Running AX 2009 Client raises error: "An invalid directory structure for Microsoft Dynamics AX was detected"

We came across an issue recently where the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Client was installed via a windows batch file to automate the installation. You can perform a "silent" install to mass deploy the client. However after deployment when the client is run from the desktop systems we got a pop window with an error and clicking ok closes the client down:

 

Error in text:

An invalid directory structure for Microsoft Dynamics AX was detcted. The subdirectory \Client\bin does not exist.

 

Upon further investigation, when we ran regedit to look at the registry keys created for the AX Client configuration, indeed it had incomplete path to the client\bin folder. The cause of teh error message. The issue occured on any Windows XP/Vista/7/2003 R2/2008/2008 R2 platform whether its 32bit or 64bit. The paths recorded in the registry were:

 

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Dynamics\5.0\Configuration\Original (installed configuration)]

"bindir"="\Client\Bin"

"datadir"="Client\Data"

"directory"="\Client"

and the correct registry paths should have been (on an x64 system):

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Dynamics\5.0\Configuration\Original (installed configuration)]

"bindir"="C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Client\Bin"

"datadir"="C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Client\Data"

"directory"="C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Client"

(x86 system):

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Dynamics\5.0\Configuration\Original (installed configuration)]

"bindir"="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Client\Bin"

"datadir"="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Client\Data"

"directory"="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Client"

manually modifying the registry keys with correct values, resolves the issue and allows clients to be run without any errors.

 

However the real cause of the issue was because the setup did not have the full parameters required to set the default folder paths.The clients were installed using the following setup parameters from the AX 2009 DVD media:

d:\setup.exe SetupLanguage=en-GB RunMode=JustClient ConfigurePrerequisites=1 HideUI=1 AcceptLicenseTerms=1 InstallClientUI=1 ClientAosServer=AX5-W8R2-01 ClientLanguage=en-gb ClientHelpLanguages=en-gb;en-us

 HOWEVER if you run the setup with the following parameters (all parameters in one single line of command):

 

d:\setup SETUPLANGUAGE=EN ConfigurePrerequisites=1 HideUI=1 AcceptLicenseTerms=1 InstallPath="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50" InstallPath32Bit="C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50" InstallClientUI=1 ClientConfig=1 ClientAosServer=AX5-W8R2-01 ClientLanguage=en-GB ClientHelpLanguages=en-US;en-GB

 it deploys the AX client with the correct registry paths and the clients don't get any error on invocation!