The configuration:
* 64 bit Phenom X4 CPU
* Vista Ultimate 64, Service Pack 2 (RTM)
* No other security or configuration programs except Process Explorer for monitoring
[b]* The installer produces a total hang if the temporary folder doesn't have enough room to let it unpack. This can be solved by freeing up room or relocating the TEMP and TMP system variables to a different place, but it's impossible to remove the then-stuck setup process unless by means of manually resetting the machine.[/b]
The problem is pretty severe, I almost thought the installer was corrupted at first - the process cannot be closed, by any means, not even by administrator-permitted Process Explorer.
I use a RAMdrive for temporary files, which is drive R: for me. The issue was discovered easily: I was trying to get rid of the stuck setup process (which remained impossible to do), and in a strange bid, I decided to just close every single handle it has using PE (mentioned above). I already tried closing all the threads, but that didn’t work, it couldn’t close the last one.
So here I am closing 20 or so handles already, when I hit one that points to my R: drive. PE couldn’t close that handle. In fact, when I tried, PE hung alongside the setup, both being interminable now. Then the heavenly spark came, and I started to suspect I ran out of space.
I was right, relocating the folder and starting a new setup process solved the problem. Regardless, I still need a hard reset to get rid of the stuck process.
In short, you need some form of visual warning to tell the user about out-of-space errors, and possibly some escape mechanism to get rid of the setup in case of failure. Otherwise, if the temporary folder doesn’t have enough room, the user faces a setup that doesn’t finish, cannot be closed, and potentially prevents the entire system from sleeping, shutting down or rebooting (unless you hard-reset).
The same thing prevents an installed firewall from successfully updating, too - there’s no warning there either, you just notice that the updates never actually get applied, over and over again.
Please add feedback to the updater and the setup.