# Error installing tivo Desktop 2.8.3



## Stormydog (Oct 13, 2010)

I had a Win XP Netbook and successfully been using the free edition of Tivo Desktop with no problems. I just lost that notebook hard drive and bought a newer netbook with Win 7 Professional.

When ever I try and install using the Tivo Desktop Installer, I get error "Error opening installation log file. Verify that the specified log file location exists and is writqble." I cannot get past this.

I found on Microsoft webssite that it loses the location where to write log file and thinks \windows\system32 if the file. Their work around is to close Explorer and restart it. I tried running the installer program from Desktop and from within Explorer with no luck. Not sure what problem is. This is on a brand new Win 7 computer and the Desktop installer I think is Win 7 compatable. Has anyone else had this?


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

Try right-clicking the installer and choose "Run as administrator". Desktop 2.8.3 works fine on Windows 7, but the default UAC settings may be causing that error. The same goes for for any antivirus software that you may have installed.

P.S. If you got that file from anywhere but the TiVo website it could be malware. The original free version of Desktop is still available, they just don't have any links to it on their website.

http://assets.tivo.com/assets/exe/tivotogo/TiVoDesktop2.8.3.exe


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## Stormydog (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks for the response.

I tried installing in Safe mode - no help. When I right click it gives me the options to Install, Repair. Maybe because as the user with administration rights, I do not get Run as Administrator option?

I did get this off of the TiVo site and saved a copy of the installer on another computer that I then copied over and am trying to run. Since it is no longer available I could not download a new copy.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

The link I posted above still works. TiVo didn't take down the file, just the links to it on their website.

Even the actual Administrator account should have the "Run as administrator" option. Did you completely uninstall any previous attempts and run the cleaner utility you can get from their site?


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

ggieseke said:


> Did you completely uninstall any previous attempts and run the cleaner utility you can get from their site?


I was going to suggest this, but I was unsuccessful in finding the cleaner utility on TiVo's support site.

Edit: NM, I found it. It's under the "Installing TiVo Desktop Plus for PC" section.

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2675/kw/tivo desktop


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## Stormydog (Oct 13, 2010)

Good to know there is still a link to the installer. It should be the same as what I already have and am trying to use.

I contacted the computer mfg (ACER) and informed them of the installer error. This is a brand new install of Win 7 Professional and I had about 4 days of set up into it. So in a futile and desperate search for resolution I turned to Acer. Their advice right off the bat was to do a system reset to factory default. I was willing to try it and glad I only had a few days set up of computer. I had little hope since support always seems to point you in this direction if they have no clue.

So I did a reset and after setting up network connection to copy installer over I ran the install program. Same error!

I think there is a command in installer that Win 7 Prof cant handle and nobody knows what to do. I did search on this error and Microsoft simply says to use Task Mgr to quit Explorer and start it again. Tried that no help.

I was hoping that the vast Tivo community ran across this and knew of a solution. As you can see, I was not in a position to run a Tivo cleaner since it was basically the first time to install anything. Exact same error.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

It runs fine on my Win 7 Prof, both 32-bit & 64-bit.

You might try turning User Account Control off to see if that's the problem, and I would download a fresh copy of the installer just in case the one you have is damaged.

Other than that the only thing I can think of is that something else that's installed on the Acer factory build is keeping Desktop from installing correctly. Third party firewalls or antivirus would be likely suspects.


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## Stormydog (Oct 13, 2010)

I will download a fresh copy and try that.

ACER conviently, after asking me to do a system reset, washed their hands of the issue since it is a third party product. I will have to find the User Account Control and try that. I will also disable my anti-virus software.

Thanks for the suggestions.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

The cleaner for old Desktop installs supposedly is only for versions up through 2.6.something, but I've used it on 2.8.2 on several machines (all XP) and if it didn't do me any good, it didn't hurt anything, either.


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## Stormydog (Oct 13, 2010)

I downloaded a fresh copy of the Tivo Installer from the supplied link you gave. It installed with no problem.

I started to download some programs to my PC and it started working. Sometime it somehow lost a connection and stopped. Today I tried to redo the downloads and I can not get it to transfer. Tells me time estimate is unavailable and nothing happens. I rebooted and deleted the recordings that transferred the night before to try it all again. Same thing - no time estimate available and just sits there. It finally reports the shows are manually qued and the first one shows Interrupted under Status.

I may have to reboot the actual Tivo machine.

But thanks for the link and I at least got it loaded so I need to resolve this new problem now.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

Have you done the "cookie" fix?


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