Installation stuck during phase Install Database Software

Question

I am installing DB2 version 9.1 FP5 on Windows 2003 R2 SP2.
During phase Install database software I get the following error
Invalid command line argument.  Consult the Windows Installer SDK for detailed command line help.
When i check the db2setup.log i get the following:
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: Product installation will be elevated because user is admin and product is being installed per-machine.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: Running product '{F23620AE-7E17-4863-898E-7F191B39022D}' with elevated privileges: Product is assigned.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding REINSTALLMODE property. Its value is 'vomus'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding REINSTALL property. Its value is 'ALL'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding INSTALL_MODE property. Its value is 'NEW'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding DB2_LAUNCHER_RC_FILE property. Its value is 'C:\DOCUME1\ACONTR1\LOCALS~1\Temp\12\DB21.tmp'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding DB2_LOG_FILE_PATH property. Its value is 'C:\Program Files\sapinst_instdir\NW04S\SYSTEM\DB6\CENTRAL\AS\db2setup.log'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding LAUNCHPAD_LOCATION property. Its value is 'D:\Basis\51034846_3_DB2_LUW_91_FP5_Windows_64bit\DB2_LUW_RDBMS_91_FP5SAP_Windows\WINDOWS_AMD64\ESE\image'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying DB2_COPY_NAME property. Its current value is '___NotSet___'. Its new value: 'SAPDB2TWJ'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding DB2_COPY_NAME_OVERRIDE property. Its value is 'SAPDB2TWJ'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding INSTPATH property. Its value is 'D:\db2\db2twj\db2_software'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding RSP_FILE_PATH property. Its value is 'C:\PROGRA1\SAPINS1\NW04S\SYSTEM\DB6\CENTRAL\AS\win_ese.rsp'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SILENT_MODE property. Its value is 'ON'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding DB2_TRACE_FILE_PATH property. Its value is 'C:\Program Files\sapinst_instdir\NW04S\SYSTEM\DB6\CENTRAL\AS\db2setup.trc'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding DB2_INSTALL_LANG property. Its value is 'EN'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding MSINEWINSTANCE property. Its value is '1'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying TRANSFORMS property. Its current value is '|:inst1.mst;D:\Basis\5103481\DB2_LU1\WINDOW1\ESE\image\db2\Windows\ESE\1033.MST'. Its new value: ':inst1.mst;D:\Basis\5103481\DB2_LU1\WINDOW1\ESE\image\db2\Windows\ESE\1033.MST'.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SETUPEXEDIR property. Its value is 'D:\Basis\5103481\DB2_LU1\WINDOW~1  CURRENTDIRECTORY='.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: Note: 1: 1708
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: Note: 1: 2729
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: Note: 1: 2729
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: Product: DB2 Enterprise Server Edition -- Installation failed.
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: Attempting to delete file C:\WINDOWS\Installer\ced05bae.mst
MSI (s) (84:68) [13:51:05:196]: MainEngineThread is returning 1639
Info 1639.Invalid command line argument.  Consult the Windows Installer SDK for detailed command line help.
D:\BASIS\5103481\DB2_LU1\WINDOW~1\ESE\IMAGE\DB2\WINDOWS"
MSI (c) (E0:74) [13:51:05:305]: Decrementing counter to disable shutdown. If counter >= 0, shutdown will be denied.  Counter after decrement: -1
MSI (c) (E0:74) [13:51:05:305]: MainEngineThread is returning 1639
=== Verbose logging stopped: 10/12/2008  13:51:05 ===
Please advise.

Answer 1

It seems that the path from where the installation has been started is too long. So you have to shorthen the following path were the RDBMS-software was copied to. 
Current path (might be much longer, because of ~ placeholders):
D:\Basis\5103481\DB2_LU1\WINDOW~1\ESE\image\setup.exe
Please copy the RDBMS-DVD to an other shorter path, so that the path to setup.exe is e.g. 
D:\short_path\WINDOWS_I386\ESE\image\setup.exe                                                                               
The problem here is not the lentgh of this singel path. The problem is that in several steps this path will be multiplied in length until the limit is reached. Then the installation will fail.                                                                               
Please try again with the shorter path.