Error installing MDAC 2.8: "Advanced INF Installer. INF Install Failure. Reason: Access is Denied."

When running the file MDAC_typ.exe for the MDAC 2.8 upgrade, during the
step "Installing MDAC Response Files," the installation abends with the
error message "INF Install failure. Reason: Access is denied."
I am logged in as an Administrator when I run this. I have tried it in
Safe Mode as well, without success.
I have checked the following documentation:

"Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC)
Installation (May 2005)"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...ary/en-us/dnmd...
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnmdac/html/data_mdacinstall.asp>

including the "Troubleshooting Setup Issues".

"How to MDAC setup troubleshooting guide"
<http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q232060>

"Frequently asked questions about the installation of
Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC)"
<http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=842193> Revision 2.0;
November 21, 2005

....without success.

Try again from a "safe mode" boot.

I'm sorry; I should have included the fact that I tried that.

I found the fix for this myself. I had to deleted the following files
from C:\WINNT\INF: dasetup.*, wdsetup.*, mdac*.*, sql*.*, rspfiles.*,
and bidintrx.*. After doing so, the install proceeded normally and
completed successfully.

I had the same problems. I even tried to remove the files specifed by
David, but no luck. However, I was able to get it working by going to
the c:\winnt\inf folder, selecting all files, and making them all
Un-Readonly. It looks like the installer was trying to access a file
that was read-only.

Hope it helps!

[JimboG]

Hi,

I just thought I would add to this even though it's a few months old now.

I had exactly the same problem where every single device I was plugging in would first prompt for Admin credentials and then give an error saying "Please contact your hardware vendor for assistance."

In the setupapi.log file it referenced syssetup.dll not being able to load - saying "Access is denied"

Using this forum thread I tracked down the problem to a single file.

It turns out that there was a single file in C:\Windows\inf called oem0.inf that had "Read-Only" attributes. This file (in Notepad) lists all the drivers / hardware that the machine is using (about 140Kb) - I changed the attributes to remove the Read-Only flag and then plugged the device back in. Installed first time - so did my mouse! Sorted!

You should be able to track which file you need to change more easily by changing the "View - Details" in Windows Explorer to add the "Attributes" field. Any file that is Read-Only should now show up as "RA".

I hope this helps someone.

Cheers

James