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.msi installation won't proceed if temp folder is in a ramdisk (ImDisk)


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#1 Azev

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 04:07 AM

Hi,

 

I use ImDisk's Ramdisk and it is great!

 

But one thing thats annoys me is that everytime I have a .msi package to install it gives an error about "can't find device" and setup will not continue. So I have to set %temp% folder to a actual disk (like c:\temp) and restart the computer. Only then I can setup from .msi files. And only then set %temp% back to ramdisk.

 

Is there a way to fix this?



#2 v77

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 06:05 AM

Some MSI installers don't work with ImDisk (Toolkit or not).
Could you please say what is exactly this MSI file? Where download it?



#3 Azev

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 12:11 PM

https://clients.amazonworkspaces.com/

click download in the bottom of the page.



#4 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 12:31 PM

@Azev

This may be of interest to you, different virtual disk drivers have different levels of integration with the device manager/mount manager:

http://reboot.pro/to...e-9#entry215428

 

:duff:

Wonko



#5 Azev

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 12:43 PM

Also, in the past, I've experienced other issues with installers when the %temp% is in a ImDisk ramdisk volume.

Those installers weren't .msi.

 

This is a tricky issue.

I bet a lot of users won't realize it and instead will think their Windows have some bug/issue or the installer is corrupt..

 

Took me some time to realize it.


Edited by Azev, 30 July 2020 - 12:48 PM.


#6 v77

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 01:02 PM

https://clients.amazonworkspaces.com/
click download in the bottom of the page.


Just tried this installer in Windows 10 1809 and got no error.
My TEMP variables was redirected to a ramdisk, 1GB NTFS.

#7 Azev

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 01:05 PM

Yi32f32.png

 

SMMichS.png



#8 v77

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 01:28 PM

OK thanks. So something else is interfering, and we have to find out what.
With all these reports about MSI installers, including some errors I got some years ago, this is definitely something very common that interfers.

By the way, your drive icon, did you changed it?



#9 Azev

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 02:18 PM

For the icon:


ramdisk icon.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\R\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Windows\\System32\\imageres.dll,29"

 



#10 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 02:43 PM

Possibly unrelated, but for *some* reasons *some* installers (not necessarily .msi) have sometimes issues with NTFS (not with it but with its permissions/metadata) and the same installer works fine from a FAT16/32 filesystem.

 

:duff:

Wonko



#11 Azev

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Posted 30 July 2020 - 02:51 PM

My R:\ is NTFS [ramdisk]

My C:\ is NTFS [ssd]

 

Some .msi installers (and some non-msi .exe installers) will bug with ramdisk

%temp% must be in a physical drive.



#12 Azev

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 03:53 PM

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#13 v77

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 04:10 PM

If I remove permissions from the Temp folder in the ramdisk, I get another error. So we can forget this lead.

How exactly do you create the ramdisk?



#14 Azev

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 04:55 PM

9V49w1i.png



#15 v77

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 05:33 PM

Thanks. I still cannot reproduce this error.

However, I see that there is no text next to the green circle. It seems that the language file is missing. Did you remove it?
Of course removing the language file cannot create this error, but I find that suspect.



#16 Azev

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Posted 15 August 2020 - 11:09 PM

another... qpufWcf.png

#17 Azev

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Posted 11 December 2020 - 08:55 PM

Still a pain!

I guess it have something to do with the drive (or driver) signature or WHQL.

Maybe the ramdisk drive lacks some kind of signature.

 

I have to set %TEMP% back to C:\, reboot then install, then set %TEMP% back to R:\, then reboot once again. :ranting2:

 

This command might lead us somewhere (for reference):

wmic logicaldisk get caption,SupportsFileBasedCompression

Which outputs:

Caption  SupportsFileBasedCompression
C:       TRUE
D:       TRUE
R:       FALSE

Maybe MSI installers want that SupportsFileBasedCompression flag on, maybe is something else.
 


Edited by Azev, 11 December 2020 - 09:10 PM.


#18 Guest_AnonVendetta_*

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Posted 21 December 2020 - 03:39 AM

Just confirmed. I put my temp folders in a ramdisk, then tried to install Corsair's iCUE software for my IronClaw RGB gaming mouse. They use an msi installer. I get same error as above.



#19 v77

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Posted 21 December 2020 - 11:36 AM

Just confirmed. I put my temp folders in a ramdisk, then tried to install Corsair's iCUE software for my IronClaw RGB gaming mouse. They use an msi installer. I get same error as above.


And again, another MSI that works fine for me with an ImDisk ramdisk and the TEMP folder and variables on it.

#20 Guest_AnonVendetta_*

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Posted 21 December 2020 - 08:40 PM

@v77: Well, I guess not everyone will get the same results. Truthfully, most MSI installers I've tried do run fine when temp is relocated. If they didn't, then I would have noticed early on, since many of my drivers and critical programs are MSI files. I make it a point to install everything i need as soon as i've reinstalled Windows 10, instead of a piecemeal approach. In the case of Intel drivers, I've seen them put MSI files inside an exe file and launch them (last time I installed the combo WLAN/Bluetooth driver for my 8265). Some Kaspersky products I've used also have MSI installers.

#21 Tokener

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Posted 22 December 2020 - 10:45 AM

https://clients.amazonworkspaces.com/

click download in the bottom of the page.

Tested this msi installer on Win7x64 with (ImDisk)Ramdisk => no error.

 

Best regards   T.



#22 Azev

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Posted 24 February 2021 - 07:24 PM

One another guess is that some .msi installer can't query ramdisk free space, hence the error.

 

One workaround:

 

1. open command prompt

2. set (temporarily) the temp variables to some fixed drive:

  • set tmp=d:\
  • set temp=d:\

3. then, in the same command prompt call your installer like: > install.msi


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#23 v77

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 10:58 AM

I recently came across an installer that produced an error (at last!). The installer unpacked its content into the TEMP folder, and this content included several .msi files.

Like some users reported, I tried to create a junction on a physical hard drive to the ramdisk, with the TEMP variables pointing onto the junction. It worked. Despite the .msi files were located on the ramdisk, the installation proceeded without issue.

I assume this might be not obvious to do for some users, so I will add this workaround in the next version of the Toolkit. This will not necessarily fix all the .msi files, but at least some of them.






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