"SHGetFolderPath FAILED" in installation log

Products

Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

When installing Symantec AntiVirus or Symantec Client Security, the installation fails. The installation log has entries similar to "SHGetFolderPath FAILED".

Symptoms

The installation fails with the message "...wizard was interrupted..."
The installation log has entries similar to "SHGetFolderPath FAILED"

Cause

This issue is usually caused by a reference to a shell folder in the registry that was either removed from the system, or possibly never existed.

Resolution

Navigate to each of the following registry keys, and look for invalid or missing values:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

References
Error: "Error 1327: Invalid Drive..." after installing Symantec AntiVirus $Database 'Enterprise Security Knowledge Base', View 'Support\All Documents (CLF)', Document 'Error:$

Technical Information

The SAV_INST.LOG usually contains a list of SHGetFolderPath return values near the top, and a summary of installation directories near the bottom.
Example:

...
MSI (c) (10:CC) [13:22:56:718]: Note: 1: 1405 2: CommonFilesDir 3: 4: 2
MSI (c) (10:CC) [13:22:56:718]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data
MSI (c) (10:CC) [13:22:56:718]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Favorites
MSI (c) (10:CC) [13:22:56:718]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\NetHood
MSI (c) (10:CC) [13:22:56:718]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents
MSI (c) (10:CC) [13:22:56:718]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\PrintHood
MSI (c) (10:CC) [13:22:56:718]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Recent
...
AddPathToEnvVar: SHGetFolderPath FAILED
stopSP: FAILED to get paths to the event DLL
...
Property(C): VersionNT = 500
Property(C): TARGETDIR = E:\
Property(C): ALLUSERSPROFILE = C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\
Property(C): AdminToolsFolder = C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools\
Property(C): AppDataFolder = C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\
Property(C): CommonAppDataFolder = C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\
Property(C): CommonFiles64Folder = E:\
Property(C): CommonFilesFolder = C:\WINNT\Common Files\
Property(C): DesktopFolder = C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\
Property(C): FavoritesFolder = C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Favorites\
...

Note the "CommonFilesDir" entry at the top, and the erroneous CommonFilesFolder value below.
This particular log is the result of a missing or blank CommonFilesDir registry value.