Installation of WGIC destoryed TCP/IP

[DBeard]

Earlier I posted to another topic concerning WGIC failing upon installation.
I later found that it was not just WGIC, but rather TCP/IP corrupted entirely. With this realization, I found this issue to be unique and not related to the topic in which I posted. So I've deleted that post and reposted here:


EDIT: It seems that once WGIC was installed the TCP/IP settings got all screwed up. Now the machines in question will not received DHCP or anything. When DHCP is attempted the result is a failure with information regarding the connection being made with something other than a socket.

Additionally:
Elements of WGIC are stored in the My Documents folder. Since we use Network Locations for our My Documents folder, and WGIC made it so we can not get DHCP assigned IP addresses, the WGIC elements in the My Documents folder are not accessible. Therefore WGIC can not be uninstalled or modified in anyway.

So what I had to do is static an address and uninstall WGIC. Even after the uninstall the TCP/IP was still screwed up and unable to receive DHCP response. So I had to remove TCP/IP entirely from the machines and reinstall it to do away with the corruption.

Once I had accomplished this I tried a reinstallation of WGIC, only to encounter the exact same problem. Even though I chose a custom uninstallation, selecting all the elements of the program (including all registry keys) the uninstallation program didn't remove the registry entries and other elements of the program. So I had to remove the registry entries by hand.


Please take note. Storing elements of this program in the My Documents folder is a really bad idea.



Updated:

Upon the second attempt to install WGIC, after repairing TCP/IP, the same issue occured. Only this time, I am unable to repair TCP/IP by simply removing the drivers from windows, rebooting, and replacing them. Nor can I correct the problem by removing the adapter and letting Win2k detect and reinstall it. In short, the machine is question is hosed at the moment.

[tim]

Nothing gets installed to My Documents. I just verified in the installer script for it - there are three file locations used on a WGIC install. The first is the TEMP directory, for storing files used during the install. The second is the SYS32 directory (Or whatever it maps to on the particular OS) and the third is the SYS32\WGIC directory. In fact, a search for "my", "docu" or "doc" returns 0 results.

The only possibility might be if Windows believes the System32 directory should be on what is specified as the network location for "My Documents", but I can't find a quick or easy way to do that.

(Copied from a post by Pascal)

[DBeard]

Possibly this problem is caused by the need to build MSI packages myself so that I can distribute WGIC. As I asked a month ago for command line switches to the installation, for silent installs. Since the client is installed using the very same installation program as the server, I can not use this
installation to distribute WGIC in our envoirnment.

An answer to the command line switches might solve my very annoyinig problems and delays. Still unable to move this product into production.


I'm needing a quick response.

Thanks

[Pascal]

An answer to the command line switches might solve my very annoyinig problems and delays. Still unable to move this product into production. I'm needing a quick response. Thanks

The older InstallBuilder format does support a variant of command line switches. Using the 5.2.1 installers (And later) you can specify

WGSETUP.EXE /s /M=<filename>

where <filename> is an installer variable override file. If you send me your e-mail address, I will send you details on what the various options for that file is.

[adrien]

Aha

OK, yes there are a few special DLL calls that we make to install the client, it needs to link itself into winsock 2.

although this function is also performed if you choose the rebuild option on the advanced pane in the client control panel applet

Adrien

[DBeard]

Aha

OK, yes there are a few special DLL calls that we make to install the client, it needs to link itself into winsock 2.

although this function is also performed if you choose the rebuild option on the advanced pane in the client control panel applet

Adrien

You said rebuild, but I assume you mean Reset, am I correct?

[DBeard]

I found a little applet on the net that cleans up poorly installed or uninstalled problems with winsock 2

http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.zip

I was able to correct the TCP/IP issue caused by installation of WGIC by first running this program, then removing TCP/IP from the OS, rebooting and reloading TCP/IP onto the OS.

Now DHCP works again.

Surely this problem is caused by my building a bad MSI package, so I've emailed the kind gentleman above who is willing to communicate the variables for the answer file of WGSetup.exe.

Thanks

[adrien]

Aha

OK, yes there are a few special DLL calls that we make to install the client, it needs to link itself into winsock 2.

although this function is also performed if you choose the rebuild option on the advanced pane in the client control panel applet

Adrien

You said rebuild, but I assume you mean Reset, am I correct?

yes, that's correct - it's been a while since I ran the client.

[DBeard]

I've had this problem occur on a couple more machines.

In order to fix it I must run the application I attached in previous post above, remove TCP/IP from OS, reboot, reinstall TCP and reconfigure.

I did not build custom MSI packages or anything. This is happening with the default installation of WGIC. Somehow it is corrupting Winsock so that it will not open a socket for DHCP.

This has occurred on 3 machines out of 70.
I have to hault the roll out of the client until I can solve this problem.

Thanks

[Pascal]

This has occurred on 3 machines out of 70.
I have to hault the roll out of the client until I can solve this problem.
Thanks

What operating system is this ? Any specific hotfixes / service packs / patches installed ? Or anything that might tie 3 / 70 together so we can try and narrow it down a bit ? (Or was it the first 3 you tried ... )

I'm back at work on Monday, so I'll check what that little program does then.

[DBeard]

As far as I can see, there is no connection betweent the machines that doesn't exist between many other machines that didn't have the problem occur.

The machines with the problem are always Win2K with the lastest sp and all of the security patches up to date. Not updates, just security patches.

Other than that, we have a pretty standard image accross the company. Nothing that I can see to make these machines stand out.

Point of reference, this occurred also during testing, and I mistakenly thought I caused the problem by building a custom MSI package incorrectly. The same machines that this problem occurred on, we're able to be reinstalled eventually. The problem occurred 3 out of 4 times the client was installed on these test machines.

[Pascal]

As far as I can see, there is no connection betweent the machines that doesn't exist between many other machines that didn't have the problem occur.

<snip>

incorrectly. The same machines that this problem occurred on, we're able to be reinstalled eventually. The problem occurred 3 out of 4 times the client was installed on these test machines.

Hmm. That application simply rewrites the LSP settings in the registry. So, the problem will be either with registry permissions or perhaps with a DLL mismatch when it's calling into the registration functions. (Or something completely different)

Do you still have one of those machines in that state ? I'm going to do some digging on this side - I might have to ask you for a dump of selected registry keys.

Thx,

[DBeard]

No I coudn't leave the users with machines that didn't work. They have not had the WGIC installed on them again. But they are as they were before the install.

I can send you what you need. Just let me know.

[Pascal]

No I coudn't leave the users with machines that didn't work. They have not had the WGIC installed on them again. But they are as they were before the install. I can send you what you need. Just let me know.

Understandable. Very understandable. I'll be back in the office on Monday (2 days hence) so I'll send you the keys I need then.

Thank you,