solutioncenter.msi popup at HP Solution Center startup

[gardener711]

Sorry folks.  One amendment to my prior post.  The HP support rep included a link in her responsive e-mail that, when clicked on, took me to an HP webpage for Version 12.0.0 of the HP software for the HP Officejet 6500.  Version 12.0.0 is a 286 MB download.  The file is OJ6500vE709_full_12.exe.  So, re-reading my prior post, the Cue 12 that they were referring to must be this version 12.0.0 software, but they appear to be telling me to install the version 13 patch first and, if I experience problems, to install the version 12 software (and then presumably the patch again after that?)  These folks write so poorly, I have to go back and forth with them to get them to be clear.  I will keep you all appraised when I get the next ambiguous response from them.  

[bumboola]

 "Has anybody run into difficulties in installing this patch for version 13 (without uninstalling the HP printer software first) for anything like my HP Officejet J4580 under Vista 64 bit?"

I have the exact same printer and OS, the patch for version 13 using the original link (which has been taken down) has worked perfectly. A few months ago I tried updating to version 12 but it did not work well for me. I did uninstall my previous Solution Center #10 software (and nothing else) before installing #13 although as noted above you may not have to do this. Try it without uninstalling anything and if that does not work remove only the Solution Center software.

[gardener711]

Thanks Bumboola.  I installed HP Solution Center version 13 (called an update or patch) without first uninstalling my version 10 of HP Solution Center.  I did this because an HP Support tech specifically told me I didn't need to uninstall my version of Solution Center before installing the version 13 update/patch.  The HP Support rep told me that, if I was still experiencing problems after installing version 13, I should uninstall version 13 and install the much larger/fuller version 12.  The webpage link for version 13 specifically states "This patch will not install properly if you do not have the previous software version installed."  Presumably, that refers to version 12.  It made me uneasy to follow the HP Support rep's instructions in light of this.  But, like a fool, I did.  Solution Center version 13 seemed to install OK.  However, when I opened Solution Center version 13 after the computer restarted, I still got a series of pop up windows.  So, now, I have version 13 of Solution Center that still is problemmatic.  Argh!  Now, hearing that you had problems with version 12 does not fill me with confidence about the HP Support rep advice. 

Could you or anybody reading this take me through the steps to solve this (exactly how to get to the point you got to)?  How exactly should I uninstall version 13: e.g.: (a) uninstalling through a feature on the J4500 series CD?  or (b) uninstalling via control panel programs & features?  or (c) uninstalling via the windows installer clean up utility?]? 

And, after uninstalling it, exactly how should I then proceed to install what??? [(a) try to install version 13 again; or (b) try to install version 12 first and then install the version 13 update/patch over it]?  Anybody?

[bumboola]

I uninstalled version 10 through the programs and features, if that doesn't work (if you install and uninstall Solution Center several times it fails to work) use the CD. As I said I used the original link posted by JonW, I would guess the link you are using is the same but I can't be sure. I do remember it was about the same size. After I uninstalled version 10 a full version 13 installed and works beautifully. The link you posted for version 12 is a complete software and driver install for a different printer, not just Solution Center - if that is what you installed remove it completely and install the software and driver program that came with the printer using the CD. Pick "custom install" and uncheck Solution Center. When it is finished install Solution Center 13 and you should be good to go.

Only thing up in the air is whether or not when Adobe releases a new version of Flash we go back to the same problems. I'm guessing not, but we will see.

Message Edited by bumboola on 11-29-2009 08:38 PM

Message Edited by bumboola on 11-29-2009 08:41 PM

[Wazz]

Hi,

To resolve the issue you can insert the printer software CD in the CD-Drive . Then right click on the CD-Drive icon and select Open under Setup folder you will find a file as SolutionCenter.msi. Right click on it and select Repair. Reboot the computer and it will resolve the issue.

[gardener711]

Thanks for the input Bumboola and Wazz.  Re Bumboola's recent post, I installed Solution Center version 13 over version 10 so I now have only Solution Center version 13 listed in my control panel programs and features.  I did not install Solution Center version 12.  I still have the versions of the other pieces of the HP Software that came off the installation CD (e.g., HP Customer Participation Program 10.0; HP Imaging Device Functions 10.0; HP Document Manager 1.0; HP Officejet J4500 Series; HP Smart Web Printing; OCR Software by I.R.I.S 10.0; and Shop for HP Supplies) listed in control panel's programs & features so none of these programs changed when I installed version 13 of Solution Center.  When I open Solution Center version 13 (+ when I try to perform a function using Solution Center), I still get some pop up windows but not nearly as bad as before.  They last for a few seconds to a minute and then disappear.  I almost can live with it as long as Solution Center scans multiple pages into files as it seems to be able to do.  

Re Wazz's post, very interesting....and timely!  Wazz tells me to put in the J4580 installation CD, find the file "SolutionCenter.msi" and right click on it and select repair which will resolve the issue of popups.  Before receiving this post, I had just responded to the HP Support tech rep that, after installing Solution Center version 13 over version 10 as she had told me to do, I was still getting some pop up windows (e.g., Tray App or Windows Installer or HP Product Assistant or Status or Scan or Solutions Center or Market Research) that said "Please wait while Windows configures....".  In response, the HP Support rep told me to use the installation CD for the J4580, find a variety of ".msi" files on it (AIO_Scan_CDA.msi and InstantShare.msi and documentviewer.msi and scan.msi and SolutionCenter.msi and Update.msi and HPSU306Stub.msi and Photogallery.msi.msi) install them, and then right click on each of these ".msi" files and click on repair.  I found her suggestion puzzling because I thought that doing this from the insllation CD (which has an older version of the HP software) might be problemmatic.  Since I have zero knowledge of what this repair process does, can someone explain why I should follow the HP Support reps instructions re installing each of these .msi files from the installation CD (as opposed to just the SolutionCenter.msi file) now that I have Solution Center Version 13 and repairing each as instructed?????  Could doing this repair re each of these ".msi" files be harmful in any way? 

[Wazz]

Yes you can try those steps. However, I recommend you to double click the version 13 software downloaded file and check if you are getting any option as Install more software. If you are getting that option, select it and install all the software listed there.

[grcook00]

dosulliv91 wrote:

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For what it's worth, I never had to uninstall my old Solution Center software before installing the new version. Therefore, I don't believe step 3 is strictly necessary. However, it can't hurt to try it if a direct install of the new Solution Center version does not work.

---

The MSI Uninstaller does not uninstall the software, only the installation package. In any case, using it cleared up my problems. My feelings are that each person should use what works best for them; to that end, I offer my solution as a possibility for others... (And it really is a shame that so many users are experiencing such problems with 'professionally' designed software!)

[gardener711]

I appreciate the input folks.  Because of the complexity of this thread, I need to summarize where I am: I originally installed the various parts of the HP software for the J4580 all-in-one on my Vista 64 bit machine.  I got pop up windows when I booted up the machine and when I tried to open up Solution Center.  To halt the pop up windows at PC bootup, I unchecked hp digital imaging - hp all-in-one series inside the startup tab of msconfig.  That worked fine.  However, when I would open Solution Center version 10, I would get a long series of pop up windows.  So, I followed the HP Support rep's instructions to install Solution Center version 13 over version 10 without first uninstalling version 10.  I now have Solution Center version 13 (as well as Flash version 10c).  The other originally installed pieces of the version 10 HP software (HP Officejet J4500 driver; HP Imaging Device Functions; HP Update; HP Customer Participation Program; HP Smart Web Printing; OCR Software by I.R.I.S; HP Document Manager 1.0; HP Photosmart Essential 2.5) are still on my computer as originally installed but I have not had occasion to use them.  

Now, when I open Solution Center version 13 (and when I attempt to perform a function in Solution Center), I am still getting pop up windows that say "please wait while windows configures...".  The pop up windows are entitled (e.g., Tray App or Windows Installer or HP Product Assistant or Status or Scan or Solution Center or Market Research).  They don't last long thankfully and are annoying but go away in a short period of time and don't appear to affect the actual operation of Solution Center version 13 (e.g., it appears that I can scan and save a multipage scan to a file).  But, the pop up windows persist.

Several solutions to this pop up problem have been discussed in this now 5 page thread.  The first solution requires using the windows installer cleanup utility.  Under this solution, you would use the uility to uninstall the "installation package" of the software rather than the actual software itself.  If I understand MukeshS, dosulliv91 and techsupport0179 correctly, using the windows installer cleanup utility will only remove the installation package (that is causing the pop up windows??) and not the software itself.  dosulliv91 suggests running the windows installer cleanup utility to remove all references to the HP packages that are causing problems (for him, it involved Solution Center, Tray App and Status among others), but he warns not to use it to uninstall anything that you do not recognize or are not sure of as this could cause misery (scary!).  Since the pop up windows that I see can be named Tray App or Windows Installer or HP Product Assistant or Status or Scan or Solution Center or Market Research, I would have to be excruciatingly careful in using the cleanup utility, I guess? 

The second potential solution (from dosulliv91), applicable to Solution Center, involves copying and renaming 2 Flash files (back to the specific versions of Flash 9 which the Solution Center expects to see/need).  In my case, my J4580 installation CD has the 9b versions of those files but my PC now has the latest 10c versions of those files and version 13 of Solution Center (which is presumably looking for the Flash 10 files).  It appears that this second solution may have been rendered unnecessary for me when I installed the HP update/patch which is Solution Center version 13??   

The third potential solution involved installing and repairing the installation packages the .msi files found on the installation CD.  This was suggested on page 5 of this thread (re Solution Center) + by the HP Support rep that I was dealing with (who suggested that I find, install and repair a variety of .msi files from the installation CD).  The HP Support rep indicated that this solution would take me back to the default settings of the installation CD software, and I am very leery of doing this since I no longer trust the HP support rep at this point - you would not believe the complicated programming changes that the HP Support rep suggested in her last e-mail to me, including making changes to my registry.  Ain't no way I'm editing my registry (never done it; never want to as I'd screw up my computer for sure).

Folks - I'm sorry to have gone into this much summarizing of the issues/solutions, but I'd like to get some additional input from MukeshS, dosulliv91 and techsupport 0179, as well as anyone who would like to help, before I do anything serious to try to solve my specific pop up window problem.  The more specific the better.  Thanks to you all................   

[grcook00]

Hi gardener711,

I think that you were referring to me (rather than dosulliv91) when you were discussing the MSI removal tool. I would be happy to help further, if I can. While the tool can be scary if misused, it seemed to work fine in my situation. I would not recommend removing the Windows Installer installation package (I believe that to be an MS-supplied utility that is displayed briefly during setup), but the others should be ok - I have also removed Market Research since my post, and have had no more problems with HP popups (and also no unexpected other problems either)...

Kudos to you for summarizing this post as you did! It's too bad that your summarization cannot be moved to the top of the thread - it could save others a lot of unnecessary research efforts.

If you would like to contact me directly, I think that you can click my user name in the message header and then click the link to PM me if I am online (this is just a guess, as I have not actually tried it).

Message Edited by KarlaDJR on 12-01-2009 01:56 PM