Feature transfer error __ Catastrophic failure

I am having the same problem mentioned in a couple of 2012 posts where the installation of Directory Opus is halted with the notice that a feature transfer error has resulted in a catastrophic failure.

I tried the suggested solutions to the problem including deleting shortcuts on the desktop; granting administrative privileges; turning off the antivirus program; changing the firewall settings; etc. I even managed to foul things up by deleting my then current version of Directory Opus. I realized my error when I attempted to create and exception to allow DO through the firewall and did not have the required path to the program.

I would appreciate any help in circumventing this error and failure.

We contacted InstallShield on this issue and they provide the following answer. I'm afraid it may not be particularly useful but please look at this and send us come feedback on their suggestions.


This type of error usually occurs during the transfer of large files, when the target machine does not allocate enough memory to the running installer process, or when there is insufficient temporary disk space or total, free disk space. This could be a machine specific issue, if you are not able to reproduce it on other machines. Please acquire the following information from the end-user experiencing the issue:

  1. Can you describe at what point of the installation are you getting the error? Is it when a file is being transferred?
  2. Does the target machine have sufficient memory allocated to the running installer process?
  3. Does the target machine have sufficient temporary disk space?
  4. Does the target machine have sufficient total, free disk space?
  5. Have all temporary files been deleted prior to running the installer?
  6. Have all other processes been ended prior to running the installer?
  7. Has all antivirus software been disabled prior to running the installer?

If the above suggestions don't work, can you provide us with the debug log of the issue, which should be in a trace.bin file. Here is a link to a Knowledge Base article that describes how to generate that debug log file:
kb.flexerasoftware.com/selfservi ... Id=Q110947

We can also take a look at the process monitor log and see if it helps to troubleshoot the issue.
The link below directs you to the Microsoft site that you can download Process Monitor from. You will want to start it up accept all the default filtering and then start your installation. Once you get the error, you can stop the capturing (Ctrl + E will do this) then save the file as .pml file:

Process Monitor v2.91
technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysi ... 96645.aspx

Your Process Monitor link's text says v2.91. The most current version is 3.05

You should tell that InstallShield then, because GP just copied their answer :wink:! BTW it's quite unimportant.

Sorry maybe my fault. I copied an older reply.... :slight_smile:

I wish to thank everyone for their comments; Greg in particular. I was going to address his suggestions one-by-one to explain why they were inapplicable, but in the course of doing so the problem resolved itself.

The error came almost as soon as the installation process began, and my computer had ample memory and free disk space to handle the installation. I did not understand what temporary files needed to be deleted prior to running the installer, and have never bothered to end all other processes before running the installer since I trace the installation of the program using Revo Uninstaller Pro. Finally, as mentioned in my post, I did disable my antivirus software; and it was, in trying to grant Directory Opus access to the internet, that I discovered I had uninstalled last version of DO (v10.5.2) that had been successfully installed.

When I thought about the earlier installation, I remembered that I experienced the same error when I attempted to install DO v10.5.3. This prompted me to see if I could re-install DO v10.5.2; tracing the installation with Revo Uninstaller. I could and did; and when I rebooted me computer, the program notified me that there was a later version available (v10.5.3) and asked if I wanted to install it. I did and it successfully installed.

To test my suspicion that using Revo Uninstaller to install the program might be the reason for the error occurring, I used Revo to install DO v11. It did and, therefore, Revo was not the problem nor does the problem apparently exist any longer.

Maybe it's coincidence but we get a lot of people on the forum with really weird problems on their machines who also happen to use Revo Uninstaller.

I am not convinced such a tool is necessary, at least for routine use (maybe to clean up something that leaves a significant mess but not for everything), and it seems like something more likely to create problems than solve them. (The odd registry key or file left behind on a modern computer is completely irrelevant... unless it actually was needed for something and removing it incorrectly results in things breaking in ways which would be impossible and thus unexpected otherwise).

Just my observation of something that seems to be a trend. It could be a lot of coincidences as well.