Vista - All application installations in Vista64 fail

I am having repeated problems with a new Toshiba Laptop that, regrettably, has Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit.

The computer is so new that I am still in the process of installing all of my applications and tools. I finished installing Office 2007 and then came the problems.

NOTHING would install. For example, I triied to install the 64-bit version of iTunes and it started, asked if I wanted to RUN it, and when I selected RUN, nothing happened. It ran for a few moments and then just stopped. I tried to run the 32 bit version and it went all the way to the point of telling me there was a 64-bit version and was I sure I wanted to install the 32 bit version. In other words, Vista was willing to install the 32 bit version but not the 64 bit.

I then tried to install Snagit, and while installing Snagit, I got the following error:

"Internal Error 2908.
{32C6FEA0-576F-4661-9304-82BB4BFF390C}"
and then

"Internal Error 2908.
{49190E7C-167E-4702-B628-4D69B80A8C69}"

Plus another 50 or 60 keys with the same error.

THEN,
"Error 1406. Could not write value RegOwner to key
\Products]81D19995889ABA541BFBA5EDE646DCF3\InstallProperties"

I tried to hit Ignore and then Retry, but they did not work. Have had to ABORT.

After some research I tried to reinstall the Installer by renaming some old components and then reinstalling.

I then tried to reinstall Windows Installer for Vista 64 v4.5, file name "Windows6.0-KB942288-v2-x64.msu". Despite the fact that this is supposed to be the right one for 64bit Vista, the RESULT: "The update does not apply to your system."

I then followed the process to reset registry permissions. The first attempt used the subinacl, which I realize is for the 32-bit keys, but I found few options.
---------------------------------------------------
FIRST reset.cmd

subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
subinacl /subdirectories %windir%\*.* /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\inf\defltbase.inf /db defltbase.sdb /verbose
secedit /con
-------------------------------------------------------

Nearly every line resulted in a message that subinacl is not a recognized internal or external command. Every line of the log was a failure. I then went to the keys that this appraoch tried to change, and manually changed the permissions on those that would allow it, and then I tried this modified reset command.

I then tried
SECOND reset.cmd:
-------------------------------------------------------
secedit /configure /cfg C:\Windows\inf\defltbase.inf /db defltbase.sdb /areas REGKEYS
-------------------------------------------------------

Here is the log it created:

Monday, March 16, 2009 3:19:16 AM
----Configuration engine was initialized successfully.----

----Reading Configuration Template info...


----Configure 64-bit Registry Keys...
Configure users\.default.
Configure machine\software.
Configure machine\software\classes.
Configure machine\software\classes\.hlp.
Configure machine\software\microsoft\drm.
Configure machine\system.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\class.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\keyboard layouts.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\lsa\data.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\lsa\gbg.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\lsa\jd.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\lsa\skew1.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\nsi.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\nsi\{eb004a00-9b1a-11d4-9123-0050047759bc}\4.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\nsi\{eb004a01-9b1a-11d4-9123-0050047759bc}\4.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\nsi\{eb004a1c-9b1a-11d4-9123-0050047759bc}\0.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\wmi\security.
Warning 2: The system cannot find the file specified.
Error enumerating info for machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\appmgmt.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\scardsvr\security.
Warning 5: Access is denied.
Error setting security on machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\stisvc.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\stisvc\security.
Warning 2: The system cannot find the file specified.
Error enumerating info for machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\sysmonlog.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\w32time\config.
Configure machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\w32time\timeproviders.

Configuration of Registry Keys was completed successfully.


----Configure 32-bit Registry Keys...
Configure machine\software.
Warning 1336: The access control list (ACL) structure is invalid.
Error setting security on machine\software\Audible.

Configuration of Registry Keys was completed with one or more errors.


----Un-initialize configuration engine...
-----------------------------------------------------------

So it seemed that I was able to repair the permissions on about 80% of the keys that were addressed by the original reset command, but clearly some would not change.

I have scoured the net trying to find solutions, but NOTHING WILL INSTALL and the subinacl appraoch is not for 64 bitm and the secedit does not do the job. I tried using Tuneup Utilities to fix the 2908 error, which is mentions specifically, but the solution did nothing to resolve the problem.

Everything I try to install fails with a few specific error codes, or simply does NOTHING (as with iTunes 64). I really do not know what to do now, other than use the recovery disks to repair the installation, but I am concerned it will require the reinstallation of some or many software items, and once I reinstall I am back to having the same problems. I am seriously considering returning to XP Pro!

Any suggestions? Need more details? Thanks.

I'd say if you're computer is so new.... why not reinstall Vista fresh from install discs or use your computers restore function to see if that helps.

If that's not an option for you yet... then it will be soon when you grow tired of trying to solve a crashing OS.

It could be hardware related such as a failing HDD, CD-Rom, motherboard, etc... but you won't know that until you try a fresh install.

Installing all the previous hardware drivers and software shouldn't be much of a problem as usually the restore discs will do that for you... as well as the restore/recover option from a split HDD.