Summary

Error -5003: Internal build error.

Symptoms

When you are building an InstallShield Express project, the following error may occur:

Error -5003: Internal build error.

Cause

This error may occur in earlier versions of InstallShield Express if a file in your project is locked by another application.

Resolution

Use one or more of the following solutions to resolve this error:

• Close down all Windows Explorer windows and rebuild the release. If the folder where the file is stored is currently open within Windows Explorer, that folder is locked by Windows and cannot be accessed by InstallShield Express.
• Close all other running applications and utilities, including virus scanners. If any of these processes are accessing the file specified in the error message, this error may occur. For example, if Norton AntiVirus is currently running and scanning that particular file, this error can occur during the build process. Rebuild the release after closing these processes.
• Make sure that only one instance of your InstallShield Express project is currently open. If multiple copies are open, close all other copies so that only one instance of the project is open. After doing this, rebuild the release.

If the error still occurs after you have performed the preceding solutions, reboot the machine. In rare instances, services or other processes could be locking the file that cannot be manually shut down. Rebooting the machine frees up these resources and allows the build process to complete successfully.