I recently tried to install the programs (scan, print, copy and fax programs in addition to printer driver) for my Lexmark X74 All-in-one printer on my computer running Win XP SP2. InstallShield would start after I put in the Lexmark CD into the CD drive. However, after trying to "prepare" my system, it will quit completely.

I have no problem installing the same program on my other computers which also run on Win XP SP2 and Win98 SE. Checking my computer with Norton Windoctor did not reveal any problem.

Any suggestions?

Any error message?

Look in these logs to see if anything coincides:

Error Log via:
[1] Start Menu
[2] Help and Support
[3] Pick a Task
[4] Tools
[5] Advanced System Information
[6] View the Error Log

Originally Posted by jephree

Any error message?

Look in these logs to see if anything coincides:

Error Log via:
[1] Start Menu
[2] Help and Support
[3] Pick a Task
[4] Tools
[5] Advanced System Information
[6] View the Error Log

Thanks for your reply.
A window shows up with the title "Installshield Engine EXE" and suggest sending the error to Microsoft.
Trouble is I do not have that computer on the internet. I'd like to keep that computer for office work and fear that it might get infected.

Any suggestion as to why the WinXP Installer on that computer does not work with this program?

Are there further details in that error? Is there a Details button?

There is this general page re: Installshield errors:

http://consumer.installshield.com/kb.asp?id=Q108322

You also might want to look at:

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

Hi jephree,

Thanks again. I'll look up the references and work on the suggestions. I'll note down the full error message the next time I try to install the program.

Hi jephree,

I checked out the 2 links. I followed the instructions at consumer.installshield.com but nothing seemed to apply since the setup.exe file in the Lexmark installation program returned a version # of 3.0.118.0.

I have yet to try to run the Windows Installer Cleanup utility for fear of damaging the registry.

When the Add/Remove program quit, it showed a window "InstallShield Engine EXE has encountered a problem and needs to close." The "detail" button showed an "Error Signature" but I have no idea how to go about finding the problem.

If you install the Windows Cleanup Utility you will be installing a tool.

It performs no tasks by being installed. Once installed you can check the list. See if Lexmark is on the list. At this point you can decide whether or not to remove the entry. A previously failed installer might be blocking the attempt to install.

I would also doing a Search for any and all Lexmark Files and Folders and delete them.

Close your anti-virus if you haven't. Perhaps try Safe Mode. As you say you've installed this on other computers successfully I trust that you know the process. Are you installing the software without the printer being connected? This being the usual method.

Hi jephree,

When I first installed the Lexmark X74 All-in-one on the first computer (A), as directed by the Lexmark instructions, I powered on the All-in-one and connected it to the USB port, ignored the Add Hardware screens, and installed the program from the issued CD. That was when the “InstallShield Engine EXE” error message showed up. I had no problem installing the same program exactly the same way on another computer (B) running WinXP Pro SP2 (same version as computer A). I had not turned off Norton Antivirus both times.

Since I had the program and All-in-one installed on computer B, I shared the All-in-one on the network and it installed the network printer on computer A.

When I tried to directly connect the All-in-one to computer A, the “InstallShield Engine EXE” error message did not show up again. However, it just copied some files but it would not work from computer A. The Lexmark program showed up on the “All Programs” list in the “Start” menu without the Uninstall program and it did not show up in the “Add/Remove Program” window in Control Panel. When I ran Windows Install Clean up tool, it did not show the Lexmark program. I did not know how to remove the Lexmark program. I found the notations referring to Lexmark X74 in the Registry key (Local_machine\software). Before deleting the notation from the Registry, I tried backing up the entire Registry (System State) using “Windows Backup”. I then discovered another problem. “Windows Backup” would run but then it failed to backup. Its report showed, “The Backup could not be completed due to an error” without mentioning what the problem was.

I am just about to give up on installing the Lexmark All-in-one on computer A. I wondered if it was a blessing in the sense that the whole ordeal alerted me to another problem, namely that “Windows Backup” did not work on computer A. In fact I tried running “Windows Backup” on computer B exactly the same way and every time it ran with no problem except that it reverted to “non-shadow copy backup mode”. (Both computers have hard disks in FAT32). I found the Lexmark files in a folder in the C: drive and I deleted them. I think the Registry still showed Lexmark there.

Could the program installation problem and the “Windows Backup” problem be somehow related? I ran Norton WinDoctor and it did not report any problem on computer A.