Failed attempt at installing MSI file - DIFxapp error

de7erv · 25 Sep 2013

Some clients of ours have difficulties installing our MSI application.
When looking into the MSI.log, You see the following error.

DIFXAPP: ENTER: ProcessDriverPackages()
DIFXAPP: ERROR - The operating system you are running on is not supported. Only Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows codenamed Longhorn are supported.
CustomAction MsiProcessDrivers returned actual error code 1603 (note this may not be 100% accurate if translation happened inside sandbox)
MSI (s) (E8:28) [15:06:16:300]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
Action ended 15:06:16: MsiProcessDrivers. Return value 3.

Looking around on the internet, there were 2 suggested fixes:

1)
To resolve this issue, check if the Windows Application Compatibility setting is turned off in Group Policy Object (GPO).

Turn off Windows Application Compatibility as follows:

1. Launch the Microsoft Management Console (mmc.exe) and add the Group Policy Object snap-in
2. Browse to the Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Application Compatibility folder
3. Select "Turn Off Application Compatibility Engine"
4. Set this policy to be enabled in order to turn off Windows Application Compatibility

2)
Use Compatability mode > Users do not have access to them.

Does anyone encountered this error before and know what to do with it?
Thanks in advance!

Slartybart · 30 Sep 2013

This MSI is under your control - correct?

Try this: Mark's Stuff: Fixing Error 1603 on MSI installs

You will need Orca MSI Editor from the Platform SDK installation ( I used Windows 7 Platform SDK). For these particular errors, it a problem with the DIFXAPP drivers in the installation package. I got updated files DIFxApp.dll and DIFxAppA.dll from the Windows Driver Kit for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (from MSDN Downloads).
Open the MSI file in Orca MSI Editor. Select the Binary table on the left. You should see the 2 dll's listed on the right.
Delete each of these rows: right-click on the row and select "Drop Row".
Right click in empty area on the right side and select "Add Row". Navigate to the location of the updated drivers from the Drivers Library (C:\WinDDK\7100.0.0\redist\DIFx\DIFxApp\WixLib\x86). Add both the DIFxApp.dll and DIFxAppA.dll files, making sure the row name is the same as the DLL file name.
Save the MSI file.
Install.