Uninstalling IDS 11.7.FC5 On Windows
David reported that the Windows GUI uninstaller for IDS 11.7.FC5 leaves files, registry keys and the instance behind, so reinstalling with the same server name fails with "Instance name already in use". Advice: clear the Informix keys under HKLM\\\\Software\\\\Informix (ServerName and INFORMIXSQLHOSTS) and remove the service entry from %windir%\\\\system32\\\\drivers\\\\etc\\\\services (a reboot/logoff may be needed); Revo Uninstaller was also suggested. He then hit an "unrecoverable error creating sqlhosts" / incomplete instance initialisation on custom installs. Workaround found: install with default parameters (basic install), then adjust settings manually afterwards. Underlying installer bugs were not fixed.
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I've noticed some issues with the GUI uninstaller, where it leaves files behind (even if the remove all binaries and databases option is selected) and does not remove the instance correctly, so subsequent reinstalls fail if the previous instance name is reused. RE: the instance name. If you reinstall using the same name you get an "Instance name already in use" error. I'm not sure what criteria is used to check this as I've searched the registry and service file and removed all references to the name in question, yet the error message still persists. Does anyone know how to clear this error manually? Regarding the install, I'm surprised if the user Informix option is chosen that the hidden password does not have a verification option to ensure that the user has keyed what they think they have...!
Hi David, Can I assume that you have checked : The registry, HKLM\\\\\\\\Software\\\\\\\\Informix\\\\\\\\Online\\\\\\\\Serv= erName HKLM\\\\\\\\Software\\\\\\\\Informix\\\\\\\\INFORMIXSQLHOSTS\\\\\\\\ServerName The File, %SystemRoot%\\\\system32\\\\drivers\\\\etc\\\\services look for Servi= ce name assigned to informix. What = error are you getting while installing? Do you have the log file?= -----ids-bounces@iiug.org wrote: ---= -- To: ids@iiug.org From: "DA= VID N. HEYDON" Sent by: ids-bounces@ii= ug.org Date: 10/08/2012 09:30AM Subject: Uninstalling IDS 11.7.FC5 On= Windows [28447] I've noticed some issues with the GUI uninstaller, where it leav= es files behind (even if the remove all binaries and databases option i= s selected) and does not remove the instance correctly, so subsequent r= einstalls fail if the previous instance name is reused. RE: the= instance name. If you reinstall using the same name you get an "Instan= ce name already in use" error. I'm not sure what criteria is used to ch= eck this as I've searched the registry and service file and removed all references to the name in question, yet the error message still persists. = Does anyone know how to clear this error manually? Regarding th= e install, I'm surprised if the user Informix option is chosen that the= hidden password does not have a verification option to ensure that the= user has keyed what they think they have...! *****************= ************************************************************** &n= bsp;Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. =
I ran into this just a couple of days ago, and I'd deleted all informix registry keys, etc. Turns out the install adds the service name to the file %windir%\\\\system32\\\\drivers\\\\etc\\\\services Just delete it from this file and should be good to reuse name again... Regards, Bryce Stenberg.
I had done all the advised things but I think I needed to logoff or reboot the server for those changes to take effect. I'm still getting an error on the install. I get an "Instance creation error, an unrecoverable error has occurred during the creation of sqlhosts information. A server instance cannot be created by the program at this time". However the install log file reports:- 1142 Successes 0 Warnings 0 NonFatalErrors 0 FatalErrors So its got very confused and has not fully created the instance. I initially thought this was due to UAC (Windows 2008 R2), but I've disabled this and rebooted and still get the above error. Any suggestions? Thanks David
Hi David, What account are you logged on as? I was trying out a number of different installs recently, using 'domain' authentication. The only one I could get working properly was when logged on as the domain 'informix' account, choosing informix rather than local system to run the service. Informix needs to be an administrator on the local machine I think, and a member of the 'informix-admin' group. Logged as the administrator account I think gave me similar errors. I think local system also gave me similar... (I don't know what happens if using 'local' for authentication). Regards, Bryce Stenberg.
Hi Bryce. The account I'm logged on is a domain user, which is also a member of the local administrators group. I'm also running the install program as an administrator. I don't see an option in the install program to create the account locally or in the domain. After the install has completed (and failed) it has created a local Informix account, which is a local administrator and a member of the Informix-admin group, as is the domain account I used to run the installer. Regards, David
Hi David, Not sure if you mean you were logged on as informix. In my case we have a domain account 'informix' and a domain group 'informix-admin' that it belongs to. This informix account is the account the machine is logged on with where it is also a member of the local administrators group. The installer is a bit of a pain, thinking back I think I had problems also when trying to set all the custom options stuff, it worked a lot better just doing a very basic install and then doing everything else from the command line. When it fails maybe you can initialize database from the command line? (that at least might generate a log file somewhere telling you what its problem is). Good luck, that's the extent of my ideas... Regards, Bryce.
Download "Revo Uninstaller" and use it to uninstall. Select the advanced mode, this will allow you to remove all related registry values and left over files.
I was running the install as a local administrator (not Informix). I ended up giving up on the 64 bit version and tried the 32 bit one instead. This did not produce the sqlhosts error message but still did not work. From the looks of it, the last message log entry indicated it was running the sql to initialize the instance, but this never completed and only the rootdbs chunk was initialised (datadbs, tempdbs etc were zero bytes). I then uninstalled and reran a custom install but this time I went with the default parameters. This installed fine without any errors. I then adjusted the various parameters I wanted manually. Overall it seems I had a very similar experience to you...
I'll have to give it a go. I think IBM should improve the installer on Windows platforms as its got various issues since the switch to Java. Things I'd like to see improved include:- 1. Using the normal windows installation process, so the standard windows uninstall option can be used. 2. Fixing the uninstall process so all programs/registry keys/services etc are removed. 3. Passwords are confirmed to ensure no typing errors. 4. All errors are captured. From my experience the install can fail with errors yet these do not appear in the log. I could also run a custom installs which do not complete successfully yet no error messages are produced at all... 5. If custom installs fail and this is due to bad combinations of parameters then additional error checking should be applied to ensure users cannot enter parameters which can cause a subsequent failure initialising the instance.