Update failed, could not install previous version of Kontakt. Why is this still an issue?

Danatello

I've scarcely opened Native Access, or used many NI products besides Raum and Replika, over the past year because of irritations like this. Can you PLEASE get your s**t together already.

Isti_NI

Hi,

I wanted to give some background to this issue, which is unfortunately tied to the nature of InstallAware

Background:

The full installer will create the msi file at this location:

C: \ProgramData\{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}

And it creates a registry entry containing the location of that msi fies here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\Installer\Products\xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The update installer requires the msi-file to be able to carry out the update installation. For that reason it looks up its location in the Registry and then tries to access it.

The "could not uninstall previous version" error happens when the msi file does not exist at the location the Registry entry is pointing to, either because the entry got corrupted or the msi-file got deleted.

One of the possible causes are third party apps which promise to clean or tune-up your system, since they like to delete stuff other applications still require. (Please do not use apps like that)

But there must be other possible causes for it too, since I have seen it happen on systems that do not use such apps.

Workaround:

Unfortunately the only workaround at the moment is to remove that Registry entry and to run the full installer.

For that you can either follow these steps from our KB:

Fixing Software Update Installation Issues (Windows)

Or alternatively use the tool Microsoft provides:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed-cca7d1b6-65a9-3d98-426b-e9f927e1eb4d

Outlook:

The only way to get rid of this issue once and for all would be to ditch InstallAware and switch to a different Installer tech.

I have already file a request for that. Unfortunately I cannot give any details on if, when or how that might be happening.

Nonetheless, I hope this helped to provide some details concerning that issue!

Uwe303

Hello

have you tried to open na as administrator , could be really an issue with privileges.

Danatello

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/90013#Comment_90013

Thanks for the reply. I have tried to run as administrator, but I got the same result. I'm sure I could get the updated version if I uninstall Kontakt manually (that's what it took to get several plugins updated over the past year or so), but if NI forces us to use NA to install, then it ought to work as intended, as it once did. Otherwise I would be fine with just doing everything manually and circumvent NA altogether.

Uwe303

Some ppl had to create new windows accounts with admin rights. Windows can in some rare cases screw up some rights stuff, at least in the past. Maybe also worth a try, I use na now since it's out and never had that issue. Worst case would be a new fresh windows install.

Danatello

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/90067#Comment_90067

Thanks again for offering advice. However, considering I have had Native Access installed, for about 2 years, on the same machine but these issues only popped up after the 2.0 update for NA, I have a hard time believing the change is caused by Windows itself. Especially when the DevTalk post mentions that NA has known issues with installs and such. And additionally it's not worth the hassle to create another Windows account, let alone do a fresh install of Windows, just to maneuver around issues caused by one software manufacturer.

Kubrak

The thing is that most people do not have problems with NA2 on Win, just small percentage because of different reasons related to their unique setup....

So, it is hard to say, if NA2 has a bug or something unusual on your setup makes things not to work as expected.

I have never had problem with NA2, except for few weeks period when Win Defender has wrongly blocked installation of several NI plugins...

Isti_NI

Hi,

I wanted to give some background to this issue, which is unfortunately tied to the nature of InstallAware

Background:

The full installer will create the msi file at this location:

C: \ProgramData\{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}

And it creates a registry entry containing the location of that msi fies here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\Installer\Products\xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The update installer requires the msi-file to be able to carry out the update installation. For that reason it looks up its location in the Registry and then tries to access it.

The "could not uninstall previous version" error happens when the msi file does not exist at the location the Registry entry is pointing to, either because the entry got corrupted or the msi-file got deleted.

One of the possible causes are third party apps which promise to clean or tune-up your system, since they like to delete stuff other applications still require. (Please do not use apps like that)

But there must be other possible causes for it too, since I have seen it happen on systems that do not use such apps.

Workaround:

Unfortunately the only workaround at the moment is to remove that Registry entry and to run the full installer.

For that you can either follow these steps from our KB:

Fixing Software Update Installation Issues (Windows)

Or alternatively use the tool Microsoft provides:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed-cca7d1b6-65a9-3d98-426b-e9f927e1eb4d

Outlook:

The only way to get rid of this issue once and for all would be to ditch InstallAware and switch to a different Installer tech.

I have already file a request for that. Unfortunately I cannot give any details on if, when or how that might be happening.

Nonetheless, I hope this helped to provide some details concerning that issue!