Solved Repair Windows Installer Service in Vista (All Versions)

MauiYow

New Member
Repair Windows Installer Service in Vista (All Versions)
This is just to help folks that may be experiencing something similar to the post found here:
(http://www.vistax64.com/vista-insta...ows-installer-service-vista-all-versions.html)

When you try to install a new app or /remove/add programs by using Add or Remove Programs in VISTA, you may receive the following error message:

"There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program required for this install to complete could not be run (or refused to run the uninstall from control panel). Contact your support personal or package vendor. "

Some of this has been gleaned from a Microsoft post that was not quite on-spot for this issue but relevant in some part ( if you care to read it - You may receive Error 1721 when you try to remove programs by using Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP)


THE RESOLUTION:
To resolve this issue, perform the steps in the "Reregister the Windows Installer service" section. If you experience the issue after you perform these steps, you may also have to perform the steps in the "Run System File Checker" section. (I had run the "Run System File Checker")

Register the Windows Installer service:

Log on to the computer as local administrator.
Click Start, click Run, type cmd.exe, and then click OK. (or Start, search, cmd, rightclick run as administrator)

1. At the command prompt, type msiexec /unregister , and then press ENTER.
2. At the command prompt, type msiexec /regserver, and then press ENTER.
3. At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER to close the command prompt.
4. Remove the software program from Add or Remove Programs.

Run System File Checker:
The System File Checker (Sfc.exe) utility is used for scanning protected operating system files to verify their version and integrity. If System File Checker detects any operating system file with the incorrect file version, it replaces the corrupted file with a file that has the correct version from the Windows installation source files.

To use System File Checker, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type cmd.exe, and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type sfc /purgecache, and then press ENTER. (NOTE: THIS MAY NOT BE AN OPTION, just continue the process with - sfc /scannow).

Note You may be prompted to provide Windows installation source files when you run the sfc /purgecache command. If the command is completed successfully, you will receive the following message:

Windows File Protection successfully made the requested change.
At the command prompt, type sfc /scannow, and then press ENTER.

Note This command may take several minutes to finish. You may also be prompted to provide Windows installation source files when you run the sfc /scannow command.
At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER to close the command prompt.
Remove the software program from Add or Remove Programs.

Dont miss this ---> RESTART THE COMPUTER.

Hope this helps! :D
Marty
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    i7
    Memory
    8GB
Hello, and welcome to the Vista Forums!

Thank you so much for this! It was very nicely written and researched. May I just add my 2 cents, to provide a full fix.

1. At the command prompt, type msiexec /unregister , and then press ENTER.
2. At the command prompt, type msiexec /regserver, and then press ENTER.

3. At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER to close the command prompt.
4. Remove the software program from Add or Remove Programs.
sfc /purgecache

Sadly these no longer work in Windows Vista and 7. All of these switches have been removed. These are Windows XP fixes, and do not apply.

Moreover, you are missing just the tiniest bit. Many service errors come from the registry.

I shall post a registry fix this evening. If the services are corrupt in the registry, they won't work! They need to be added back. I cannot find a copy of the registry script in these five seconds, and so I shall re-make it this evening.

Again, please don't take this to heart. We are always looking for new members, especially ones who can write so well, and I am just adding to your post, to provide a really top notch, and full soltution. If you are looking for a bit of training, or have any questions about anything, perhaps you are particulary interested in this registry script, then do contact me, or post on the forum, depeding on what is appropriate :)

Thanks so much!

Richard
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 420
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 2.50GHz
    Motherboard
    Stock Dell 0TP406
    Memory
    4 gb (DDR2 800) 400MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 3870 (512 MBytes)
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 x Dell 2007FP and 1 x (old) Sonic flat screen
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 1200 and 1280 x 1204
    Hard Drives
    1 x 640Gb (SATA 300)
    Western Digital: WDC WD6400AAKS-75A7B0

    1 x 1Tb (SATA 600)
    Western Digital: Caviar Black, SATA 6GB/S, 64Mb cache, 8ms
    Western Digital: WDC WD1002FAEX-00Z3A0 ATA Device
    PSU
    Stock PSU - 375W
    Case
    Dell XPS 420
    Cooling
    Stock Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell Bluetooth
    Mouse
    Advent Optical ADE-WG01 (colour change light up)
    Internet Speed
    120 kb/s
    Other Info
    ASUS USB 3.0 5Gbps/SATA 6Gbps - PCI-Express Combo Controller Card (U3S6)
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