it as an administrator is not enough.
Just FYI.

[Roman - Tracker Supp]

But ONLY if run from a console window, right-clicking the CMD file and running it as an administrator is not enough.

Thanks. Fixed it (updated the attached ZIP above).

[ChocolateFactory]

I have finally been able to reproduce this error, I guess you simply haven't published updates in a while?

Same error message as before:


Ran the latest version of the tool from this thread from a command prompt with administrator rights:


That was strange... so I had a look at the folder properties:


What?

Hit Advanced:


Tried with admin rights:


So it seems like the uninstaller somehow leaves the folder in an invalid state...?

[ChocolateFactory]

After rebooting, the whole "PDF Editor" folder is gone...
So I guess it gets deleted by the uninstaller, but because some file handles are still open, the folder isn't removed until the reboot.
Yet, this state causes the installer to fail when it tries to access the directory...

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi ChocolateFactory,

Thanks for the post - As I understand it, this is actually an issue with the application that handles MSI installers (a Microsoft product) and seems to lock down the folder. We're investigating why this is and what we can do, but we've not been able to ascertain a cause or workaround yet.

This is being treated as a priority and I will speak with the Devs. on this, to see where the issue currently stands.

Thanks,

[scan_user]

Hi,
did you find a solution to this problem yet?
I have exactly the same issue on a Windows 10 machine, and it looks like this is a 3 year old post...?

Happended for the past 3..4 updates (i.e. ever since I got the software) and I'm finally annoyed enough to check the forum...
- installation of updates fails every time because no access to installation folder (C:\Program Files\Tracker Software\PDF Editor)
- but by the time the installer notices this lack of access, the old version has been deleted...
- when I try to look at that installation folder I have no access either (I can see it, but I cannot open it)
(everything exactly as described in the post above, including the screenshots about the privileges)

- my workaround is to locate the downloaded install file,
in C:\ProgramData\Tracker Software\TrackerUpdate\Download
(thank you for having the downloader display the name of the file, that way I could at least search for it, even if it didn't say where it was downloaded to...)
reboot the computer and then just start the install file, that works.

...but it's a pain.... every time

1) is there a fix for this?
if not
2) Could I just download the install file separately (from where?) and start it?
or would that end up going through the same process with the same problem?..

thanks

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi scan_user,

Thanks for the post - Some improvements were made on our end to ensure that this happens much less frequently, but there's nothing that we can do to stop it permanently, for all cases. This is ultimately because this is an issue with msi.exec (Microsoft tool that runs MSI installers) keeping a handle on the directory after the uninstall process is finished. It's silly and I'm not sure why it's done, but the only solution is to follow the process below when installing/uninstalling MSI installed apps (even our EXE's use MSI's):

1. Uninstall the application completely.
2. Restart your computer
3. Re-install/update
4. Restart a final time.

This is and always has been best practice, but isn't strictly necessary. You can try simply uninstalling and installing without the restart, but if you get that message you will then need to restart, with the understanding that there's nothing further we can do here. You may also want to complain to Microsoft, but I'm not sure how much good that would do...

Thanks,