Finding the cause of Novell Unknown Error 0x00000001 on Install

I’ve seen threads for this but none appeared to have an overall solution, just some guidance on where to look. I was able to resolve this error, but let me say: It is a tough one it seems. Here are other threads that may be worth following:

Re: unknown error 00000001 installing client

• Suggests use of checking SETUPAPI*.LOG files (Win 5.x: C:\Windows. 6.x: C:\Windows\INF)
• Points out a documented error for when Middleworks or Zenworks is installed that may cause this error.

Client Install fails with unknown error 0x00000001

• Notes the similarities between the INF files provided by the installer and the OEMx.INF files in the windows INF directory.
• User claims success by making sure his HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion DevicePath value was set to %Systemroot%\Inf

• Suggests using c:\ as the directory for the Novell installation files.

Installation Error

• A very helpful post by Alan Adams.
• Regarding if errors in setup.api point out service errors: “I’m pretty sure don’t expect to see “access denied” when Windows is trying to process the .Services being installed/removed by the Novell Client. Since the installation/removal requires Administrators rights, something would seemingly have to be unusually secured for the ..Services processing to fail.”
• Look into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services and ensuring permissions exist/are set correctly.

My Fight

I’m guessing this error is similar in most cases of 0x00000001 errors.

#E033 Error 5: Access is denied.
#E065 Parsing AddReg section [param.addreg] in "c:\windows\inf\oem6.inf" failed. Error 5: Access is denied.
#E064 Parsing install section [NWFS.ndi] in "c:\windows\inf\oem6.inf" failed. Error 5: Access is denied.

I started out by making sure that the owner on the windows\inf\oemX.inf files were correct. They were not, they were pointing to an old user, who wasn’t recognized as a user. Odd. I removed that user and reset the owner. I also made sure permissions existed for the administrators, and double checked that my current user was in the admin group.

Secondly, just to rule things out I applied owner to admin on ALL install files, and gave everyone full access just for a test. Problem remained.

I took advice from the post by Alan Adams to check the registry and I got further. I noticed that when I was trying to remove programs from the add/remove that some were already uninstalled, but windows said I had no permission to remove an item from the uninstall list. Odd again. I was an administrator was I not?

I checked the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall keys for Novell, and lo and behold, no permissions on the object. I reset all for the Uninstall keys (Propogated the permissions from the Uninstall Key to all SubKeys.) It was still getting access denied somewhere. I used Process Monitor to listen to the hard drive and registry during the install. Learn to use the filters to exclude most of the items you don’t need, and exclude anything with ‘SUCCESS’ so you only get the problem areas. I found the problem was that the progogated permissions still didn’t change the Novell uninstall key under Uninstall. I had to change it manually, then it worked.

Hope this helps.