Downloaded file is corrupt?

Infopackets Reader Judy P. writes:

" I have been having problems loading Simply Accounting 2004 onto my computer. Apparently I need a patch to install it on my machine -- unfortunately, the patch produces a strange error message when I try to run it. It states: ' Setup could not Complete. Setup cannot be completed because an error was encountered during setup. Please contact your software vendor for more information. ' Any ideas? "

My response:

I have a number of theories.

1. Ensure that you have downloaded the correct patch.
    
2. Disable any download accelerators (if you have any installed on your system).
    
3. The file patch file may be corrupt due to a file system error or virus. If you downloaded the file to a floppy disk, try another disk. If you downloaded the file to your hard drive, run ScanDisk and ensure that you have no file system errors. Lastly, update your virus definitions and do a full system scan.
    
4. It may also be possible that you have an invalid .DLL (dynamic link library) file / reference. If you recall, .DLL library files are special system files which are shared by more than one program. Sometimes, poorly written programs can inadvertently overwrite .DLL files, or make erroneous references to a .DLL in the system registry. Having the wrong version of a required .DLL file can cause a program to hiccup. As I have mentioned a few times in the past, this is referred to as .DLL Hell. Programs like Registry Mechanic can search the System Registry (where references to .DLLs are made) and correct invalid references.

Side note: A review on Registry Mechanic was recently published. You can read the review online (fairly interesting), plus there's a link to download Registry Mechanic at the end of the article.