How to fix: Costfinalize error during upgrade or installation

This article explains how you can resolve the Installation Manager Log Error: "Internal error: The Windows Installer for this product component did not run as expected: CostFinalize"

Problem

You received an installation error installing SOLIDWORKS showing the word "CostFinalize".

Background Information

Lets say that you are upgrading a SOLIDWORKS 2014 sp4 installation to sp5. The installation fails and you look at the error logs. The errors listed in the installation manager logs reference 'costfinalize'. This typically has to do with limited file access on a network drive.

This is documented in SOLIDWORKS bug report SPR 639007: "Internal error: The Windows Installer for this product component did not run as expected: CostFinalize"; Error 1327, cannot access mapped drive".

Root Cause

The Windows User Profile is on a network drive instead of the local computer, or the installer is specifying a network location for the toolbox.

By design, the installation files are stored natively on the local C drive by SOLIDWORKS in the users "Documents>SOLIDWORKS Downloads>SOLIDWORKS 20XX x64 spX" folder.

If this folder is on a network drive instead of the local drive(using re-directed folders), the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager is going to have issues.

You can do an IM LOG search for "SourceDir" or "\\" to find an entry showing \\nwdrive\users. The double backslash is used to direct programs to a network location.

Here is an example from a recent IM Log file:

        This Installation Manager is running from: {0: \\rdd-fs1\users\Tom$\My Documents\SolidWorks Downloads\SOLIDWORKS 2015 x64 SP01.1\sldIM}

In this case, the user Tom's profile is not in the native location C:\Users\"Tom". Instead, it is located on the network at \\rdd-fs1\users\Tom$. This affects the SOLIDWORKS installation manager and it's ability to access the user profile.

The bug report SPR 639007 talks about a problem using a 'roaming profile' for the Windows user who is logged in. Some references call this a 'redirected profile'. SOLIDWORKS recommends using a local profile. 

Options for Repair

1. OPTION1: Have the IT dept move the user folders back to the local computer and re-run the installation. This is by far the best solution so far as a normal SOLIDWORKS installation goes.
2. OPTION2: Create a local profile and run the installation with a local profile. That should allow the installation to run as expected. Should be fairly simple for you, or IT if you aren't allowed.
3. OPTION3: Reset the permissions on the "roaming" Users profile folder and all the subordinate files and folders to read write for this user. Sometimes effective depending on Group Policy at the company network.
4. OPTION4: Reference the redirected Documents folder using a UNC path rather than a mapped drive." Suggested by SOLIDWORKS bug report SPR 639007.