The Annoyance
I began writing this page
because this message pops up when I ran the LoadRunner 9.10 setup
after I had uninstalled LoadRunner 9.0.
"Setup has determined that a previous installation has not completed.
You should restart the system in order to complete this process."
I rebooted and restarted the machine several times, but still got this message
when I ran LoadRunner setup.
Others who have encountered this same problem solved this by re-imaging the LoadRunner machine
and cussing at HP's copyright protection gone wild.
But being the stubborn sort, I investigated further before pulling out my Windows install CDs.
As it turns out, Alejandro at HP's help desk helped me identify
the problem as having to do with geeky paranoia and incomplete instructions
rather than HP's greed and distrust.
The people who wrote that message from LoadRunthe setup are actually trying to tell us
something like "your fly is open" --
reboot did not complete all tasks specified for it in the Windows Registry.
Out of self-defense, LoadRunner setup was (understandably)
written such that it doesn't allow itself to be installed
on a machine if its Windows Registry has other installation tasks
that may conflict with LoadRunner.
The logic is that it's better to avoid doing the install with something that can be
"easily fixed" (by completing the install)
than to plow on with an install that may be interrupted by possible malware.
Perhaps the LoadRunner developer who wrote the pop-up message
didn't have enough room in the message to say this clue:
Rebooting Windows is not resolving "PendingFileRenameOperation"
or "RunOnce" requests in the Windows Registry.
Or perhaps a dutiful programmer proposed putting this in the message to "users",
but someone would redact it after saying "oh, nobody would understand this"
because the assumption is that monkeys are running LoadRunner
(even though it takes deep and wide experience in multiple technologies to be an effective Performance Engineer).
Some documents say "disable" spyware before attempting setup.
But doing so does not necessarily remove keys in the Registry that creates the problem.
The Solution
Invoke 
regedit to see if a "PendingFileRenameOperation"
is waiting unsatisfied under the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
One example I deleted is:
\??\C:\Program Files\McAfee\SiteAdvisor\Download...
A "Run Once" registry key entry can exist in several places:
Windows may get stuck with these entries if someone runs a setup program that requires a reboot
(as LoadRunner does), but deletes that program before rebooting.
And when Windows can't carry out the deed, it leaves that request in the registry
on the oft chance that the file sought will someday turn up, like a forelorn animal howling in the night.
The key "PendingFileRenameOperation" doesn't seem to have anything to do with LoadRunner.
Deleting it from the registry enabled LoadRunner setup to continue on its merry way.
My suggestion to LoadRunner programmers is to look for the key LoadRunner places in the Windows Registry
during setup rather than throwing up if there are ANY unresolved items there.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons for LoadRunner doing this.
For example,
Windows Update, some spyware (and anti-spyware) add such entries to make some programs load after reboot.
If an installer is asking for a reboot after install, chances are that it has placed a RunOnce or pending request in the Registry.
BTW, it's still a good idea to start from a fresh install of Windows to setup LoadRunner
if your are also running programs to "harden" the LoadRunner machine.
| 
LoadRunner Installation and Un-installation
LoadRunner 
