Powertoys: Installer: failure to install with junctions / RAM disk

[asheemak]

Environment

Windows build number: Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18363.836]
PowerToys version: v0.17.0

Steps to reproduce

Installer: the system cannot open the device of file specified, error 2755
tried Admin too, but still same issue

Screenshots

[crutkas]

thanks for reporting. looks like #316 is same issue.

[asheemak]

do you want i debug it on my system to see where is the error coming from,
im good with cpp , c# and VS debugging but never debugged installer before,
but i can try if send me link to how to......

TY

On Mon, May 18, 2020 at 3:25 PM Clint Rutkas [e-mail]
wrote:

thanks for reporting. looks like #316
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/316 is same issue.

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[crutkas]

0.18 will be released tomorrow, we did a few tweaks, less see if that resolves it

[asheemak]

Ok, I will let you know

On Mon, May 18, 2020, 7:59 PM Clint Rutkas [e-mail] wrote:

0.18 will be released tomorrow, we did a few tweaks, less see if that
resolves it

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[asheemak]

Same Issue :(

On Mon, May 18, 2020 at 7:59 PM Clint Rutkas [e-mail]
wrote:

0.18 will be released tomorrow, we did a few tweaks, less see if that
resolves it

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[asheemak]

MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:12:294]: File will have security applied from OpCode.
MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:12:295]: Note: 1: 1310 2: 5 3:
C:\WINDOWS\Installer\11b6912f.msi
The system cannot open the device or file specified.
MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:13:647]: Found junction folder: C:\WINDOWS\Installer
MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:13:647]: File will have security applied from OpCode.
MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:13:648]: Note: 1: 1310 2: 5 3:
C:\WINDOWS\Installer\11b6912f.msi
The system cannot open the device or file specified.
MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:15:313]: Found junction folder: C:\WINDOWS\Installer
MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:15:313]: File will have security applied from OpCode.
MSI (s) (38:1C) [13:20:15:313]: Note: 1: 1310 2: 5 3:
C:\WINDOWS\Installer\11b6912f.msi

On Mon, May 18, 2020 at 3:25 PM Clint Rutkas [e-mail]
wrote:

thanks for reporting. looks like #316
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/316 is same issue.

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[enricogior]

@asheemak
what antivirus software are you running?
Do you have a previous version of PowerToys installed?

[asheemak]

I have MCAfee , but i disabled it before installation to make sure that is not the case
and no i don't have previous version installed

[enricogior]

@asheemak
from which location are you running the installer? Try to move the installer to a different folder.

[msftbot[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.

[gee-ell]

This is apparently caused when a user offloads the Windows/Installer folder to another location via a junction (or poss. other symlink). Just happened to me (because I did). It breaks many (but not all) installers.

The clue in the MSI log is _"Found junction folder: C:\WINDOWS\Installer"._
More details: https://www.windowsdigitals.com/windows-installer-folder-cleanup-windows-10-safe-to-delete/

Don't know if there's a workaround (other than moving the folder back into place).

[morgenstern72]

I was able to install Release v0.23.0 with no problems.
It then told me there is an update and I encountered the above problem.
Since then I can't install Release v0.23.2, also after a clean reboot. No AV( Defender is running).

[gabefair]

I found that this error can be caused with all .MSI installers if the installer is being run from a RAMDisk. It does not matter which type of ram disk dRAM mounted on the GPU (GpuRamDrive for example) or pRAM using physical ram (AMD Ramdisk for example)

[morgenstern72]

Yes, i usw a ram drive for my temp files, but certainly have never seen
this before. After I cleaned all folders, rebooted again and installed the
latest windows 10 optional update, followed by another reboot, I was able
to install directly from the downloaded file.

Gabriel Fair [e-mail] schrieb am Mo., 12. Okt. 2020,
02:55:

I found that this error can be caused with all .MSI installers if it is
being run from a RAMDisk. It does not matter which type of ram disk dRAM
mounted on the GPU or pRAM using physical ram (AMD Ramdisk for example)

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[crutkas]

@gabefair, thanks for the insight, i would have never thought about someone using a RAM disk.

[morgenstern72]

I use my RAM drive for so long now (and it's so convenient, having all temp files and browser caches going there) that I did not even think of it as a problem. It's a drive like any other and booted up with windows so the temp folder is already there before it tries to access the folders.

Also, strange that a clean install is no problem, but an upgrade is.

Thank you for looking into it :)

[crutkas]

we'll look into this issue. Good to also know it was on upgrade.

Did you download the EXE for 0.23.2 off the Github? or do the upgrade some other method?

[enricogior]

As far as I know this is an MSI issue, not a PT installer issue, we don't treat the RAM disk any different and the error is from MSI not from the PT installer.

[eugenesvk]

I can confirm that this is indeed what @gee-ell said — if you move the C:\Windows\Installer to save space and put a symlink instead, then some of .msi installers stop working.
As a workaround that doesn't involve moving this useless multigig folder back and forth here is what I do:

• rename my C:\Windows\Installer symlink to C:\Windows\InstallerBackup,
• create a new C:\Windows\Installer folder
• install PowerToys
• move all the newly created folders/files from C:\Windows\Installer to my main Installer folder at drive D:\
• rename the symlink back to C:\Windows\Installer (from C:\Windows\InstallerBackup)

It's a pity that the .msi is so broken if it's not smart enough to allow installation to a symlink.
Is there a chance you could use another installation packaging method that doesn't rely on this broken system?
Thank you!

[crutkas]

@enricogior I see these are possible options:

• detect ram disk in bootstrap installer
• have MSI see 2755 and we say "turn off your RAM disk"
• mark it as known issue

[enricogior]

@crutkas

detect ram disk in bootstrap installer

Unless there is an API, I don't see how this can be done reliably. There are several RAM disk utilities, are we going to hard-code their process executable name and guess if we are installed from a temp folder on the RAM disk?