BUG: "Error occurred while trying to rebuild" w/ Setup Wizard

• Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

After entering the path to the project file in Setup Wizard and selecting next, you receive this error:

   <An invalid pathname with two drive specifiers> File not found.
   An error occurred while trying to build the project .exe or .dll

CAUSE

This error occurs when, before running the Setup Wizard, you choose to make an .exe file in a directory one or more levels higher in the directory tree than the directory where your project files are located.

For example, if your .vbp file is in C:\Myprogs\Prog1 and you choose to make the .exe file in C:\, C:\Myprogs, or C:\Myprogs\Prog2, you may encounter this problem.

The Setup Wizard always tries to recompile your project, but it fails while making the attempt. The Setup Wizard will correctly handle the case where the .exe is made in a subdirectory of the directory where the .vbp file is located.

RESOLUTION

Use either of the following two methods to resolve the problem:

• Before running the Setup Wizard, from within Visual Basic, make the .exe file in the directory containing the .vbp file -- or in a subdirectory.

  -or-

• Using a text editor like Notepad, modify the Path32 line in your .vbp file to point to your .exe file relative to the directory where your .vbp file is located. For example, if the .exe file is in C:\Temp and the project file is in C:\Vb, change the Path32 line so that it has an entry of ..\Temp. The problem with this solution is that the change is only temporary. The next time you save the project from Visual Basic 4.0, Visual Basic will force this line to be absolute again, overwriting your change.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Start a new project in Visual Basic.

2. Using the File Manager or Explorer, create a new temporary subdirectory on the root directory (for example, C:\Newtemp).

3. On the File menu, click Make EXE. Change the path for where the new .exe file will reside from the default of C:\Vb to the new temporary directory you just created. Click OK to make the new .exe file. It will reside in the temporary directory you created.

4. On the File menu, click Save Project, and save the default Form1.frm and Project1.vbp files in the C:\Vb directory.

5. Exit Visual Basic, and start the Setup Wizard.

6. When prompted for a path to the project file, give the Setup Wizard C:\Vb\Project1.vbp, and click Next. The Setup Wizard will minimize, and Visual Basic will start, but then Visual Basic will exit without compiling your project. At that point, the Setup Wizard will display the error saying that it couldn't find the file.