Error - 1603, installation failed, fatal error

	Product(s):	Promis.e, Bentley Substation
	Version(s):	through 08.11.12.137
	Environment:	N/A
	Area:	Installation/Configuration
	Subarea:	N/A

Error or Warning Message

During installation, the following or similar error message is displayed and the installation is rolled back.

Error=1603
Installation failed: fatal error occurred during installation

Explanation

This error has been encountered after specifying a different path than the default local path for the Data folder during installation. The problem path may be a network location. The problem is likely that the SYSTEM account does not have Full Control of this other path.

According to a Microsoft knowledgebase article (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/834484), possible causes of the 1603 error are:

The SYSTEM account does not have Full Control permissions on the folder to which you are trying to install the Windows Installer package. You notice the error message because the Windows Installer service uses the SYSTEM account to install software.
The folder that you are trying to install the Windows Installer package to is encrypted.
The drive that contains the folder that you are trying to install the Windows Installer package to is accessed as a substitute drive.

How to Avoid

Install using the default Data folder path, then move or copy the Data folder after installation is complete. Configure the software to use the new paths on the Setup dialog.

In one case, the above issues did not seem to be causing the 1603 error for the user as far as they could tell. The user was finally able to install promis.e by running the promise.msi file found in the "C:\BentleyDownloads\promise_08.11.xx.xx" folder instead of running the setup.exe file.