StrataFrame Forum

Serious InstallAware Bug

http://forum.strataframe.net/Topic26959.aspx

By Aaron Young - 4/22/2010

Hi all,



There has been a serious bug in InstallAware that has not be rectified in months and it highlights a serious customer service policy with InstallAware which potential buyers need to be aware of. More details can be found in this thread:-



http://www.installaware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5100&sid=0f4f0cec939a15548fd01226c32d275c&start=30



Yesterday, I posted a concern that it hadn't been fixed and my posting is below.



"I am surprised this hasn't been classified as a serious bug with an update by now.



This has been an extremely serious problem for us as our Installaware setup has now caused several Internet Explorer based invoicing systems to fail for some of our customers. To highlight the pressure we are under, Installaware has succeeded in taking down invoicing systems and delaying the generation of invoices well in excess of a £1 billion+ UK Sterling over the last several months. We didn't even know it was Installaware causing the problem until a customer's IT department found this thread when they were searching the web for a solution. To date, another three prominent customers have found the same thread and have informed us. These customers are household names and this is not a good advert for Installaware.



Given the disruption and the financial implications, we are under customer pressure to stop using Installaware and these clients are large enough to force the issue - some may say they even have a point. We have been patient and waited for an update to fix this but it looks like no update is coming and postings are now being ignored. True, since we now know Installaware is causing the problem we could write a fix ourselves but the issue here is how dangerous this change has been and how little regard has been given to the consequences. In fact some of the official postings in this thread in response have been disappointing. Is it really acceptable to threaten to ban users for complaining about a bug in a forum?



Installaware may not care beyond the application it installs. However, you simply cannot disregard a global system change that drastically affects other systems.



This bug and thread has taught us a lot about Installaware and it has left us with no option. We need a setup to install our application without taking down customer invoicing systems and we don't consider that too much to ask from an installer product."



I emailed Jeremy Garrett at InstallAware and told him we were being forced to go elsewhere by our own customers who had traced the problem to InstallAware. I noticed today my posting had been deleted from the thread. I emailled Jeremy Garrett pointing out that I knew they had deleted it and I received the following email:-



"Your behavior confirms the admin's decision to ban you.



You have now been banned from all access to InstallAware.



Kind regards,



Jeremy Garrett

Vice President of Marketing

InstallAware Software Corporation

336 Guerrero Street

San Francisco CA 94103-3332

415 839 5017"



This is a serious bug in their software which has affected many and their attitude is to ban users who ask for a fix. They threatened to ban other users in the thread who complained - makes you wonder what other bugs are covered up? In all, this was my second posting in their forums.



I wish I had known this before we bought the product and I post this here should anyone be thinking of buying it.



Regards,



Aaron
By Keith Chisarik - 4/22/2010

Not related but InstallAware corrupted my VS2008 install just installing the trial. I never looked at it again. Sorry you are having those issues, sounds.... unpleasant.
By Aaron Young - 4/22/2010

Hi Keith,

I am afraid that doesn't surprise me. InstallAware installs our application very well - but trashes several invoicing systems during the process. What is worse is they don't appear to have any regard if their setups affect other applications. It has been extremely embarassing for us when several large clients have traced this problem back to our applications InstallAware setup and InstallAware themselves are simply banning people who tell them the problems they have caused. They run their company the complete opposite to MicroFour and Strataframe and they would learn a lot by implementing MicroFour's customer service approach.

Regards,

Aaron