TDI Install Error:null (and how to fix it)

The other day I was installing Tivoli Directory Integrator 7.0 on a Windows XP machine, when I ran into this error during installation.

Very useful error screen, I know. In all fairness this machine has has Tivoli Directory Integrator 6.1, 7.0, 7.1 beta, 7.1 GA, installed, uninstalled, reinstalled any number of times, I suspect that might have something to do with why I ran in to this.

I tried uninstalling all TDI installations from this machine, and cleaning up temp directories, etc., yet was still stuck on “null”.

Fortunately with a little help from my friends in support, I was able to resolve this fairly easily.

The first step was to get a better idea what was actually happening during the install, something a little more detailed then “null”, to do this I ran the installer from the command line with the is:log option, the command line looked like this:

“install_tdiv70_win_x86.exe –is:log install.log”

The output from the log file indicated that Installshield was having a problem

“(Mar 8, 2011 1:34:15 PM), Install, com.installshield.product.service.product.PureJavaProductServiceImpl$PatchCheck, err, null”

The resolution turned out to be to remove the Installshield VPD file, the location of which differs based on platform:

Locations of VPD according to ISMP documentation:

* AIX /usr/lib/objrepos/InstallShield/Universal/common
* Generic UNIX /usr/lib/InstallShield/Universal/common
* HP-UX $J(user.home)/InstallShield/Universal/common
* Linux $J(user.home)/InstallShield/Universal/common
* Mac $J(user.home)/InstallShield/Universal/common
* i5OS /InstallShield/VitalProductData/InstallShield/Universal/common
* Solaris $J(user.home)/InstallShield/Universal/common
* Windows — $C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Universal\common (if available)
* $J(user.home)\InstallShield\Universal\common (otherwise)

In my case "C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Universal\common" where there is a Gen1 and Gen2 directory, I was advised to backup and remove the _vpddb directory from the Gen2 folder

Magically ran the installer again and like magic

You can find more information on manually uninstalling TDI 7.0 in the Infocenter, and support has committed to releasing some technotes around these install errors as well.