Where to check error log when installation fails in windows?

Question

I'm installing MS visio 2007,it fails every time,but doesn't give any information on what's wrong.

How can I check the error log?

Answer 1

You may have to specify an error log file when installing the program.

Answer 2

The installer for Visio is based on the Windows Installer. For such installations you can turn up the Windows Installer logging level easily by modifying the local Group Policy.

• Start / Run / GPEDIT.MSC

• In the "Group Policy" dialog, navigate to "Computer Configuration", "Administrative Templates", "Windows Components", and "Windows Installer"

• Enable the policy "Logging", and specify all the logging options in the "Logging" text box (a helpful memorization device for all the options is the phrase voicewarmup).

• Start / Run / gpupdate

As an aside: If your computer is a member of a domain and a Group Policy in the domain forces this setting to be different then, obviously, the domain Group Policy will "trump" the local Group Policy.

Once you've done this, run the installer again and watch the '%temp%' directory for MSI*.LOG files. These files will contain the details logged by the installer. You can use the errors logged here as additional fodder for searches about the root cause of your problem.

Be sure to go back into your local Group Policy and disable Windows Installer logging or future installations will be slowed down by the very verbose logging.

To speak to the general issue (for the benefit of other Server Fault users): For programs that don't use Windows Installer you're going to have a tougher time finding a single place to look. The Event Logs are helpful, but unlikely to contain any information from "roll your own" setup programs or common third-party installation toolkits (InstallAnywhere, ZeroG, etc). Watching the installation process with tools like SysInternals Process Monitor are your best recourse when dealing with a non-Windows Installer driven setup.