SeaTools

[scarlett1]

My Seagate 1.5tb External Desktop Drive is less than 6 months old, yet has become corrupted afte becoming slow and making stuttering sounds. As prescribed by your website, I decided to test it thoroughly with Seatools for Windows. However, the product refuses to install.

I have tried four different versions of the software, including the latest version available, however after running though the obligatory Visual C + + 2005 Redistributable setup, I receive the dreaded Fatal Error message: 'Installation ended prematurely because of an error'.

I am by no means a novice at installation problems, required programs and the like, thus I did a little research on the needed software. Originally I had all net framework updates, along with Visual C ++ 2005 and later. However, this produced the error. I have, over the past couple of days, systematically uninstalled and reinstalled all NET Frameworks and Visual C++ packages, both 2005 and 2008 updates, and tried installing Seatools for Windows at all point during these installations / uninstallations, in case there was a problem with certain update packs and/or conflicts with these. However, at no point have I had any joy. Finally, I ran automatic updates and let this fully complete.

At present I have installed Microsoft NET Framework: 1.1, 1.1 Security Update, 2.0 SP2 (at one point I had this and an earlier 2.0 installed, but it seems the only way to return to this setup is to uninstall all the NET frameworks and reinstall again in order), 3.0 SP2 and 3.5 SP1. In regards to Visual C++, I have 2005 Redistributable and 2008 Redistributable. I have also tried 2005 Express edition too.

And I still cannot get the product to install. I still receive exactly the same error message.

The error message does not mention any conflicts or lack of required programs. Neither does Windows Event Viewer provide anything other than a generic 'installation failed' message for these times.

Currently I am running Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 2, on a Stone Computers Laptop, Intel Celeron(R) M CPU 440 @ 1.86 GHz, with 504MB RAM. I will try installing SP3 and seeing if it will make any difference, however judging by my experiences thus far I doubt it.

Installing and testing the software on another computer is not an option for me.

Is there anything, anything that may be preventing me from installing the product? Or anything in the world I may be able to do to achieve an installation?

I notice that many others have experienced this same problem, yet there seems to be very little conclusive investigation or further help beyond the old trope of 'Install relevant Net Framework 2.0 updates and Visual C + + 2005 updates.' Yet how are customers supposed to 'not kill healthy drives' if we have no reliable, available means of testing them?

I would be most appreciative of any help in resolving this matter.

Many thanks.

[John99]

I have seatools installed on a fully updated XP, and may later in the month try installing on a XP pro sp2, I have subscribed to this thread and will let you know how I get on if I do try the install.

One obvious question, as a workaround have you tried the dos version, is that not more capable anyway ?

[digitaltoast]

Same problem here - tried multiple times, re-downloaded, rebooted, tried with/without drive plugged in.Tried registering the dll that some forums suggest. Really need to install this to try and recover a massively corrupted windows backup and see if the drive might be likely to fail again. (It took nearly 3 days to scan and fix all the errors with chkdsk - it just said the drive was "raw" format before I did that).

Event log details appear below:

Windows Installer installed the product.
Product Name: SeaTools for Windows.
Product Version: 1.2.0.5. Product Language: 0.
Manufacturer: Seagate Technology.
Installation success or error status: 1603.

System details:


OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name XXXX-PC
System Manufacturer BIOSTAR Group
System Model TA790GX 128M
System Type x64-based PC
Processor AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 940 Processor, 3600 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 080014, 25/05/2009
SMBIOS Version 2.5
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United Kingdom
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
User Name XXX-PC\XXX
Time Zone GMT Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 4.00 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.47 GB
Total Virtual Memory 8.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.93 GB
Page File Space 4.00 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

[Rustiferion]

So, has anyone come up with a fix for this?  I'm having the same problem on a Win 7 computer - multiple attempts, multiple fatal errors, no further information.  I'm running the DOS version now, but it won't detect external drives...

[Diguelo]

Yes buy a Western Digital Drive and rescue what you can onto it.

This company wont even give me an RMA on a drive 2 years old, so at 6 months thats about the standard failure speed for these drives. They will say its your fault for letting it overheat, I dont even need to see the emails they send if they ever send.

Good luck getting a replacement, then the warranty goes out the window.

[Answer01]

What a pain that Seagate does not answer this question.

I had the same problem and a couple of people all over the world spent plenty of time and forum discussions on it, but I did not find a working solution on the internet.

*************************************************************************

My simple solution was: During installation: Plug in a Seagate Harddisk! internally.or on newer systems it works via USB, too.

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:-) :-)

Seatools for windows is looking for a physical Seagate Harddisk in the system for licensing reasons.

If it does not find any, it hangs at Searching for Visual C ++ 2005 Redistributable  during installation.

If Seatools for Windows installation problem hangs at *Searching for Visual C ++ 2005 Redistributable*   then make sure that you have a physical Seagate Harddisk connected to your Computer DURING INSTALL PROCESS.

Good luck with your HDs!

General ideas on HD/Computer problems:

Give busy hard disks time for self repair processes and do not force power down in anger.

Instead of *solving* a Computer problem spending minutes hours nights -.

Sometimes it is better to sleep and eat and take a break to prevent user interaction mistakes.

Computers like to eat my time and then my mind..

GOOOD night.