Installation of student version is the fail

[LT72884]

I downloaded version 2010 of autocad because 2011 would not download correctly.

 

I have been in the IT arena now for 7 years and i need a we bit of help. i was right in the middle of an install of the program when my PC randomly rebooted. Now, when i try to re-install, it says that it is all ready installed. I cant un-install it because it is missing some dll's for un-installation.

 

I have checked reg edit to clear out any autodesk values to see if that would help. No go. I assume there is a common files folder for autocad that happens to have a config file or somethin tellin me PC that it is still installed.

 

So how do i totally un-install it and then re-install it?

 

I called autocad support and they said to try the akaimai file os som TS542 file or something. Problem is, those files dont exist on me PC.

 

thanks

 

matt

 

WinXp PRO

2GB of Ram

AMD 5200+X2

[ReMark]

You did create a RESTORE point prior to loading the program right?

[JD Mather]

Search Google for Autodesk Clean Uninstall document (you will have to adapt to fact that you never got clean install).

Then run http://majorgeeks.com/Windows_Installer_CleanUp_Utility_d4459.html to remove remaining traces of previous attempt.

Was this 32-bit version or was it 64-bit version?

Was it on your XP machine?

Did you turn off anti-virus during install? (and UAC if not your XP machine)

The Akamai is the autodownloader - unless you specifically clicked the Manual download method there should be an Akamai folder on your machine. Where is the download exe? (in any case, I don't have a clue why this would be related to the problem).

Why can't you download 2011 (or 2012)? Do you have a fast internet connection? Did you turn off anti-virus during the download?

[SLW210]

Did you try the repair option? If that didn't work, try ReMark's suggestion. If all that fails, take JD Mather's advice and one more time,

Did you turn off anti-virus during the download?

[LT72884]

Did you try the repair option? If that didn't work, try ReMark's suggestion. If all that fails, take JD Mather's advice and one more time,

 

This was the 32 bit version. I have as very very fast internet connection, (6megaBYTES,yes bytes per second) lol. I personally did not create a restore point on the machine. Did it do it automatically, probably not. I have never had success with restore points on any xp machine. haha

 

This was indeed on me xp machine. I tried the 2011 download 3 times and every single time i tried to un-package it, it said it was corrupted.

 

Since my C drive is only holds the OS ans the OS files, i couldnt use the automated download system autodesk likes to use. I had to save the file on another HDD specifically made for data.

 

Avast virus was not turned off during install

 

What i think killed it was a stupid update from adobe running in the back ground. Event viewer said nothing but in the past, it has been adobe updater

 

thanks guys

[ReMark]

Learn how to create a Restore point and use the feature before the installation of any major piece of software. If you do not know how to do it there are plenty of explanations (with images) on the Internet. Your best sources of information are Microsoft, PCWorld and Smart Computing.

 

Most software wants to install to drive C:\ and a small minority of them will not allow for any other choice. One always must be careful when indicating to any program where one would like the program files to be stored.

 

Most programs upon installation will tell the user to disable all programs running in the background. They really do mean ALL.

 

You should have known that an update from Adobe was running in the background. It wasn't the update's fault it was yours.

Edited April 5, 2011 by ReMark
spelling error

[LT72884]

Learn how to create a Restore point and use the feature before the installation of any major piece of software. If you do not know how to do it there are plenty of explanations (with images) on the Internet. Your best sources of information are Microsoft, PCWorld and Smart Computing.

 

Most software wants to install to drive C:\ and a small minority of them will not allow for any other choice. One always must be careful when indicating to any program where one would like the program files to be stored.

 

Most programs upon installation will tell the user to disable all programs running in the background. They really do me ALL.

 

You should have known that an update from Adobe was running in the background. It wasn't the update's fault it was yours.

 

I know how to create restore points just fine. done it a hundred times. My computer is not messed up, just missing files.

 

Actually, ALL software gives you a choice where to install it. I have done it thousands of times and never had an issue with it. Picking the install path of a piece of software is the users choice and right, not microsfots or autocads or any other software producer for that matter. lol. In fact, microsoft and other OS's encourage that data be seperate from the actual OS files so that if the data gets corupted or infected, it wont spread to the OS. Had to do it all the time with linux and unux servers.. but that is not the point here and i dont want to cause flame wars. Let me get off of my soap box and put my tissues away! haha

 

 

The update from adobe does NOT come up on the screen telling me that there is a process running nor does it have a task manager icon. Now, im not 100% sure that thats waht caused the issue. It could have been just a bad install because my computer locked up for about 2 hours. I did let it set just to see if it would recover, never did. So i had to cold boot the thing.

 

I had all other prorams turned off, that i know of. obiovously adobe must have had another name for the process or i would have seen it.haha i did not have my virus scanner tunred off because i just dont trust it being off for more than 10 minutes. But i will try it next time to see what happens.

 

I have found the common files folder for autodesk and i found the rest of the hidden files. i will clean them off and then re try. The common files were no where near the install path i chose nor where they near where the default install path was, they were placed in my documents. haha

 

thanks guys

[Jack_O'neill]

Actually, ALL software gives you a choice where to install it. I have done it thousands of times and never had an issue with it. Picking the install path of a piece of software is the users choice and right, not microsfots or autocads or any other software producer for that matter

 

Not necessarily. I have encountered several software packages over the years that have certain paths hard coded and if the user moves or deletes these files, the program crashes. Even if you install on a different drive letter, if the path is hard coded to a specific directory that's where it looks and you can't change it. It's not a matter of choice, it's simply the way the programmer wrote it.

 

The update from adobe does NOT come up on the screen telling me that there is a process running nor does it have a task manager icon. Now, im not 100% sure that thats waht caused the issue.

 

They don't do stealth installs. The notification most likely got ignored or overlooked. In fact, it won't even run if you don't click it on. Then it pops up a notification as to whether the install was successful or not. The update only takes a few seconds so I doubt this was your problem.

 

It could have been just a bad install because my computer locked up for about 2 hours. I did let it set just to see if it would recover, never did. So i had to cold boot the thing.

 

You said in your first message "i was right in the middle of an install of the program when my PC randomly rebooted". So, which is it?

 

i did not have my virus scanner tunred off because i just dont trust it being off for more than 10 minutes

 

If I was a betting man, I'd say this was the source of the whole problem. There is a reason the installation instructions say to turn antivirus software off. Many of these programs think Autocad is a virus (Norton among them). If you turn it off, then install, then turn it back on, it will protect the installation. If you try to install with it running, your antivirus will try to stop it. If you are that worried about an intrusion, unplug your network cable during the install.

 

There are specific instructions on the Autodesk website for removing thier programs. I suggest you read and follow them, then read and make sure you understand and follow the installation instructions when you try again.

[JD Mather]

...i couldnt use the automated download system autodesk likes to use.

 

I never use their Akamai downloader either, but I have not had any trouble downloading from the student community website (been using it since before most people could even get access). I always turn off my antivirus during download (including TSR) and during install.

[ReMark]

Despite your extensive knowledge you somehow managed to go wrong. Maybe you were in a rush. Who knows? I certainly don't. So my advice to you is to clean up your mess and try again. Just make sure both you and your computer are ready this time and pay attention. Maybe the fact that you have "done this a thousand times" made you a bit less observant/diligent than you should have been. It happens even to the best of us.

[LT72884]

You said in your first message "i was right in the middle of an install of the program when my PC randomly rebooted". So' date=' which is it?

 

 

[/quote']

 

You have a very excelent point my friend. Now you have me thinkin. See, i deal with servers on a 24x7 basis at my job and sometimes the issues intermingle with the ones at home. i do remember i had to actually turn it off because it locked up for that long periode of time. Bare in mind, this was 4 or 5 weeks ago and im just barly gettin to posting bout it because i have ben so busy with school! ME aint an easy degre! haha

 

Here is how the adobe updater works on mine. And yes, its stupid how it does it! Nothing will pop up telling me that it has been updated, rather, it downloads the update in the background then it pops up saying, would you like to install the recently downloaded update for adobe reader? However, 50-60% of the time,when it tries to download the update, my PC will reboot for no reason. I will then check event viewer and it will have a bug check that states the adober updater caused an unexpected restart. Now, after everytime my pc randomly reboots, i will check event viewer and only some of the times it shows that error message.

 

I dont get alot of reboots, maybe 2 out 6 start ups i get random reboots and 1 out of those 2 are from adobe updater.

 

Ok, if i turn off me virus scanner, can i disconnect me LAN or does it require internet connection to do the install?

 

Im going to try 2011 this week and see what happens.

 

i have found the cleaning instructions from autodesk. i will be cleaning up me PC today or sometime this week

 

thanks everyone. And sorry for my soap opera! im just frustrated. Didnt mean to be so harsh! my pc is a very interesting beast and at times it does not like to play well with others.

 

Matt

[ReMark]

You need an Internet connection to get an authorization code to run the software although most AutoDesk programs come with a free 30-day trial period.

 

You get random reboots and you have no idea why? For starters why not kill any "auto updates" until you can pinpoint the problem. Why are you compounding it?

[Jack_O'neill]

I dont get alot of reboots, maybe 2 out 6 start ups i get random reboots and 1 out of those 2 are from adobe updater.

 

Ok, if i turn off me virus scanner, can i disconnect me LAN or does it require internet connection to do the install?

 

 

Two out of six times you turn your machine on and you get "random reboots?" Holy crap man...what do you call a lot? That's one in three. You sure you don't have a loose connection in your power supply or something? I have never had a computer just randomly reboot. Lock up occasionally, programs exit for no apparent reason, sure, but reboot itself? Never in more than 20 years of using one every day have I seen that.

 

If you are installing from a disk or a downloaded "installer" you will only need the internet connection to register your product. You can always just hit the "activate later" button and do the install without it. Then when its up and working it will ask you every time you start the software if you'd like to activate it or words to that effect.

 

I'd echo what Remark says at this point, and advise you to kill all automatic updates until you isolate your problem. I don't know how many updates Adobe sends out, but I don't get them very often. My virus software updates every day, but Adobe....maybe once or twice a month if that often and never without telling me first. If you are getting updates often enough to interfere with an install, there's something hinkey going on. You may have a virus that your antivirus doesn't detect.

 

I think you've got more problems that you know, my friend. "Random reboots" happening on a third of your startups is not a normal condition, neither is piles of software updates. You will have nothing but trouble till you figure out what's causing that and fix it.

[ReMark]

I think his computer has a virus and he is in denial.

 

A career change might be a good idea.

[LT72884]

I think his computer has a virus and he is in denial.

 

A career change might be a good idea.

 

HAHAHA, im for sure in denial! i just didnt want to say it.

 

No, the random reboot issue seems to be taken care of now. i have had zero reboots the last 15 start ups this week. To me, 4 random reboots a day is alot. We have 7000 servers we have to manage each day in different locations and some of them literally reboot 3 times a day, but thats because of software pushes for the BT transformation.

 

anyway, so far i have not had any issues this last 3 or 4 days with random reboots. The last savedump i found was because adobe updater for some reason or another decided to halt right in the middle of the download.

 

i do not have any viruses according to avast. my firewall does a pretty good job at keepin those out. yes i know my PC has many problems, simply because its my home PC and im a 20 credit hour student, so my PC is on MAYBE 3 hours a week . the internet is not hooked up to it at all so i know its not a virus. The random reboots were always caused from some sort of software update according to the savedumps of event vwr. Adobe being the number one cause. But like i said, its been 15 start ups and so far so good. This week the PC has been on a bit more trying to fix this issue.

 

here is my current issue now. i have followed the guide from autodesk to almost a T. i cleaned the registry again, deleted folders for accounts and the only file that wont delete in the common files/autodesk shared folder is the acshell.dll file. I try in safemode and everything. Yes i do have permission. i am administrator so its all good. says file is in use, not enough room or access denied. i have 500GB free space and the file is only 15KB. So i renamed it to an mp3 file. Well, i run the installer for autocad and it says that 2010 is STILL installed. i go to control panel and try to uninstall hoping that it will work this time and it cant because its missing files. So somewhere on me HDD is some more files, such as a config file, telling the autocad installer that autocad 2010 is still installed.

 

 

thanks guys

[Organic]

You started your computer 15 times in the past week?

 

You say you don't have the Internet connected to it so it can't be a virus (Note: using a USB etc can easily transfer an infected file/virus), yet then you say Adobe Update halted halfway through downloading an update, thus implying your computer is or was then connected to the internet....

 

If you use a program (free) called 'Unlocker', it will be able to delete that file.

 

So you followed http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=2887771&linkID=9240617 and did delete the registry entries mentioned there?

[ReMark]

And if Dink's advice does not do the trick then I suggest you wipe the drive on that poor excuse of a computer of yours and start all over. Really, you manage over 7000 servers and can't keep your own computer from experiencing problems? I cannot remember the last time I had a random reboot of a personal computer and between work and home I have four of them.

[Jack_O'neill]

i do not have any viruses according to avast. my firewall does a pretty good job at keepin those out. yes i know my PC has many problems, simply because its my home PC and im a 20 credit hour student, so my PC is on MAYBE 3 hours a week . the internet is not hooked up to it at all so i know its not a virus. The random reboots were always caused from some sort of software update according to the savedumps of event vwr. Adobe being the number one cause. But like i said, its been 15 start ups and so far so good. This week the PC has been on a bit more trying to fix this issue.

 

 

Nobody is going to be able to help you with this issue until you get your story straight. You've gone from saying you can't turn your antivirus off because you are afraid of getting a virus, to not being hooked up to the internet at all now. If you're not connected to the internet, how are you getting these mysterious software updates that you blame for the problems?

 

I hope you figure it out, but if you think 4 random reboots a day is a tolerable situation, then you'll never get it to work right. I suggest you throw that machine in the recycle bin, go down to your local computer store with your autocad disk in hand, buy a new one and ask the guy at the store to install it for you. Then take it home and just use it, don't mess with it.

 

Seriously dude...if you would just tell us the real story of what happened during the install or what you tried to do that didn't work, you might get the help you need. Its ok to say "I don't know", or "I'm new at this and screwed it up"...anything that is the truth will get you the help you need. We've all been there, we've all made mistakes born from inexperience or a lack of knowledge. We all still continue to do so. Nobody knows it all, and everybody has to ask for help from time to time. Spinning a yarn about managing thousands of servers does not make you look smarter, admitting you need help makes you look smarter.

 

Now, if you can tell us what really happened and what equipment you are really using someone here might be able to talk you through fixing it.

[LT72884]

That is the real story. Just a totally un organized work of art! haha. i have explained and tried to organize it all in this post. Also i am begging for mercy and forgivness for my lack of organizing skills! haha Like i said. the random reboots are, i hope, taken care of. haha. keywords... i hope

 

Its not a fact of i dont kow what im doing, though it could be! its a fact of that my PC is a piece of crap and messed up the install for some stupid reason. haha. Somehow it did not like the install of autocad and thats why i am here. To get the issue fixed.

 

My story is, for the most part, pretty straight. haha. no really, i have no idea why my PC did what it did. i can be one of those dudes who blames it on windows but that wont get me anywhere. Like i said earlier, the only things i can think of that messed it up was either adobe installer/updater, mainly because it has caused random reboots in the past according to event vwr. BUT event vwr showed no errors in the log for why my PC acted up at the time of install! All i can remeber, i installed it on febuary 3rd, was that my PC completly locked up. frozen, not responding. So i had to cold boot it. As to my remeberence, thats what i did. So i went in to check event vwr to see why it locked up. nothin.

 

So either my PC hated the downloaded file or something else. Its either this forum or another but i mentioned that 2011 was corupted everytime i tried to extract it. i downloaded it a couple of times, i wanna say at least twice and each time it said it could not extract because it was corupted. So then i grabbed the 2010 file.

 

I dont want to turn off antivirus when installing because internet HAS to be hooked up for the install but i will for the purpose of installing autocad. My PC is 90% of the time not hooked to the internet because i use the LAN connection for another device AND i can not find my switch! Once i find it though. My pc will have a solid LAN connection. I just use the internet connection when it requires it for an install of something. Thats why i said i dont want to turn off me virus software. haha. yes it is complecated.

 

My router is in the front room and i have a 3 devices hooked to the ISR switch thats built into it. Then a cat5 cable runs to a patch pannle from port 4 on the ISR switch and from the patch pannle, it is supposed to go to a switch so i can hook up the other devices i have. But since i cant find the switch, i have to share that LAN line with another device and the other device takes priority over my PC! haha

 

So yes my story was somewhat straight, just very very very complex and un oragnized. My appologies for that. I know my home PC has its issues and im hoping i have those taken care of now. i have cleaned alot of trash off of it and allowed adobe to actually install the update it has been wanting to install for months now!. haha. So hopefully my PC will accept the install.

but im still at square one.

 

The install failed because of my PC and now i cant use the control pannle to remove it from the said PC because its says its missing files to uninstall it. I have deleted ALL registry files and everything that instruction set told me to delete. Except those acshell.dll files. those are next. BWAHAHA

I just need to find out where it stored the other fles that keep telling the installer that it is installed!

 

Ill probably have to delete the downloaded versions of autocad and re download them and see what happens. this time ill go with 2011. Im wondering if, when i extract the files to my data drive, if it stores a config file somewhere and that file is what tells the installer that autocad 2010 is installed.

 

My home PC, i built in 06! haha so its OLD but still works. but the PC has been acting up the last year or so and i have NO money to get a new one. I dont even think they make socket 939 boards anymore. When i first built it, it worked great.

The whole "I manage 7000 servers" wasnot me spinning yarn sorry. here is what i said in the post

"To me, 4 random reboots a day is alot. We have 7000 servers we have to manage each day in different locations and some of them literally reboot 3 times a day"

 

I hope you figure it out, but if you think 4 random reboots a day is a tolerable situation, then you'll never get it to work right.

 

 

I was trying to say that i agree that 4 random reboots is alot and un acceptable, not trying to say that 4 is ok!! haha. i was agreeing with you guys that the random reboots is not good! i just sucked at stating that!

 

You say you don't have the Internet connected to it so it can't be a virus (Note: using a USB etc can easily transfer an infected file/virus), yet then you say Adobe Update halted halfway through downloading an update, thus implying your computer is or was then connected to the internet....

 

my post was this:

 

The last savedump i found was because adobe updater for some reason or another decided to halt right in the middle of the download.

 

I didnt say the save dump was from that day! yes i should have mentioned that! sorry! I was stating that the last save dump i found was adobe updater halting during the update when my pc had, at the time, an internet connection! If your PC is not hooked to the internet, windows updater still brings up a window(pop up) stating that there are updates ready to be installed! why microsoft did this, is beyond me. Adobe does it as well. So how can my adobe and windows updater say that updates are ready for my PC if i know for a fact at that given time,there is no internet connection? I do not have wifi either. I live in a faraday cage(aluminum roof and copper pipes) hahaha!! I tested this last night! When it said this, i MADE SURE there was no LAN connection. So i cliked on the updater and it said, cnat downlod because there is no connection. So i hooked it up and downloaded the updates so it wouldnt bother me anymore!

 

I have very little time to work on my PC at home and when issues started creeping up, i didnt have time to fix them because, well, homework is way more important. So after a year or so of this PC acting up, it has not been completly taken care of. but for the most part, i thought i had all the issues taken care of. But i guess not or i wouldnt be here! haha.

 

I dont know what caused my PC to lock up during the install,haha. It could be the fact i didnt turn of my virus scanner, or that adobe was in fact the main player, or that windows just didnt like the install or that another totally random process screwed it up, or that it was an act of evil spirits! Im just trying to narrow it down to what has happened in the past. And i know that in the past it has been, according to event vwr that adobe updater has issues for some reason. I didnt program the updater, i just downloaded adobe reader and probably got a bug in the updater!

 

Should have i turned off the updater during the install? yes, did I? no, thats because i completly forgot and didnt realize it untill, well, you know, the install jacked up! My fault? yes!

 

Mr. jack O niel and the rest of the gang! i totally agree with you! i did not mean to make the issue so complex! Please forgive me. I am not trying to sound smarter. i just had a soap box moment and needed to cry! I know you guys think im a 3 letter word that begins with A and ends with SS, and im really sorry for this complecated issue. Its completcated because of school, work and no switch! haha. So im sorry for being that 3 letter word. i wish i would have not waited 5 or 6 weeks after the issue to post here, but school took priority! With in that 5 or 6 weeks, my pc did in fact have random reboots and all the issues mixed together. But as i recall, i remeber having to cold boot it. So thats where im gonna stick for now. I hope i have somewhat re organized the issue.

As of right now. i just want to get the issue fixed. i spent 3 hours last night on it. wasted way to much time! haha.

 

Yes i have had 15 start ups in the last few days. i had to reboot after regstry cleans and uninstalling other programs that i didnt need. I did a disk check and also booted into safe mode to try and delete those dang files that wont delete.

I turn off my PC after each use because im not gonna leave it on while im at school for 8 hours and then work for 5 hours! no need to waste power! haha

　

[ReMark]

Bottom line: You aren't going to fix the problem because things are too screwed up. Wipe your hard drive, reload your OS then install AutoCAD. You only need an Internet connection to get an authorization code. You have 30 days to do that. Meanwhile AutoCAD will run just fine IF your computer meets the minimum specs for the version of AutoCAD you are trying to install. Please reread the previous sentence three times out loud then go to the AutoDesk website and check "system requirements". Maybe your computer CAN'T run the version you were attempting to install and all this has been for nought.