Why does Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 not run?

BillDL (and Johnb6767)
Many thanks for your most detailed and clear answer.
I'll try to answer your queries oone by one.
In the EVENTVWR.MSC /s file
Event Type:      Information
Event Source:      MsiInstaller
Event Category:      None
Event ID:      11708
Date:            09/04/2009
Time:            17:45:37
User:            PRINCIPAL\Family
Computer:      PRINCIPAL
Description:
Product: Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 -- Installation operation failed.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 7b 36 34 45 37 32 46 42   {64E72FB
0008: 31 2d 32 33 34 33 2d 34   1-2343-4
0010: 39 37 37 2d 42 34 41 38   977-B4A8
0018: 2d 32 36 32 43 44 35 33   -262CD53
0020: 44 30 42 44 33 7d 2c 20   D0BD3},
0028: 31 36 30 32               1602    

Do a Windows Search for *.log, within a single day of the attempted install, and see if you can find an installer log.....

Yes, the log file should pinpoint at what stage the Installer process failed.

One thing is possible, but only you will know the answer.  Could it be that when you log into that computer as "Family", that this user profile is a restricted profile that doesn't permit certain things?  If you have installed other software under that profile then it would tend to debunk that idea, but it's a possibility.

If you go to Control Panel and click or double-click on the "User Accounts" icon, it will open and show the icons for each of the configured user accounts.  Next to each, or below the icons, you will see the user profile name plus the account type.  This could be Computer Administrator, Limited Account, or perhaps something else.  If the "Family" account shows as "Limited", then it's probable that it doesn't have full enough permissions to install applications and it would have to be done under an account with Administrative rights.

Installing the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility under the "Family" user profile may give an idea if that user profile is a restricted one.

Assuming that you can eventually get the application installed, you might want to download the application update for your product in advance:
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/gb/en/Content/1153321224268?pid=1218141232324

And we appreciate that......

But if you want to keep going, I certainly dont mind.....

If it is crashing that way, do a search in your profile directory\Local Settings\TEMP for *.dmp.

If you find it, you wount be able to copy it, until you go to the task manager, and kill dwwin.exe (or is it dwin.exe?). Once you kill that DW process, you can retrieve the dmp file. Try this the next time it crashes, but dont acknowledge any errors on screen, as once it crashes, and you click send, or dont send, the dw process deletes any dmp files that can be helpful in debugging.....

Post it here if you find it....

Thanks for the full feedback Keith.  It sheds a clearer picture on the scenario, although not necessarily on the root of the problem.

One thing you said has me wondering though:
"Since I've downloaded the PSP X2 file twice, I don't think there should be anything wrong with that".

Bear in mind that when you download anything it is cached in one of the sub-folders of your Temporary Internet Files folder.  If you hadn't emptied that between downloads, then it is conceivable that you could have a corrupt installer package both times.

Just as an example, have you ever right-clicked a link to say a 3Mb download, and it completes so fast that you are sure something was wrong?  You look in the location where you saved the download, and it's only 300Kb or so.  OK, so you right-click the link and choose to save the target again, whereupon it tells you that the file already exists, and prompts you to overwrite it.  Sometimes it replaces it with a full and good version, but sometimes not.

In addition you will no doubt have been aware, after saving a large download, that it gets to 99% and then up comes a file copy dialog showing that it is copying the file from the temporary internet files folder to the destination folder you chose.  On occasions this part itself can corrupt a downloaded file.

Just to be absolutely sure, perhaps it would be a good idea to try just once more before throwing in the towel.  You can't normally open any of the sub-folders of your own "Temporary Internet Files" folder through Windows Explorer.  What you can do, however, is create a new shortcut with the following command in the "target" field:

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e,%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5

Watch the spaces, or lack thereof, in the:
explorer.exe /n, /e,%homepath%
part of the command.
It doesn't need to be double-quoted.

That's a good way of inspecting the contents of the sub-folders below the stupidly named "Content.IE5" folder, and if there is any trace of the originally downloaded installer package you can delete it.

Actually, I'm quite surprised that such a large retail application is available as a download.  I always prefer to have the setup CD.  Is it the free Trial version you are trying to install?

I am just downloading the trial version (318MB) to see if I can determine something.  Depending on the software that was used to create the installer package, eg. InstallShield, there can be issues with the runtimes installed on your PC.  I'll let you know shortly after i have checked it out.

BillDL
Thanks again, I'll try what you say.
I always download any software to a spare partition for permanent storage.
Then open separately with Exploere to install.
/
It was the upgrade version from Paintshop Pro 7 to X2 that I purchased directly from Corel.
I've tried with version 7 installed first and without; without it doesn't complain.
I'll see how I get on by Monday.
Incidentally, I've also got Adobe Illustrator CS3 and I am beginning to wonder if that will do everything I need anyway (.eps and .pdf).
Keith

Thank you Keith, have you managed to get the application running without crashing out?

BillDL
Sorry I've not got back to you earlier.
I had no joy doing any of the things suggested to me - although they were all extremely credible!
Eventually, I figured: "What has happened to my system since I last was successful?"
Norton 360 appears to be the culprit.
Take 360 off, and PSP X2 installs easily and runs perfectly.
Install the latest patch for PSP X2 - again no problem with installation nor with running.
Put Norton 360 back on, back to trouble on both counts.
I've now gone over to McAfee software and I have no problems at all.
Since resolving, I have entered "Norton 360 problems" into Google and find that "others" have had this experience too.  Norton have been made aware, but have not resolved the problem.
So thanks for your extensive efforts, and I wish you well.
Keith

That's some good detective work there Keith.  Well discovered, and I'm glad you have it fixed after so much hard work to get there.

I don't normally ridicule or criticise applications without just cause, but I stopped using Norton products a long while back.  The one thing that always amazed and annoyed me about Norton AntiVirus was that it used common resources from Internet Explorer to display a lot of its own user interface.  The most usual thing to get hammered by viral activity are the very resources that the application depended on.  I found that frequently viruses crippled the program that should have been able to continue workng in that event, and the main cause was as described above.

Now I'm going back quite a few years now, and maybe their interface has improved, but I see so many issues being asked about in online help forums where Norton/Symantec products are the root cause.

OK, so application setup packages will always advise you to "close all running programs" before continuing, but it's not always reasonable to expect all users to be able to find the options to kill of the AntiVirus program, reboot the system, do a Ctrl + Alt + Del to "end task" any remaining processes elft running, install the application, allow it to reboot when done, then re-enable the Antivirus protection and reboot again.

So, good job on tracking down and sorting out the cause.

Regards
Bill

I was just looking up details of Norton 360:
http://www.symantec.com/norton360/about/index.jsp

Here's where problems may occur with the likes of installing an application that takes a while to install (my comments in {brackets})

Speeds up PC boot time : Turns off unnecessary startup programs to get your PC up and running faster. {How does it know what is "unnecessary? If this is done "intelligently", then it potentially can stop a service that may not be needed for everyday activities, such as installing software}

PC Tuneup : Automatically finds and fixes problems that slow your computer {anything that "automatically" does things can screw up}

Core Protection: Pulse updates every 5 to 15 minutes or faster {some large setup packages take 15 minutes to install, during which they may have been interrupted 3 times by "pulse updates"}

Anyhow, I was just curious.  Isn't it a sad day when we have to lock up our computers tighter than someone with flatulence in a crowded elevator to avoid all the dangers out there?