WDSC causing WinXP registry problems (IBM fix this please!!!) Was Re: WDSCIcausing InstallShield problem on XP

IBM, please fix how you update the registry of Windows XP during the
install of WDSC (even after Service Pack 2).  It has been proven to be the
cause of other products failing to install.  Yes, others have installed
PalmPilots on Windows XP without problems but they never installed WDSC
before on those.
A techie found and fixed the problem.  The problem was that installing WDSC
on Windows XP changes the registry enough that certain other products
cannot find Lotus Notes for their install like the PalmPilot if Lotus Notes
were installed before WDSC.  The PalmPilot installation was looking in the
registry for Lotus Notes but could not find it since WDSC changed the
registry enough.  Reinstalling Lotus Notes allowed the PalmPilot to be
installed.  The techie had to do independent research to find this problem
out given the documentation from Microsoft and IBM.  The techies said that
in the future they will plan on installing XP, then Client Access, then
WDSC, then Lotus Notes.  We have looked at the registry before and it
appears WDSC hacks it up and makes it grow but I think there is a mutual
consensus that WDSC should not have to alter the registry as much as it
does.  I think it used to even use the registry like a cache but I am not
sure if that is still true.  The techies also said that in the future, if
they have install problems on XP, they will try uninstalling everything
that might have happened to be installed before WDSC and then reinstall
with WDSC first.  What is even stranger and ironic is that Lotus Notes is
apparently owned by IBM.  Since IBM owns both WDSC and Lotus Notes, could
you please either make a change in the service pack for this install
problem or document the order you need to install so others don't run into
our same problems.  Lotus Notes was just this case but I think it would be
worth researching what other products might have trouble that rely on the
registry on Windows XP.  We will all be going to Windows XP soon so this
may become more widespread in the future.

Thanks,
Craig Strong

** Craig previously wrote:
Someone here got a new PC with Windows XP and installed the WDSC 4.0 with
Service Pack 2.  Except for having it hang and having to restart the base
installation (not the service pack), everything installed fine.  When they
try to install the PalmPilot which uses the InstallShield, the install
hangs.  We looked at the environment variables and they appear to be what
they should be according to the installnotes.htm.  Installing an older
version of the PalmPilot software gives a HotSync error but we can't
decide
not to install that HotSync.  I think he said he installed the PalmPilot
after WDSC was already installed on his old PC with Windows 2000 without
any problems.  The techies are running out of ideas.  They are wondering
if
they should just uninstall WDSC and see if that will allow them to install
the PalmPilot.  Anyone have this happen or have any idea what could cause
this?  No one else here has had a problem with installing software on
Windows XP but no one else has installed WDSC on their Windows XP either.
I think WDSC is the only variable.  Please let me know any thoughts you
might have.

Thanks,
Craig Strong