PRB: Mosaic Setup Can Conflict with Visual C++ Setup

• Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, versions 1.5, 1.51, and 1.52
• Microsoft Visual C++ 32-bit Edition, versions 2.0, 2.1

SYMPTOMS

Installing Visual C++ on a machine that also has Mosaic (a World Wide Web navigation client for Windows) installed causes the setup program to issue this warning:

   Setup cannot open the destination file <fileName>. The file may be in
   use by another application, or marked read only. Close the application
   or change the file's read-only attribute and try again.

CAUSE

The problem is that Mosaic is compiled using Visual C++ and uses three of its redistributable DLLs (MSVCRT20.DLL, MFCANS32.DLL, and MFCUIA32.DLL). Mosaic installs these files with the read-only attribute, which causes the Visual C++ setup program to issue the warning when it attempts to overwrite them.

RESOLUTION

First, verify that there is not another application using the DLL by shutting down the other applications. Once you have done this, the easiest (and safest) solution is to remove the read-only attribute from the files by using File Manager or some other utility. Then switch back to the setup program and Retry the operation. This is especially important if you are installing Visaul C++ version 2.1 because the MSVCRT20.DLL file has been changed.

STATUS

NCSA has confirmed Mosaic installs these DLLs with the read-only attribute. It appears to be an oversight on their part because the program does not require the DLLs to have this attribute.