Thread: "Existing installation" when there should be none

I'm trying to install PostgreSQL on a WindowsXP machine that once had a
PostgreSQL 8.3 installation.  As far as I could tell the original
installation was removed, there is no PostgreSQL directory and nothing
that looks like a Postgres file.  However, when I try to do an install I
get a popup with the message:
An existing PostgreSQL installation has been found at
C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3.  This installation will be
upgraded.

There is no such directory.  PostgreSQL8.3 does not show up on the
currently installed programs list.

Do I need to do some sort of PostgreSQL specific uninstall?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

-=beeky

Serge Fonville wrote:
> Hi,
> Have you checked if the directory exists?
> Are there any postgres.exe processes running?
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Regards,
>
> Serge Fonville
>
> On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 11:38 PM, Wm.A.Stafford <stafford@marine.rutgers.edu
>> wrote:
>
>> I'm trying to install PostgreSQL on a WindowsXP machine that once had a
>> PostgreSQL 8.3 installation.  As far as I could tell the original
>> installation was removed, there is no PostgreSQL directory and nothing that
>> looks like a Postgres file.  However, when I try to do an install I get a
>> popup with the message:
>> An existing PostgreSQL installation has been found at
>> C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3.  This installation will be
>> upgraded.
>>
>> There is no such directory.  PostgreSQL8.3 does not show up on the
>> currently installed programs list.
>> Do I need to do some sort of PostgreSQL specific uninstall?
>>
>> Any help or advice would be appreciated.

As Serge suggested, you should do a search on the directory to make sure
it isn't out there somewhere. Assuming you don't find it:

1. Right click on the task bar and open the task manager. Make sure
there are no Postgres executables in the process list.

2. In the Control Panel, look at "Add or remove programs" to see if
Postgres should have been un-installed. If it is there but the files
were simply deleted, some of the cleanup didn't get done.

3. Scan the registry for any references to Postgres or its components.
If the package was not un-installed correctly, there may be traces left
that the new version is tripping over.

HTH,

Bob McConnell
N2SPP

On 2009-02-11, Wm.A.Stafford <stafford@marine.rutgers.edu> wrote:
> I'm trying to install PostgreSQL on a WindowsXP machine that once had a
> PostgreSQL 8.3 installation.  As far as I could tell the original
> installation was removed, there is no PostgreSQL directory and nothing
> that looks like a Postgres file.  However, when I try to do an install I
> get a popup with the message:
> An existing PostgreSQL installation has been found at
> C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3.  This installation will be
> upgraded.
>
> There is no such directory.  PostgreSQL8.3 does not show up on the
> currently installed programs list.
>
> Do I need to do some sort of PostgreSQL specific uninstall?
>
> Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Have you tried add/remove software?