>Hey David!,
>
>I've discovered that attempting to modify or rename via the class browser does the same thing. Everything is hunky-dory in Win98/VFP7 SP1 - I can modify to my heart's delight (I'm dual booting Win98 and Win2k pro.)
>The Windows Installer dialog only says 'Preparing to install...' but doesn't say what it's preparing to install.

I've had a similar thing with the ISLE (limited edition of InstallShield) - first the help wouldn't work because it never included the foxhhelp7.exe and the corresponding dll. Then I added that to where the KB article (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q314296) said, into a subdirectory of [common files]. Fine, except that ISLE never understood that on developer's machine these two files have already existed and were in use by VFP, so it erased them on uninstall.

After that, each time VFP was launched, the installer would pop up, check the CDs and keep silent after that (just "preparing to install" and looking for a CD).

Then I set the [installdir] as a target for these two files, and all is fine, except that ISLE still unregisters the dll when I uninstall the app. In general, IMO, ISLE is in the least flaky. It's probably the best first installer for anyone, just like Sinclair ZX-80 was the best first computer (you try it, and then either decide that computers suck and throw it out, or decide that computers are great, throw it out and buy a real one).