Can't install Impulse

Hi mj! Did you have your security software turned off during the download/install? *edit: You probably did...you're pretty experienced with this stuff.

Next...did your upgrade actually do just the upgrade, or did it inform you it had to do a full install?

Hey doc!  Yea, my security stuff was off, I was logged on as Administrator.  I clicked on the full install, since I had a clean drive, with no Stardock stuff on it. 

Here is the message I keep getting:  The Setup Wizard for Impulse has failed:  "The system cannot find the file specified". Please check your settings and try again.  

This is nuts! 

I sent I.D. a pm about it with a link to this thread. That's a weird message, alright. Were you using ie8 or ie7 to download Impulse? I used 8 and had no problems gettig set up. SD likes using ie more than other browsers.

Give it a try. If you did, then open that ticket with tech support.

Another thought... Create a file in say, Down;oads and call it Impulse. Download Impulse and put it there as 'save'. Then open that file and double click on Impulse itself and see if it installs. If not, right click on it and explore it and double click on the 'setup.exe' that's probably there.

mj.....do you have .NET installed? You should have 3.5 if you did a clean install BUT it occurs to me that your >NET framework might not be the required... you might need to get

From SD Knowledgebase:

"Impulse requires the Microsoft .NET Framework to run. .NET is a software technology that is available with several Microsoft Windows operating systems which includes a large library of pre-coded solutions to common programming problems. If you have Windows Vista it is very likely that you already have it installed. If you have XP installed you can download .NET from Microsoft. Here is one of the links to multiple versions to download and more information:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa569263.aspx

If you are not sure if you have .NET please download the following utility: http://astebner.sts.winisp.net/Tools/netfx_setupverifier_new.zip
After it downloads, extract the contents of the .zip and run netfx_setupverifier.exe

When the program opens, select '.NET Framework 2.0' and then click the verify button. It will give you a result of the condition of .NET. Click in the dropdown box and select '.NET Framework 2.0 SP1' and then click the verify button."

I think Doc nailed it Maryjane.....you need to have Net2.0 installed for Impulse to install.

I already checked about the Mocrosoft.net Framework.  I attempted to install it before I tried to install Impulse, and I got the message that it was already installed....however, I don't see it anywhere in my programs list or update list.  So, I'm not sure.

Doc, I tried the link you gave for the verifier, but the page never loaded....timed out, then another time, said the link was broken.

Okay, I finally got to the link for the verifier.  It says I have .Net 3.5, SP1 installed...so, that is not the issue.  It also said I had .Net 2, .Net 2, SP1, and .Net 3 installed as well.

Just an idea.....try turning UAC off while you install. Slider all the way to the bottom.

ps....realized after I posted that net framework is included with W7.....

But good idea about the UAC....that shouldn't be the problem, though.

Turning off UAC didn't change a thing...still get the same message as noted above!  Grrrrrrr

Try running the following file:

http://sd.stardock.com/curthendzell/fix_impulse_installer.reg

Once you do, try the install again.

Shirley, I ran that file and then tried the install again, and STILL got the same message!

I still have not been able to install impulse.  Is there anyway I can download Windowblinds by itself?  I can wait for Skin Studio, but I would like to be able to use my Christmas skin on my PC. 

This really sucks!  If I knew that this was gonna be such an issue, with no apparant way to "fix" it, I would have waited longer to switch over to Windows 7!

PS:  I submitted a support ticket yesterday, but have not heard anything back yet.

jazzy - Have you tried installing the full version of Impulse?

Yea, I did...I first tried the full install, since I didn't have anything on the drive.  When that didn't work, I tried the update.  The thing that bugsme is that I never got what file was that was in question.  No error log at all.  Impulse never installed.

Worth a try....

control panel/all control panel items/performane information and tools/advanced tools/view performance details in event log.

Dunno if the error will be flagged there...but might be...;)

Jafo, I'll try that in the morning...my pc is already shut down for the day...I'm on my laptop.  I'll post back here in the morning to let you know if I found anything there.

Jafo, I couldn't find any error log there either.  The only error I found was for when my paint shop pro crashed on me...lol!  I really didn't think there would be an error log anyway because Impulse never got installed.  I only got as far as the location for Impulse...then I got the screen pop-up with the message noted above.

I'm kinda stumped then....as none of my installs [post beta] has ever given trouble.  I havre Impulse installed in 4 'places' on this machine alone...[VMWare]...Vista 32 XP Pro and 2 of win 7 64.

It can 'only' be something interfering with the install...such as an AV that is not actually off, or some other installed proggy that is conflicting.

Either that or the OS [or you] cannot access the install files due to some permission issue.

With a bit of luck someone more clever than I will solve it...but it's currently a 'bad time' with Thanksgiving holidays, etc....;)

It's probably permissions in C:/Users/All Users. Try temporarily sharing the Stardock folder, see if that works.

I use Microsoft Security Essentials...and I turned it off....the flag was screaming at me!  I even disabled the slides for the desktop and just put a static wall there instead. 

I ran the install both as administrator, and when that didn't work, then I tried running without the administrator...same result each time....GRRRRRRR!

That's just it....I have NO Stardock folder...Impulse never installed!

I think what I may try to do is do a system restore back to before I even tried installing Impulse....maybe something got borked somewhere....I tried installing the dang thing about 10 times already!

OOPS!  I just checked the USERS folder....at the very top of it, there are two folders with a bunch of files that are encrpyted that looks like the stuff from Impulse.  Then, I did find a Stardock folder further down...it had a folder for Impulse there, but all of the folders inside were empty.  I don't know how I missed that!  I tried installing Impulse again this morning, but didn't get anywhere.  However, I did find this error log dated for yesterday:

-- [11/25/2009 2:25:28 PM] ----------------------------------------------------
Context: Program Error
Message: 
Build #: 1260
Exception: Parameter is not valid.
Stack Trace:
   at System.Drawing.Bitmap..ctor(String filename)
   at Stardock.Central.Common.Utils.LoadImage_NoLock(String ImagePath)
   at eq.OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.PaintWithErrorHandling(PaintEventArgs e, Int16 layer, Boolean disposeEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnPrint(PaintEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmPrintClient(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.UserControl.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Sorry...my bad.

Does this help any?

Hopefully it will....once the right 'boffin' sees it...;)

mj...delete all that stuff and do a manual search thru your files in the locations Impulse installs with W7.

Then try reinstalling. If it doesn't go that time as well, look up the errors. If it does install, great.

Don't forget: after removing all those files, reboot. Then try the reinstall. I'd suggest Revo, but it isn't installing, so you have nothing 'identifiable' to uninstall.