I am trying to install several software packages on an Inspiron 7000 laptop. The machine has NT4.0 with Service Pack 5. The setup.exe files for all of the software programs were created with various versions of InstallShield (anywhere from V2.0 to 5.1). The first time I tried to run setup, the .exe just didn't seem to execute. I fould a Microsoft technical reference (Q247925) that suggested that some VDM files had become corrupted. I performed the steps suggested - rename the possibly corrupted files and reapply the service pack. Now when I try to run the setups, I get an error message saying that NT can't find the setup file. It doesn't matter if the file is on the CD-ROM, floppy drive or hard disk. It also doesn't help if the paths names are DOS compliant. I should also mention that everyone of these programs installs flawlessly on my NT desktop machine back at the office.

I'm at a loss for what to do next. The Dell technicians suggest reinstalling NT. InstallShield won't talk to me because I'm just an "end-user". I'd appreciate any ideas.