Have you tried re-downloading VDMSound 2.0.4 at all? A corrupt MSI file might be part of your problem.

Either that, or you haven't got the latest MSI runtime.

I kind of assumed he had the latest MSI runtime since he mentions it in his post (does SP3 update MSI at all?) so thats why I suggested re-downloading VDMSound first.

Yeah, SP3 includes MSI 2.0

Was a big fiasco with MS releasing it since they were worried that it still had issues. 🙄

Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm still having troubles.

I downloaded and installed SP3. I also re-downloaded VDMSound-2.0.4-WinNT-i386.msi, and just for kicks VDMSound-2.0.3a-WinNT-i386.msi.

In both cases, it pops up a DOS box that seems to be running an .EXE file (e.g. VDMSOU~2.EXE), chugs for a couple seconds, then gives me "Program too big to fit in memory" and quits.

I don't have experience with MSI but this suggests to me that it is successfully extracting an executable and then encountering a mysterious error on the executable?

I'm baffled.

Didn't someone post a message here about a procedure for checking this (msiexec.exe being corrupt or something like that?) Check if MSIEXEC is a Win32 program (right-click on it, go to Properties, and se if it has a "Version" tab or a bunch of DOS/PIF tags like "Memory" etc.). If it has the DOS tabs then erase/rename MSIEXEC.EXE (look for it on your entire system since a copy may be kept in the dllcache directory as well) and reinstall MSI.

For details see http://www.sourcewave.co.za/news.htm

Fix for Missing or Broken Win2k (SP3) Windows Installer "Upon installing SP3 for Win2k, some have reported errors using the Wind […]
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Fix for Missing or Broken Win2k (SP3) Windows Installer
"Upon installing SP3 for Win2k, some have reported errors using the Windows Installer service. I have encountered this issue when trying to install vdmsound. Here is one possible fix to use with caution:
1. Run msiexec.exe from the command prompt to verify the version, if there is no dialog box but instead an error in the NTVDM, then continue with these instructions.
2. Download InstMsiW.exe from this web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.as … ReleaseID=32832
3. Extract InstMsiW.exe using WinZip or a similar tool.
4. Check and write down the versions (via the properties of file) of the following files in the C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory:
msi.dll
msiexec.exe
msihnd.dll
5. For step 4, msiexec.exe should not have reported a version but instead appeared as a 16-bit program (dos).
6. From the extracted contents of InstMsiW.exe copy msiexec.exe over the old copy (backup the original msiexec.exe first).
7. Run the following command:
msiexec /unregister
8. Run the following command:
msiexec /regserver

Can someone copy/paste this nicely in Deep Thought or smething? Thanks!

V.

Done.

Oh, yeah, there is another "installer" quirk. Apparently, when Norton Utilities is installed (the "registry cleaner" or whatever it's called feature at least), or if "regcleaner" by juoni vuorio is installed, then the VDMSound installation (as well as anything that uses REGSVR32) will fail misereably with error 0x80040254 or something like that. This one is thanks to 'ov3rlord 111'. I wonder if it could make its way in there as well under some sort of "installation issues" general topic.

V.

Damn. I own both and use both of those utilities in Win98, and have been looking forward to using them on my next machine....

So I'd have to install VDMS before either of those utilities, or uninstall them both, install VDMS, and then reinstall them? That sucks. See if you can figure it out.

Stiletto wrote:

I own both and use both of those utilities in Win98, and have been looking forward to using them on my next machine....

Don't be too certain on this, as I've used both of these. I've done some cleaning with "regcleaner", but never had problems (should note that I never used the "automatic" option on XP). Also, Norton Systemworks 2002 has a registry editor and tracker, but not a cleaner (in XP). I think that's been integrated into the Windoctor tool.

WinDoctor should still be a part of Norton SystemWorks 2002 - uh, isn't it? I'm using 2001. And I always thought it was a rather good utility, as far as Norton products go...

Anyhow, I'm happy to hear I will probably be able to use them, along with VDMS, on a future machine. 😀

Bleh. The Norton DOS tools were the best. Everything after was downhill from there. If you plan to "upgrade" to XP then the Norton Products are even worse and it's best to just freeware products as replacements....Norton's only good products are it's Corporate products and that's it. It's home products are just afterthoughts....much like MS software! Imagine that! You'd think it would make them more compatible but it doesn't! 😕

Stiletto wrote:

WinDoctor should still be a part of Norton SystemWorks 2002 - uh, isn't it?

Yes, it is. My point was that it operates differently than when it was a separate tool. Much more "hands off". You must run WinDoctor to use it and that actually runs all kinds of other checks as well. You must either wait for them to complete or manually disable them.

You still have the manual options for "what to do" with each thing it finds as it doesn't always choose the right thing to do.

DosFreak wrote:

Bleh. The Norton DOS tools were the best.

Doesn't do us much good if we're not running DOS.

DosFreak wrote:

...it's best to just freeware products as replacements....

You're exaggerating. I find them handy and usually cheap (just have to wait for the right sale/rebate combo).

I like Ontrack's "Fix-It" utilities as well. Had some nice stuff in there.

Whatever REGCLEANER or NU may use to "track" registry accesses (i.e. any REGCLEANER "automatic" option or NU registry tracking options) may screw up the VDMS installation.

As for NU, I still find their defrag tool (speedisk) to be the best (as opposed to DiskKeeper), though I miss their "clear unused sectors" option (that they had in DOS -- very good for defragging and compacting VmWare disks).

V.

vladr wrote:

Whatever REGCLEANER or NU may use to "track" registry accesses (i.e. any REGCLEANER "automatic" option or NU registry tracking options) may screw up the VDMS installation.

As a general rule-of-thumb, anything that "automatically" modifies the registry in any way is just asking for trouble.

... though I miss their "clear unused sectors" option (that they had in DOS -- very good for defragging and compacting VmWare disks).

I'm missing some things as well, but they all seem related to the DOS portion of Win9x.

The good thing about NT is that it doesn't allow "dirty" direct to the hardware access.

The bad thing about NT is that it doesn't allow "dirty" direct to the hardware access.

vladr wrote:

As for NU, I still find their defrag tool (speedisk) to be the best (as opposed to DiskKeeper), though I miss their "clear unused sectors" option (that they had in DOS -- very good for defragging and compacting VmWare disks).

In SystemWorks 2001, they still had that as part of SpeedDisk (in Windows). They ALSO had a "Disk Wiping" tool that you could use for that sort of thing too.

okeydokey, guys. This is waaaaay off-topic. Take it to Milliways. Closed: RESOLVED.

Snover wrote:

okeydokey, guys. This is waaaaay off-topic. Take it to Milliways. Closed: RESOLVED.

Don't be so sure of that. Ian never responded with a "Thank you!" 😉