«

Over the last few days, I reinstalled Win2kSP2 to a spare harddrive I
had just swapped into my Fujitsu LifeBook P1120 (long story <wink>).
Subsequently, I DL'ed the newest Python alpha (2.4a2), and when trying
to install it, I immediately got this error:

This installation package cannot be installed by the
Windows Installer service. You must install a
Windows service pack that contains a newer version
of the Windows Installer service.

(Python 2.4a2 had been working on the LifeBook P1120 before the crash
and subsequent reinstall.)

I immediately tried installing Python 2.4a2 on my older, HP laptop,
and that went fine.

I then went back to the Python alpha page and DL'ed the ~1.8MB file
linked from MS's site. After running the new DL from MS, the Python
MSI installer seemed to run.

However, now Idle wouldn't run, although the Python command line
(console) worked. I tried running Idle using Windows Explorer from
inside my Python installation at:

E:\Python24\Lib\idlelib\idle.pyw (and idle.py)

but those didn't work, either. (E:\ is my Win2k partition and it's a
FAT32 partition.)

I then checked the new 2.4a2 install on the older HP laptop, and there
Idle worked -- from the menu shortcuts, and from launching the
idle.pyw file in Windows Explorer.

(I note that the HP laptop already had Python23 on it. The HP has
*almost* the same OS: Win2kSP3 -- not a fresh install -- and is using
NTFS for its Win2k partition.)

I also note that the *.pyc files were not created by the installer on
the Fujitsu LifeBook P1120 but were on the HP Omnibook 900B (as may be
surmised).

Back on the P1120, I used the MSI installer to "repair" the broken
install twice, used it again to completely remove Python, rebooted
<wink>, and then use the MSI installer one more time to reinstall.
Still no go.

Am I overlooking something simple...?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

(I'll try to followup as this gets solved -- I've reinstalled onto an
old harddrive, so I may crash again... )

I'll-keep-at-it-and-try-DL'ing-2.3.4-tonight'ly y'rs
Richard

--
email works if unmunged:
sick<PERI0D>ole<P0INT>fart<PIE_DEC0_SYNTAX>newsguy <MARK>com

"Richard Hanson" <> wrote in message
news:...

> Am I overlooking something simple...?

How about SP3, or even 4?

"drs" wrote:

>"Richard Hanson" <> wrote in message
>news:.. .
>
>> Am I overlooking something simple...?
>
>How about SP3, or even 4?

That's a thought. But, as I alluded to in my somewhat lengthy post,
2.4a2 worked with this OEM Win2kSP2 *before* the installation "died"
last Friday.

I have an SP3 CD, so that's doable; I'm on a slightly flaky dialup, so
DL'ing SP4 would be a bit... uh... uncomfortable.

Also, isn't there the general feeling that Win2kSP2 is about as good
as Windows gets (got)? (Aside from the EULA issues; just on the
technical merits?)

Thanks for the idea, though -- much appreciated. I may well try SP3 if
I remain at an impasse.

PS to original post: Further testing shows that the Python command
line (console) is broken, too. Some things sorta work (e.g., "import
sys"); most don't (e.g., "import decimal").

Python-withdrawals-are-painfully y'rs,
Richard

--
email works if unmunged:
sick<PERI0D>ole<P0INT>fart<PIE_DEC0_SYNTAX>newsguy <MARK>com

Following up:

After a couple of tries this afternoon, I managed to DL Python 2.3.4
and installed it -- Idle ran and seemed to be normal.

(I thought I would do a quick "test" before posting so I did a "from
test import testall" and got pages and pages of output from 2.3.4 --
about 257kB's worth. <wink>)

Anyway, Python 2.4a2 *still* does not install on my Fujitsu LifeBook
P1120 with Win2kSP2 -- as described in my original post.

So, still stumped.

hard-to-count-the-ways-without-Decimal'ly y'rs,
Richard

--
email works if unmunged:
sick<PERI0D>ole<P0INT>fart<PIE_DEC0_SYNTAX>newsguy <MARK>com

Richard Hanson wrote:
> This installation package cannot be installed by the
> Windows Installer service. You must install a
> Windows service pack that contains a newer version
> of the Windows Installer service.

The problem is what this message says: you need a newer
version of Windows installer.

> Also, isn't there the general feeling that Win2kSP2 is about as good
> as Windows gets (got)?

W2k itself is fine. However, W2k ships with Installer 1.1, W2kSP2
updates that to Installer 1.11, W2kSP3 to Installer 2.0. The Python
MSI file requires Installer 2.0.

http://www.python.org/2.4/

says

# [...] double-click python-2.4a2.msi to find out if your machine
# supports MSI. If it doesn't, you'll need to install Microsoft
# Installer first. Many other packages (such as Word and Office) also
# include MSI, so you may already have it on your system. If not, you
# can download it freely from Microsoft for Windows 95, 98 and Me and
# for Windows NT 4.0 and 2000

You can find the download links on that page.

If it used to work before the reinstallation, you either had a different
service pack installed before, or some other software you had installed
did a silent installation of a new installer release (such as Office
2k).

Regards,
Martin

Martin,

Thanks for replying.

Still no go with the 2.4a2 install on my Fujitsu LifeBook P1120 with
Win2kSP2.

(I have much to learn in writing concise posts, alas -- I appreciate
your patience.)

Minding my own relative ignorance -- and your expertise -- with the
MSI Installer, this morning I redownloaded the MSI Installer
(filename: InstMsiW.exe, filesize: 1,822,848 bytes, version:
2.0.2600.2) from MS using the link on the Python 2.4 page as you
suggest (and as I'd already done yesterday as noted in my original,
somewhat dense post).

Today, I get the same file from MS as yesterday.

Just in case, though, I ran the new download from MS yet again, and it
said:

"Error: The specified service already exists."

Martin v. Löwis wrote:

>If it used to work before the reinstallation, you either had a different
>service pack installed before, or some other software you had installed
>did a silent installation of a new installer release (such as Office
>2k).

I'm at a loss, still. Surely, something I had previously installed in
my own prior installation silently installed something needed for the
Python 2.4a2 install *other than the MSI Installer 2.0* and is
currently missing from my reinstall...?

I'll keep working on it and will report back as a solution develops.

Thanks again, Martin -- much appreciate your and all the other
developer's selfless contributions.

I'm going to try to redownload the Python install file (mine is
filesize: 10,691,072 bytes) even though it "seems" fine -- as I'm
running out of ideas.

Meanwhile, I *do* have Python 2.3.4 to play... er... *work* with (but
I sorely miss Decimal <wink>).

Best regards,
Richard

--
email works if unmunged:
sick<PERI0D>ole<P0INT>fart<PIE_DEC0_SYNTAX>newsguy <MARK>com

Richard Hanson wrote:
> (I have much to learn in writing concise posts, alas -- I appreciate
> your patience.)

That is indeed the problem. I stopped reading after the first paragraph.
I'm still uncertain whether you are talking about the original problem
(failure to install the Python msi file), or about the second problem
(MSI file installs fine, but IDLE fails to work) in this message.

> I'm at a loss, still. Surely, something I had previously installed in
> my own prior installation silently installed something needed for the
> Python 2.4a2 install *other than the MSI Installer 2.0* and is
> currently missing from my reinstall...?

Why do you think so?

> I'm going to try to redownload the Python install file (mine is
> filesize: 10,691,072 bytes) even though it "seems" fine -- as I'm
> running out of ideas.

If the installation completed with the dialog stating it completed
successfully, it probably did complete successfully indeed.
If you still see a problem, it is likely that this problem is
unrelated to the installation. However, I lost track as to what
this problem might be, and how you have tried to narrow it down.

Regards,
Martin

Martin,

I had just found a workaround for my immediate problem and was
composing a post. Instead, I'll cut-and-paste as appropriate from that
draft, interleaved herein.

Martin v. Löwis wrote:

>Richard Hanson wrote:
>> (I have much to learn in writing concise posts, alas -- I appreciate
>> your patience.)
>
>That is indeed the problem. I stopped reading after the first paragraph.
>I'm still uncertain whether you are talking about the original problem
>(failure to install the Python msi file), or about the second problem
>(MSI file installs fine, but IDLE fails to work) in this message.

Sorry. I see now that I provided too much background detail getting to
the story -- and didn't write clearly enough, to boot. (As it were.)

The problem: The "python-2.4a2.msi" file appeared to install, but the
install was broken -- IDLE failed to work, and the console was mostly
broken.

Platform: Dual-booting Win98SE and Win2kSP2 on Fujitsu laptop --
primary OS is Win2k on the E: partition.

>>[...] Surely, something I had previously installed in
>> my own prior installation silently installed something needed for the
>> Python 2.4a2 install *other than the MSI Installer 2.0* and is
>> currently missing from my reinstall...?
>
>Why do you think so?

Well, I admit I was clutching at straws. And ignorance and frustration
were probably making me too reckless with unwarranted assertions.

Now, however, I have some new data (which has me even more confused):

If I have a directory named "Python23" with *only* the immediate
contents of "Lib" in it (no other files or directories nor any of
Lib's sub-dirs) in a separate Win98 partition, then IDLE doesn't run.
However, if I rename or move that dir inside another dir, then IDLE
runs. I can move that subsetted Python23 dir back and forth between
being hidden inside another dir and being in the root, without
rebooting, and IDLE works or not, depending on the visibility of that
very limited subset of the normal Python23 install directory.

I've searched the registry for "Python23" and don't find any reference
there.

It's probably Just Another Windows Problem <wink>, but by now after
fighting Windows installation problems for days -- my brain is mush.
Further, I know virtually nothing about Python's guts.

Perhaps my testing will help you or others ascertain if there even
*is* a problem in general -- or, if there's just something wrong with
my individual machine.

For now, I will just uninstall Python from my Win98 partition.

My apologies again, Martin, for my less-than-optimum posts. I do
appreciate the busyness of the modern era, and I'm very grateful that
folks like you are so willing to give of your valuable time.

You have indeed helped by eliminating many blind alleys I could have
gone down.

Anyway, thanks much -- again.

Best regards,
Richard

--
email works if unmunged:
sick<PERI0D>ole<P0INT>fart<PIE_DEC0_SYNTAX>newsguy <MARK>com

Richard Hanson wrote:
> If I have a directory named "Python23" with *only* the immediate
> contents of "Lib" in it (no other files or directories nor any of
> Lib's sub-dirs) in a separate Win98 partition, then IDLE doesn't run.
> However, if I rename or move that dir inside another dir, then IDLE
> runs. I can move that subsetted Python23 dir back and forth between
> being hidden inside another dir and being in the root, without
> rebooting, and IDLE works or not, depending on the visibility of that
> very limited subset of the normal Python23 install directory.

Could it be that you have an environment variable PYTHONHOME or
PYTHONPATH set?

As for the console being mostly broken: what precisely does that mean?
If you run cmd.exe, and start c:\python24\python.exe, what happens?
What happens if you add a -v option to python.exe?

Regards,
Martin

On Thu, 26 Aug 2004 17:56:07 -0700, Richard Hanson <>
declaimed the following in comp.lang.python:


> If I have a directory named "Python23" with *only* the immediate
> contents of "Lib" in it (no other files or directories nor any of
> Lib's sub-dirs) in a separate Win98 partition, then IDLE doesn't run.
> However, if I rename or move that dir inside another dir, then IDLE
> runs. I can move that subsetted Python23 dir back and forth between
> being hidden inside another dir and being in the root, without
> rebooting, and IDLE works or not, depending on the visibility of that
> very limited subset of the normal Python23 install directory.
>
> I've searched the registry for "Python23" and don't find any reference
> there.
>
Check for your search path definition(os.environ["PATH"]). It
sounds like the W98 partition is being found before the full install
directory, and as a result, it fails to locate some files...

--
> ================================================== ============ <
> | Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber KD6MOG <
> | Bestiaria Support Staff <
> ================================================== ============ <
> Home Page: <http://www.dm.net/~wulfraed/> <
> Overflow Page: <http://wlfraed.home.netcom.com/> <