Error: 'Unable to determine system default collation' during uninstall of embedded MSDE SP2

[Rick Schertz]

After unsuccessful attempts by the customer to run setup after modifying the system default locale using the Regional Settings control panel General tab via the 'Set default...' button, I modified the .msi database and had the customer replace the cached. msi with a version that sets the SqlCollation setting to bypass the UseCurrentCollation and UseDefaultCollation MSDE custom actions.

 

Bypassing these custom actions allowed the uninstall to proceed, equivalent to settings the COLLATION property as a parameter to MSDE setup.

 

Now, the custom is trying to install a new version of the setup package, also embedding MSDE 2000 SP2. The install fails with the same error message (I expect the custom action failing to be UseDefaultCollation on the install).

 

Has ANYBODY seen anything similar or have a clue what to do to fix the user's system so that MSDE's collation custom actions that set the internal SqlCollation property don't fail?!?

 

Thank you in advance,

Rick Schertz

"Rick Schertz" <box104....@nc.rr.com> wrote in message news:uCscK8UpCHA.1964@TK2MSFTNGP10...

The the log information verifies that UseCurrentCollation is the custom action that fails:

 

MSI (s) (40:7C): Doing action: UseCurrentCollation.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B
Action start 16:42:38: UseCurrentCollation.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B.
MSI (s) (40:7C): Creating MSIHANDLE (100) of type 790542 for thread 2428
TempFolder is C:\DOCUME~1\WS10708\LOCALS~1\Temp\
Loading extended custom action library sqlcax.dll
Starting custom action UseCurrentCollation
Unable to determine system default collation.
Action ended 16:42:45: UseCurrentCollation.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B. Return value 3.

"Rick Schertz" <box104....@nc.rr.com> wrote in message news:Oq3uPFIoCHA.2276@TK2MSFTNGP09...

I attempted to reproduce the problem. I installed the app with MSDE while the system default language (see screen shot) was set to 'Chinese (Taiwan)'. Removed w/o errors when default was 'Chinese (Taiwan)'. Also retried the install with same default, then changed default to 'English (United States)' and successfully uninstalled.

 

In both of my attempts to reproduce, the UseCurrentCollation custom action executed w/o error and the UseDefaultCollation custom action immediately following was skipped since the UseCurrentCollation custom action had set the SqlCollation property.

 

Any know issue or possible explanation for the error the custom is encountering?

 

Thanks!

Rick Schertz

"Rick Schertz" <box104....@nc.rr.com> wrote in message news:u5vyP6GoCHA.2468@TK2MSFTNGP08...

Customer installed application with embedded MSDE SP2. Future uninstall of the application failed with error message:

 

  'Unable to determine system default collation'

 

causing uninstall to fail and rollback. Application+MSDE Instance cannot be removed.

 

Question #1: Will a regional setting adjustment allow for uninstall to bypass the error? Please advise.

I think and hope so. I'd appreciate information anyone has regarding this this issue with MSDE (in this case, SP2).

 

Question #2: Is this a bug in preventing uninstall when the error could probably be ignored during uninstall?

I think so, but haven't recreated yet to determine whether ignoring the error on uninstall is safe.

Key log file entries from the original install follow:

 

=== Verbose logging started: 8/20/2002  11:44:41  Build type: SHIP UNICODE 2.00.2600.00  Calling process: C:\WINNT\System32\MSIEXEC.EXE ===
...
MSI (s) (8C:00): Doing action: UseDefaultCollation.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B
Action start 11:48:43: UseDefaultCollation.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B.
MSI (s) (8C:00): Creating MSIHANDLE (111) of type 790542 for thread 512
TempFolder is C:\DOCUME~1\WS10708\LOCALS~1\Temp\
Loading extended custom action library sqlcax.dll
Starting custom action UseDefaultCollation
Action ended 11:48:43: UseDefaultCollation.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B. Return value 1.
...
MSI (s) (8C:00): Executing op: ActionStart(Name=ConfigServer.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B,,)
Action 11:51:07: ConfigServer.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B.
MSI (s) (8C:00): Executing op: CustomActionSchedule(Action=ConfigServer.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B,ActionType=1025,Source=BinaryData,Target=ConfigServer,)
MSI (s) (8C:00): Creating MSIHANDLE (168) of type 790536 for thread 512
TempFolder is C:\DOCUME~1\WS10708\LOCALS~1\Temp\
Loading extended custom action library sqlcax.dll
Starting custom action ConfigServer
Executing "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\cnfgsvr.exe -V 1 -M 1 -U sa -P "" -I "NTIQCHRA" -Q "Chinese_Taiwan_Stroke_CI_AS""

 

Property(S): SqlCollation = Chinese_Taiwan_Stroke_CI_AS

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Customer reported current language settings:

 

2)  If this is a foreign language version of Windows, what is the language?
> Locale = English ( United States )

 

3)  What are your local Regional Settings for this computer?  To find this
go to Control Panel > Regional Options and under the General tab what does
you locale say and below, tell me if you have multiple languages configured
and what are they?
> Locale = English
 Language Settings : Traditional Chinese  / Simplied Chinese / Japanese / Korea

 

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