BBC iPlayer Downloads - latest version V1.11.0 will not install
Most unlikely to be a PN issue needless to say but hopefully someone might be able to help me out here before it drives me completely nuts 
I've had BBC iPlayer download thingy installed and running without significant problems ever since they decided to remove the ability to download programme files directly by alternative and superior means. Much as I dislike it in every way, it has up until now generally done what it says on the box albeit in a very primitive and distinctly unfriendly manner.
However, as of just recently, the check for available updates on start-up results in me being told that I *MUST* update to the latest version because of imminent changes blah, blah, blah. This info screen completely fills the entire iPlayer window (rather than simply being an entry at the top of the list of downloaded programmes as it has been previously) thus effectively preventing any sensible use of iPlayer at all because all downloaded programmes and so on are hidden behind the stupid message !
Having reluctantly downloaded and attempted to install the latest version (V1.11.0) I find that it will not install no matter what I've tried. It goes through the motions but almost immediately fails on the "installing data" screen with what is perhaps the most (un)helpful error message ever:
"BBC iPlayer Downloads Setup Wizard ended prematurely because of an error. Your system has not been modified. Blah, blah, blah, you need to run setup again later and all that."
I've tried repairing the existing iPlayer installation. I've tried uninstalling the existing version. I've tried in safe mode. I've tried no end of other somewhat dubious things as well. However, all I get is the ever helpful error message above whenever trying to install V1.11.0 no matter what
I've no idea what the old version I actually have is and it could even be the very first version released ... but it basically works other than for the simple fact that it's insisting on being updated with an update that not only refuses to install but clearly doesn't want to tell anyone why into the bargain ! I've been able to reinstall the old version without difficulty and providing that I prevent iPlayer from checking for updates it continues to work just as it did before. But not for much longer I suspect due to the imminent changes.
There doesn't appear to be any sensible support route via BBC and I can't see problems being reported by anyone else at the moment either, just some similar but rather historic ones. So, anyone have any bright ideas as to what the problem is ? There doesn't appear to be any fundamental system/network/connection reason for why the latest version cannot or will not work because the older version is quite happy. We are talking Ye Olde Computer here mind you (WinXP/SP3 etc.) but it has all the latest available updates as far as I'm aware (incl flash player) and iPlayer claims to work on WinXP in any case. Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be much appreciated
I've had BBC iPlayer download thingy installed and running without significant problems ever since they decided to remove the ability to download programme files directly by alternative and superior means. Much as I dislike it in every way, it has up until now generally done what it says on the box albeit in a very primitive and distinctly unfriendly manner.
However, as of just recently, the check for available updates on start-up results in me being told that I *MUST* update to the latest version because of imminent changes blah, blah, blah. This info screen completely fills the entire iPlayer window (rather than simply being an entry at the top of the list of downloaded programmes as it has been previously) thus effectively preventing any sensible use of iPlayer at all because all downloaded programmes and so on are hidden behind the stupid message !
Having reluctantly downloaded and attempted to install the latest version (V1.11.0) I find that it will not install no matter what I've tried. It goes through the motions but almost immediately fails on the "installing data" screen with what is perhaps the most (un)helpful error message ever:
"BBC iPlayer Downloads Setup Wizard ended prematurely because of an error. Your system has not been modified. Blah, blah, blah, you need to run setup again later and all that."
I've tried repairing the existing iPlayer installation. I've tried uninstalling the existing version. I've tried in safe mode. I've tried no end of other somewhat dubious things as well. However, all I get is the ever helpful error message above whenever trying to install V1.11.0 no matter what
I've no idea what the old version I actually have is and it could even be the very first version released ... but it basically works other than for the simple fact that it's insisting on being updated with an update that not only refuses to install but clearly doesn't want to tell anyone why into the bargain ! I've been able to reinstall the old version without difficulty and providing that I prevent iPlayer from checking for updates it continues to work just as it did before. But not for much longer I suspect due to the imminent changes.
There doesn't appear to be any sensible support route via BBC and I can't see problems being reported by anyone else at the moment either, just some similar but rather historic ones. So, anyone have any bright ideas as to what the problem is ? There doesn't appear to be any fundamental system/network/connection reason for why the latest version cannot or will not work because the older version is quite happy. We are talking Ye Olde Computer here mind you (WinXP/SP3 etc.) but it has all the latest available updates as far as I'm aware (incl flash player) and iPlayer claims to work on WinXP in any case. Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be much appreciated
Thanks for the replies.
My 'usual' login has admin privileges ... yeah I know, no need to tell me
... so it's not a privilege issue.
I haven't used get_iplayer ... but might have to give it a go if/when necessary. TBH, it was all so much simpler, faster, more straightforward and better in absolutely all respects when you could just click on a particular video file and 'save as' to wherever you wanted using whatever software you fancied and then subsequently play using whatever player you chose to use. Anything proprietary is almost always a total PITA and relatively useless compared to no end of potential alternatives.
I've checked Windoze "event logs" and the only relevant entries relate to Win MSI starting and stopping etc. There are no events listed that suggest any kind of failure or problem, only routine stuff. I've also just tried updating Windoze msi from the standard XP version to the Vista version (4.5). It didn't help. Neither did disabling A/V and F/W completely in case there was some weird interaction. I'm rapidly running out of even vaguely sensible things to try here
EDIT: Ah-ha ... It would appear that I'm not quite the only one with this problem - Clicky Ye Here - although that's on Win8 and Vista rather than WinXP. Time to go poking around in msconfig I suppose so here's hoping I don't manage to 'upgrade' the situation from 1 trivial app doesn't want to work to absolutely nothing works
Wish me luck and all that !
My 'usual' login has admin privileges ... yeah I know, no need to tell me
... so it's not a privilege issue.I haven't used get_iplayer ... but might have to give it a go if/when necessary. TBH, it was all so much simpler, faster, more straightforward and better in absolutely all respects when you could just click on a particular video file and 'save as' to wherever you wanted using whatever software you fancied and then subsequently play using whatever player you chose to use. Anything proprietary is almost always a total PITA and relatively useless compared to no end of potential alternatives.
I've checked Windoze "event logs" and the only relevant entries relate to Win MSI starting and stopping etc. There are no events listed that suggest any kind of failure or problem, only routine stuff. I've also just tried updating Windoze msi from the standard XP version to the Vista version (4.5). It didn't help. Neither did disabling A/V and F/W completely in case there was some weird interaction. I'm rapidly running out of even vaguely sensible things to try here
EDIT: Ah-ha ... It would appear that I'm not quite the only one with this problem - Clicky Ye Here - although that's on Win8 and Vista rather than WinXP. Time to go poking around in msconfig I suppose so here's hoping I don't manage to 'upgrade' the situation from 1 trivial app doesn't want to work to absolutely nothing works
Wish me luck and all that !
Well, I still have absolutely no idea what the stupid problem actually is here ... but I think I've at least managed to hack and bodge my way around it manually There's quite clearly absolutely nothing fundamentally wrong or any remote reason (let alone a good reason) why it refuses to install on my system using the normal procedure. It can only be down to a poorly configured install program or cr*p software in general.
Only time will tell if it's a successful solution long-term mind you but it currently appears to work exactly as it should do. In fact I now have both the old and new versions installed side-by-side sharing the same data and both work exactly as they should do, ignoring the poxy "must upgrade now" issue with the old version anyway.
It's not overly clever or complex but I'm not going to post details of what I've actually done just in case Mr.BBC is watching, doesn't like it and somehow tries to prevent any bypassing of the official means of installation in future. However, if anyone finds themselves in a similar position to me and can't install iplayer by simply running the .msi then give me a shout and I'll be more than happy to help out if I possibly can do
There's quite clearly absolutely nothing fundamentally wrong or any remote reason (let alone a good reason) why it refuses to install on my system using the normal procedure. It can only be down to a poorly configured install program or cr*p software in general.Only time will tell if it's a successful solution long-term mind you but it currently appears to work exactly as it should do. In fact I now have both the old and new versions installed side-by-side sharing the same data and both work exactly as they should do, ignoring the poxy "must upgrade now" issue with the old version anyway.
It's not overly clever or complex but I'm not going to post details of what I've actually done just in case Mr.BBC is watching, doesn't like it and somehow tries to prevent any bypassing of the official means of installation in future. However, if anyone finds themselves in a similar position to me and can't install iplayer by simply running the .msi then give me a shout and I'll be more than happy to help out if I possibly can do