jeffw_00 Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 One one system, someone here wanted to install Windows Installer 3.1 so they went to microsoft website and tried to download and install. Now we believe he may have installed a -patch- to installer 3.1, but when I tried to install Windows Installer properly (using windows updates) it just won't install, keeps failing without explanation and telling me to retry. Computer runs great otherwise. Can someone point me in the right direction here? Either to a history of patches installed and/or to where windows installer is so I can clean out what's there and try again (maybe registry keys). He thinks the original install failed on some sort of access violation (although the machine is setup with only 1 (administrator) account.) any thoughts?thanks!?j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 Have you tried to go directly to the Windows Update site to get whatever is needed.There are about three things you need to get installed at the time you install the Windows Installer 3.1. One of them the updated WGA and something else that I can't remember the name of.I would suggest trying directly at the Windows Update site, with *.microsoft.com and *.update.microsoft.com in your Trusted Zone and in the Popup blocker's allowed sites and get those updates there in IE's Options.Maybe then you can get it to install? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw_00 Posted April 26, 2006 Author Share Posted April 26, 2006 when I tried to install it properly using windows updates - it was by going to the windows update site as you suggest - the only thing it installed with it was the "Genuine Microsoft" tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkehoe Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 If you look at your update history it should indicate failures, and clicking on the "red-x/question mark" will give you some further error info, including a 0x... error code.Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw_00 Posted April 26, 2006 Author Share Posted April 26, 2006 i managed to do that, once, (can't figure out how to get back to it - can you help?) and got a code, but it did me no good, couldn't find anything on that code for this application.Is there some way I can install the program directly now that it's downloaded and watch what it does? Maybe that way I'll see the error?Also - where is "windows installer' installed? -can I clean out the old one (and it's registry entries) to give it a fresh shot.I mean - if it was a regular program I'd know what do to but --the installation is hidden (though windows updates)-the location of the program is unknown -i'm really in the dark - god bless microsoft/thanks/j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 If you can't locate it on your computer, you can download it directly here:Windows Installer 3.1 RedistributableThen you could see whether manually installing it will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw_00 Posted April 26, 2006 Author Share Posted April 26, 2006 Thanks LilBambi - I appreciate your interest, but I'm not explaining myself very well. I know where to get it, and have gotten it both as you describe and through windows update. It still installs via a windows-update type mechanism (that hides the actual process and just reports results) and I still don't know where -on my computer- it installs things so that I can try to clean things out and start over.thanks anyway/j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 (edited) Sorry Jeff, I must have missed that you had already tried to install it both ways.This might have your answer:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898628/or maybe here:http://blogs.msdn.com/heaths/archive/2005/05/04/414545.aspx Edited April 26, 2006 by LilBambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkehoe Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 i managed to do that, once, (can't figure out how to get back to it - can you help?) and got a code, but it did me no good, couldn't find anything on that code for this application.Is there some way I can install the program directly now that it's downloaded and watch what it does? Maybe that way I'll see the error?Also - where is "windows installer' installed? -can I clean out the old one (and it's registry entries) to give it a fresh shot.I mean - if it was a regular program I'd know what do to but --the installation is hidden (though windows updates)-the location of the program is unknown -i'm really in the dark - god bless microsoft/thanks/jTo get your update history:1. Go to Windows Update.2. Click on "Review your update history"3. Look for any failed updates.4. Clicking on the red-x/question mark will pop up a smaller window with an error code and possibly other info.If you do get an error code, click on "Get help and support" on the left side, followed by the link to the Troubleshooter. Search on the error code there, followed by the Microsoft KB, then Internet.Alternatively you could have a look at the WINDOWSUPDATE.LOG file in the \WINDOWS folder. To make it easier, you may want to rename the existing file, then try WU again. It will fail, and you can look at a brand new (and smaller!) log file for any errors.The Installer consists mainly of 3 files - MSIEXEC.EXE, MSI.DLL, and MSIHND.DLL in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. As these files are covered by Windows File Protection, they're also located in the DLLCACHE folder. You could try renaming those files, which will probably require being in Safe Mode. I'm not sure about registry entries.If you could scrape up some better error info that would be great!Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw_00 Posted April 27, 2006 Author Share Posted April 27, 2006 Ok folks - sorry for the slow response. The machine is at home, and I was at work..1) KB898628 (windows installer fails silently...). I tried the standalone 3.1 (v2) update. it falled with an access violation and rebooted my machine. According to system event log...Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0x80070005: Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1.So I googled this code and windows installer. There's a lot out there about it, appears to be some sort of subtle permissions problem. No easy ot consistent solutions. The most interesting post was http://groups.google.com.au/group/microsof...16678185265f82dIn the absence of clear fixes, I'm inclined to wait a few weeks and see if microsoft fixes it - it appears to be creating a lot of problems for a lot of people/j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw_00 Posted April 27, 2006 Author Share Posted April 27, 2006 actually, page 2 of this thread looks much more promising and sensiblewill try it tonighthttp://forums.wugnet.com/Windows-Installer...rderasc-15.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw_00 Posted April 28, 2006 Author Share Posted April 28, 2006 Here's the fix (from the wugnet article)Download the EXE installer for Windows Installer 3.1 v2 from herehttp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...-5f56...38-b838You can try running it, but most probably will get an "Access denied" error and it will roll back the changes. If it installs fine, then you are set and don't need to do anything more, if not, look below.Make sure Automatic Updates are turned off, or set them to "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them."Also make sure WinXP's CD isn't in your CD/DVD drive.Check in the Services app (services.msc) that Windows Installer service isn't running, stop it if needed.Open the X:\Windows\system32\dllcache\ folder (where X: is your system drive) and delete these three files (if they exist):msi.dllmsihnd.dllmsiexec.exeAfter that, from this Symantec articlehttp://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgen...11324...?Open&ado this:On the Windows desktop, click Start > Run.In the Open line, type cmd and then click OK.At the command prompt, type the following, depending on your version of Windows, and then press Enter after each line.cd \windows\system32ren msi.dll msi.oldren msihnd.dll msihnd.oldren msiexec.exe msiexec.oldexit(Notice that after each rename you will get a prompt from Windows that system files have been replaced, and it asks for the WinXP CD in order to restore them. Do NOT put the WinXP CD into the drive, click Cancel, then choose Yes in the other dialog box that appears.)Restart the computer.Run the Windows Installer 3.1 EXE installer (downloaded in the beginning).Follow the prompts to complete the installation, it will install fine.Restart the computer.You might get dialog boxes with errors about msi.dll missing.I got such a dialog box from my anti-virus software.Start the Command prompt (cmd) again, and rename the three files back.Go to Windows Update. It will say it needs to install Windows Installer 3.1, and will say the installation failed, but it will actually succeed.Do not restart the computer, click the link to Windows Update Home on the left to go back to the main Windows Update screen with the "Express" & "Custom" buttons.Click the Express button, it should show you all post-SP2 updates (around 40-50 MBs). They should download quickly (if you are not on dial-up).After the updates install, restart your computer.You can now change the Auto Updates setting to the one you like.To check if Windows Installer has been properly updated, follow this linkhttp://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_te.../05/448386.aspx worked for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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