I noticed a problem yesterday when I tried to update some software the installs would go so far and lock. I would have to reboot my computer by holding the power button I could not cancel the install or shutdown the computer normally. This happened with several install attempts Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash, Shockwave, Quicktime, Real Player. I tried disabling Antivirus Autoprotect but it still happened then I disabled both Antivirus Autoprotect and Smart Firewall and all of the programs installed without any trouble. The only thing I noticed that gave me the idea to disable the firewall was entries in the history log like this.
There were several of these like this at around the time I tried installing the various programs. I never had any issues in the past and just noticed this yesterday.
This isn't actually a firewall or AV block. It is Norton Product Tamper Protection preventing a program from accessing Norton's process data, something that happens frequently and does not usually cause any problems. I am not sure if this blocking of access to Norton was causing the problem, or if it was coincidental. Normally, a program, especially a WIndows program, that is denied access will continue on and complete its task. You could check the Windows Event Viewer and see what the log entries say about the system hangs and whether they were related to Norton. Seems odd that disabling the firewall would have had any effect. Also, note that disabling Auto-Protect and the firewall would not prevent Tamper Protection from continuing to block access to Norton files and processes, as that is an entirely different component that is not directly involved in protecting your system. If the problem was related to what you are showing in the screenshot, turning off the firewall and AV should not have been a fix. (Also the target appears to be a Systemworks process rather than an NIS process). It is possible that the Norton access block created the issue, but it is also possible that something unrelated was going on coincidental to the fact that the program was trying to access a Norton process.
Does it make any difference if you try to update your software online from within the programs (e.g., Help | Check for Updates) versus saving the installation file from the manufacturer's website to your hard drive and then running the installtions manually?
When you look in the NIS history for Download Insight (History | Internet | Download Insight), do you see any files with a "Blocked" status that look similar to the screenshot below when you click the More Details button?
------------
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2 * NIS 2011 v. 18.6.0.29 * IE 9.0 * Firefox 6.0 HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo CPU T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3.0 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS
Just another thought. I'm not sure, but I think most, if not all, of the programs you mentioned try to install an web browser add-on (e.g., an extension, browser plug-in or Active-X control).
If you use the Firefox browser, have you recently upgraded to Firefox 6.0? Do you see any disabled add-ons from the add-on manager of you default browser (Tools | Add-ons | Extensions and Tools | Add-ons | Plugins for Firefox; Tools | Manage Add-ons | Toolbars and Extensions for IE) for Shockwave Flash, QuickTime, etc. that you think should be enabled?
----------
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2 * NIS 2011 v. 18.6.0.29 * IE 9.0 * Firefox 6.0 HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo CPU T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3.0 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS
Were you still having problems with your software installations?
Did you check you Windows Event Viewer (Start | Administrative Tools | Event Viewer | Custom Views | Administrative Events) as SendOfJive suggested and check your events for errors that occurred during the installations on 28-Aug-2011? My screenshot shows an error I had in the Event Viewer a few months ago for the Microsoft Installer, but you may see a completely different source for your error(s).
I was re-reading your original post about trying to perform installations for multiple programs and was just wondering if you upgraded your OS or purchased a new computer? Norton SystemWorks Basic is a discontinued product and I don't think it's compatible with newer operating systems like Win 7. I contacted Norton Customer Support by e-mail about a year ago regarding updates for my SystemWorks 12.0 Basic and they were kind enough to give me a free upgrade to Norton Utilities after I gave them the product key # for my NSW installation. Both programs are similar and Norton Utilities is compatible with all versions of Windows, so you might try that route if you're interested. ---------
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2 * NIS 2011 v. 18.6.0.29 * IE 9.0 * Firefox 6.0 HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo CPU T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3.0 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS
I did check the event viewer and noticed some errors for msiinstaller. One of the details I show below. I have not upaded the OS I am running XP SP3. Thanks for the tip on norton utilities. I have not installed anything since and will wait to see what happens. Thanks eveyone for your help.
Did you get MsiInstaller errors for each of the software programs you tried to install? If the problem persists after you re-boot your computer and you're sure that your Windows account has Administrator rights, you may have a problem with your native Windows Installer program. Check out the MS Support article Troubleshoot Problems Installing and Uninstalling Programs on Windows-based Computers for a few helpful hints.
You mentioned that Adobe Flash was one of the programs you had problems installing. You can check your Adobe Flash installtionhere, and this utility will tell you if your Flash is working correctly in your browser and what version number is currently installed on your PC. If Flash isn't working correctly it might be worth trying to re-install one more time to see if we can get it working again. Let me know the web browser(s) you use (e.g., Firefox 6 and/or IE9) and I can send detailed steps on how to perform a clean uninstall / re-install if you think it's worth a shot.
If you think you have a serious problem, I would suggest that you immediately create a new system restore point for your computer (in Vista, it's Start | Control Panel | System | System Protection - just search for "system restore" from your XP Start button if this doesn't work in XP) and then post your problem in theBleepingComputer Windows XP support forum or the WhatTheTech MS Windows support forum. Both forums are similar - I used the WhatTheTech forum myself to solve a problem with corrupted permissions in my folders and registry and I was assigned a tech support person that worked with me one-on-one until the problem was resolved. If you decide to go this route, provide them with as much information as possible, including the date and program name of your last successful software installation, whether Windows Update is still delivering system updates for your computer, the exact wording of any error messages you receive during aborted installations, etc.
--------- Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2 * NIS 2011 v. 18.6.0.29 * IE 9.0 * Firefox 6.0 HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo CPU T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3.0 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS
I did get several errors for the installer during that afternoon it is hard to say that each one had one. I did get all of the programs to install after I disabled the smart firewall and autoprotect could have just been a coincidental. I did see a error message about a suspended install and that it needed to be undone to continue but I can not pinpoint when that popped up. I now have installed windows updates since with no issues. I currently do not belive I have a serious issue. I will see it the problem returns / continues.
This is pure speculation at the point, but based on the Windows event error you posted, it's possible that the native Windows installer got stuck while the Apple Software Updater was in the middle of updating either QuickTime or some other Apple software like iTunes. I have a slow Internet connection at home and this has happened to me a few times if I ran the Apple Software Updater over the Internet (e.g., from Help | Update Existing Software) or if my Apple software was set to update automatically. In your case, the Windows installer may have gotten stuck while it waited for you to abort the failed installation, preventing you from succcessfully installing your other software. A simple re-start of your computer may have fixed the problem.
I have the automatic installation for most of my software turned off now. I run a quick scan with the FileHippo Update Checker every few days, and if it finds an available update for any of my free non-Windows software (e.g., Java, Adobe Flash, Firefox, Foxit Reader, Defraggler, WinRAR, QuickTime, iTunes, etc.) I download the installation file from the FileHippo site or the directly from the manufacturer and then run the updates manually while I'm disconnnected from the Internet. It should be safe to disable the automated updating for any software listed on the FileHippo site as long as you check for available updates with the FileHippo Update Checker on a regular basis.
-----------
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2 * NIS 2011 v. 18.6.0.29 * IE 9.0 * Firefox 6.0 HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo CPU T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3.0 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS