Summary

Symptoms

When running an installation created with InstallShield Express, the following error message may occur:

Internal Error 2721.CustomActionName

CustomActionName is the name of the custom action in the installation causing the error message.

Cause

Error 2721 occurs if the installation is unable to find the file being launched by the custom action in the Binary table or within the project. Several factors within the project in conjunction with custom actions can lead to this error.

Cause 1

The custom action file has a long name, or the name of the EXE or DLL being launched via the custom action contains unusual characters, such as space or underscore (_).

Cause 2

The custom action has been deleted from the project, but it is still referenced in the project somewhere internally. This can happen if entries pertaining to the custom action do not get deleted completely from the project.

Resolution

Resolution 1

Rename the file being launched by the custom action. If the name of the file is unusually long, rename it to 8.3 format. This means rename the file to a name less than or equal to 8 characters with an extension less than or equal to 3 characters, e.g., testfile.exe as opposed to myNewtestfile.exe.

If the filename contains special characters, rename the file so that it does not include any special characters.

Resolution 2

• For Express 3.54 and higher, delete all instances of the custom action using ORCA, a Microsoft Utility.
• For Express 3.5, upgrade to SP4, migrate your project, and then delete all instances of the custom action using ORCA. ORCA will not open projects created in older versions of Express.
  1. Download ORCA by following the instructions in Knowledge Base article What is ORCA and How Can I Acquire It?
  2. Open your project file in ORCA.
  3. Select Edit > Find or press Ctrl+F. The Find dialog opens.
  4. In Find what, type the name of the custom action listed in error 2721.
  5. Delete all instances of the custom action.
  6. Select File > Save.
  7. Reopen your project in Express and rebuild it.

Express 3.5x users can upgrade to Express 3.5 SP4 by selecting Help > Update InstallShield.

• Build Error 1024 may appear in projects with Error 2721. For more information, see Knowledge Base article Build Error -1024

• For .exe files, the custom action is not sequenced properly in the project. Custom actions being invoked After File Transfer or After COM Registration result in this error in versions of Express prior to Express 3.53. This issue has been fixed in Express 3.53 and higher.

• In versions of Express earlier than 3.53, using a pre-defined directory property, such as [INSTALLDIR], [ProgramFiles], or [SUPPORTDIR], in the File Name property of a custom action causes this error. Using a pre-defined directory in the File Name property is only supported in Express 3.53 and later.

Additional Information