Windows Installer Bug - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

I am writing to you all just to inform you of a bug(probably), that I
came across while trying to install PostgreSQL 8.1.0-2 and 8.1.1-1 on
WinXP with SP2, using the PostgreSQL installer.

I had done a windows clean install and then installed straight away
PostgreSQL 8.0.4.  It was the only software installed on windows and
worked perfectly.  After a day or two, I noticed that the PostgreSQL
8.1.0-2 was released. I decided two uninstall PostgreSQL 8.0.4 and
install the new 8.1.0-2 version.

So I did, using the following unistall procedure:

1.  I unistalled PostgreSQL 8.0.4 form the control panel in the usual
manner that all windows application are uninstalled.
2.  I used the Computer Management program of the Administrative Tools
of windows and deleted the PostgreSQL user that had been created during
the installation of PostgreSQL 8.0.4.
3.  Finally, I removed all garbage left by the uninstaller in the registry.
4.  I restarted windows.

I have to stress that I did not have any other software installed on
windows at the moment and I had the Windows firewall service disabled.

So I tried to install the new version 8.1.0-2 but got an error.  I tried
at least 15 times and I always got the same error.  The error was
manifesting itself during the installation as follows:

************************************************************
During the "Activating procedural languages" installation
part, I get:

"Failed to connect to the database.  Procedural
languages files are installed, but are not activated in
any databases."

When I press OK it continues and I get:

"server closed the connection unexpectedly
This probably means the server terminated
abnormally before or while processing the request."

When I press OK again, it continues and I get:

"Failed to connect to the 'template1' database.  Contrib
files are installed, but are not activated in any databases."

Pressing OK for a final time gives me this:

"could not send startup packet: Connection reset by
peer (0x00002746/10054)"
**************************************************************

I uninstalled the 8.1.0-2 PostgreSQL which was not working and I tried
to install again the 8.0.4, as some people in the novice and Admin mailing lists suggested.  The 8.0.4 installer worked
fineand I had PostgreSQL 8.0.4 up and running in no time.
 

Then I uninstalled 8.0.4 and tried to install 8.1.0-2 for a last time.
The same errors appeared once again.

*************************************************************
If that is not a bizzare behaviour of the installer, what is?
*************************************************************

The same problem appeared when some people I know tried to install
PostgreSQL 8.1.0-2 as well. But they did not have the time nor the
inclination to make this known to the public by posting to the mailing
lists.  I have no feedback of the same people trying the 8.1.1-1
version.  I believe they have not tried it yet.

Now that PostgreSQL 8.1.1-1 is out, I decided to test my luck again.
I repeated the whole procedure and I got exactly the same erros that
manifested when trying to install 8.1.0-2.  I uninstalled and I tried
to install 8.0.4.  That went ok again and I did not have any problems.
All the problems appear whenever I try to install any version after the
8.0.4.

As someone suggested, these errors indicate a proper install where the
server crashes after install.  That is exactly what happens.

Another strange thing is that when the first error prompt appears, if I
look for any log files, I can not find any.  Maybe that is because that
error appears after the installation of the core engine.  I dont know.

But! That bizzare behaviour does not manifest itself when using the
installers of versions of PostgreSQL prior to 8.1.x.

For all versions of PostgreSQL that I have successfully installed so far
(8.0.4 and all others prior to that), I used the folder "C:\Program
Files\Postgresql\" for the PostgrerSQL files and the folder "D:\DBASES\"
for the database files.  I tried the default folders as well but it did
not make any difference.  At any unistallation I delete the folder
D:\DBASES manually.  All other folders are deleted automatically by the
unistaller.

Can anybody please help?
It is very annoying not to be able to use the DB.