Vista - Repair Windows Installer Service in Vista (All Versions)

For all those unfortunate souls searching and Googling for how to repair the
Windows Installer Service, I have some info for you. A couple days ago I
tried to uninstall one of my apps and stalled on an error "Windows Installer
Service cannot be accessed". After many trials and errors trying to fix this
issue, I stumbled upon a new fix for this issue that has worked in all these
situations where the Windows Installer Service will not manually start and in
essense, not allow install or uninstall tasks to complete.

Here's the easy steps:
1. Go to a Windows Vista (Any Version) computer that has the Windows
Installer service running correctly and run regedit(Start-Run-Regedit)
2. Go to the location
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msiserver
3. Right click on this key and select "Export" and save the key to a Flash
Drive or other.
4. Run sfc /scannow on the damaged Vista computer - you won't need the
install disk as it goes to backup files on your HD. Do not reboot when
complete
5. Double click saved .reg file from working machine and import registry
settings into damaged Vista computer.
6. Now reboot and try to install/uninstall

If many of you have success with this method, please post this fix around
the WWW as I went through over 1000 links with users having the same problem
and not being able to solve it. Shame on Microsoft, very sloppy. It would
have been so nice if Microsoft released Windows Installer 4.0 as a standalone
installation with Vista's release so I could have repaired it, most users
have been doing fresh installs to fix this. Get your act together
Microsoft!!!!

The CAT

"The CAT" suggestions worked for me. Thanks for sharing "The
CAT" .....just to add (more like subtract to be exact) one need only
run the exported reg key on the damaged machine to "fix" the
issue...no need to restart nor to run the sfc /scannow.


If you cant get your own reg key from a friend running vista, then you
could try and use the "clean reg key I used" download here:
http://www.savefile.com/files/1315653

Note the file is about very small (about 6.7 kb), I named it :123.reg

Take care.

this worked great. however i do not know if this is the case for everyone, but just encase here goes. i started with checking the windows installer service and trying to start it and set it back to automatic. no luck. went to google to find solution, found your post. followed your instructions. tried to install o@o defrag again same message. went back into services to see with your fix if i could start the service this time, and set it back to automatic, worked. so in a nutshell you might want to let people know the extra steps if needed after your fix. thanks for the help. just got done reinstallking vista and almost all of my programs and settings. was not wanting to have to start from stratch. thanks again.

cat / glenhitch,

i will take the info the two of you have and what i have and upload an updated post.

Repair Windows Installer Service in Vista (All Versions)
permalink
For all those unfortunate souls searching and Googling for how to repair the Windows Installer Service, I have some info for you. A couple days ago I tried to uninstall one of my apps and stalled on an error "Windows Installer Service cannot be accessed". After many trials and errors trying to fix this issue I stumbled upon a new fix for this issue that has worked in all these situations where the Windows Installer Service will not manually start, and in essence not allow install or uninstall tasks to complete.

Here's the easy steps:

1. Go to a Windows Vista(any version) computer that has the Windows Installer service running correctly and run regedit(start-run-regedit).
2. Go to the location
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msiserver
3. Right click on this key and select "Export" and save the key to a Flash Drive or other.
4. Double click saved .reg file from working machine and import registry settings into damaged Vista computer.
6. You may need to go back into services after the import and start the Windows Installer service and set it to automatic.
7. If you can't get your own reg key from a friend running Vista then you could try and use the "clean reg key I used" download here:
Free file hosting by Savefile.com

If you have success with this method please post this fix around the WWW as I went through over 1000 links with users having the same problem and not being able to solve it. Shame on Microsoft, very sloppy. It would have been so nice if Microsoft released Windows Installer 4.0 as a standalone installation with Vista's release so I could have repaired it, most users have been doing fresh installs to fix this. Get your act together Microsoft!!!!

The Cat / Glenhitch / System001 : Updated 07/05/2008-3:40 P.M. PST

I tried this solution with your "clean reg key" and the problem was not fixed. Services shows installer is started and that it is set to automatic. However, if i try to uninstall Adobe Reader for example I get that message that the windows installer cannot be accessed. Will I have to reinstall Vista Home Premium 32bit to fix this? I can install and remove other programs I presume because they don't use the Windows Installer.

then please default to cats original post.

1. Go to a Windows Vista(any version) computer that has the Windows Installer service running correctly and run regedit(start-run-regedit).
2. Go to the location
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msiserver
3. Right click on this key and select "Export" and save the key to a Flash Drive or other.
4. Double click saved .reg file from working machine and import registry settings into damaged Vista computer.
6. You may need to go back into services after the import and start the Windows Installer service and set it to automatic.
7. You may need to restart the machine and then try an install or uninstall and check that the service did start and that it is set to automatic.

i did not try the .reg key download.
i got my copy of the key from my roommates computer.

This solution didn't work for me. I did all the steps and replaced
the
registry key, but nothing happened, i kept getting the same error.

I have the problem kinda pinpointed though: at least in my case, it's
caused by one of the windows updates - i haven't figured out which
one
yet though. My next step will be install the updates one by one to
figure out which one is messing the whole thing up, but that takes a
lot of time


The weird thing is, with so many people complaining about it, howcome
haven't they issued a report about it yet... I'm seriously thinkin
bout going back to XP

You must have UAC on to install or uninstall Adobe/Acrobat products

cheers

Daniel


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this did not work for me:S
i followed all the steps and when i tryed to start the windows installer i get the same as i did before: the service windows installer started and stopped again some services stopps when its not in use of some program...
srry for my bad english and i tryed to translate from norwegian hope u can help me xD
thanks