Errors when installing programs from the Windows Installer “.msi” package. Windows Installer error - Ways to solve the problem Microsoft installer for Windows 7 64 bit

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Errors when installing applications from files with the .msi extension are one of the manifestations of problems with the Windows Installer service (in the Russian version, the Windows Installer). Users of all versions of this OS, with the exception of the earliest ones, encounter a similar phenomenon. Until now, the problem with the installer is one of the common reasons why users decide to reinstall the system. Let's try to figure out how to avoid this. The reason that Windows Installer does not work may be the following:

viral infection, and removing the virus does not always solve the problem;
incorrect installation Windows updates;
a malfunction of the security software when, instead of blocking one suspicious msi file, the installation service is blocked entirely;
changes in computer security policies;
damage system files or the registry for reasons not related to viruses (removal of installer components, unqualified editing of the registry, crooked software, malfunction hard drive and so on.).

Checking the integrity of the Windows Installer structure

The Windows Installer consists of the following components:

file C:\Windows\System32\Msiexec.exe - directly by the installer application itself;
file C:\Windows\System32\msi.dll - Windows Installer library;
Msiserver service, whose settings are stored in the registry key.

Before diagnosing, it is important to make sure that both of these files are present in the system, that the above section is in the registry and its parameters have normal values (the values can be viewed in the registry of a similar, working system). Also open the list of services (press Windows + R and enter the command services.msc in the "Open" line of the "Run" application). Find "Windows Installer" and make sure it starts.

If the files are missing, copy them from another system of the same version or from the installation disk. If the registry key is missing or damaged, also transfer it from the working system. To do this, on a working computer, run the registry editor (C:\Windows\Regedt.exe) and find the above section.

Right-click the context menu of the msiserver folder and click "Export". Save the file in .reg format and transfer it to the problem machine.

Double-click this file and agree to add data to the registry. Restart your computer.

If the Msiserver service still does not start, check if the RPC service is running ( Remote call procedures) on which it depends.

You can re-register the installer files and restart the service using special teams, on the command line. For convenience, you can create a batch file: paste a set of actions into Notepad and save it as a .bat extension. To launch a file, simply double-click on it. For the changes to take effect, click on the desktop and press F5.

Checking security settings and access rights

Windows Installer may not work because it is blocked by security software or operating system no necessary rights. First, let's look at the software. If you have an antivirus installed, temporarily disable it. Each product has its own methods of disabling, but most often this is done through the context menu of the antivirus icon in the system tray. Now let's take care of the rights. Open the context menu of Msiexec.exe and expand its properties.

View the list of groups and users on the Security tab. Among them must be "System" and the "Trustedinstaller" service, and the latter must have full access to the file and be its owner. The system must have "read" and "read and execute" permissions.

The Trustedinstaller service first appeared in Windows Vista, so in Windows XP full access must be granted to the system. Everything written below applies to versions released later than XP. To check who owns Msiexec.exe, click the "Advanced" button on the same tab.

In the next window, expand the "Owner" tab. Set the owner to the Trustedinstaller service if something else is specified as the owner. If it is not in the "Change owner to" list, click the "Change" button, and then click "Other users and groups."

Enter Trustedinstaller in the "Enter names..." field, click "Check names" and OK. Return to the previous window. On the "Effective Permissions" tab, assign the necessary rights to Trustedinstaller and the system.

The msi.dll library should have exactly the same security settings. Now let's check if there are any restrictions for the "System" user to access the following:

system drive (usually drive C);
temporary folders (these are C:\Windows\Temp and C:\Users\Current_User\AppData\Temp);
folder C:\Config.Msi;
the folder where the msi file from which you are trying to install the program is located.

The system must be given full access to all these objects. This is done in the same way as we discussed above. After these operations, in most cases the problem with the installer is successfully resolved. If our advice did not help you, the cause of the failure lies in something else and specialists should deal with it.

Let's start with why, in principle, this program is needed on a PC, and what functions it performs.

Typically those who were unable to access the installer service Windows Installer, fall into a stupor. In this article we will try to dispel once and for all the terrible myths about the criticality of this error, consider the main points and, just in case, other effective methods for solving the problem, some will be in the following parts.

Operating system service Windows Installer is an important link, a small subsystem of your main Windows systems. It provides installation (installation) of most programs. Hence another name follows – installer. Without it, you will not be able to use programs that require installation to operate (that’s right, for some types of programs installation is not required, however, since you have already started reading this article, the case is different). Accordingly, it has the format .msi. There is nothing scary or incomprehensible in the letters of this format, just an abbreviation for the name of the earlier version Microsoft Installer.

The most common notification messages about malfunctions and errors are as follows:

The Windows Installer service is unavailable;
The Windows OS Installer service could not be accessed. This usually happens due to an incorrectly installed operating system installer. Windows systems;
Problems with the OS Installer service Windows Installer: Failed to access service Windows Installer Windows 7/8/XP;
The most common problem: Windows Installer It's just not installed.

Now let's move on to optimal and effective solutions to these problems.

Your first task will be to check whether the Windows installer service is running or not running on your OS, and in general, check the list of programs installed on the system for its presence. You may even have to download Windows Installer for Windows 7 x32, if you have such an OS, because it may especially often be absent from it.

In most cases, this is what happens to ordinary PC users. There can be quite a few reasons for this outcome: from viruses picked up on bad sites to incorrect or malfunctioning programs. However, the problem must be solved one way or another.

First, you need to check the list of services on your OS. To do this, press the key combination on your keyboard Windows (checkbox) + R(in this order), a window called “Run” should immediately appear on your PC screen. Next, to figure out why you can't access the service Windows Installer, in the empty field we print services.msc (there is no need to enter italics, I indicate it here for clarity). There is nothing complicated, everything will be something like this:

Next, click on the button called OK. A window will appear in front of you called "Services" . You will need to scroll through the list a little, strain your eyes and find a service called Windows Installer:

It may happen that you won’t find it - then you need to download it for free Windows Installer for Windows 7/8, etc. (you can do this at the end of the page). If you find it, great - double-click with the left mouse button and look at the following pictures. Here I give you examples for the OS Windows versions 7 and Windows 8. The only difference between them is that on Windows 7 the user can switch startup options between automatically and manually. On Windows 8, this can only be done forcibly.

If you own Windows 7, try selecting the automatic startup type option for the Windows installer. Reboot your iron friend after this procedure and try again to install the program you need.

In the event that your attempts to find something regarding Windows Installer are unsuccessful, you will need to install it. Hide-Info has versions for any Windows - for example, Windows Installer x64 for Windows 7 can be downloaded for free from the link below.

However, if you were unable to solve the problem, and you believe that your access is not limited by anyone, and old versions of the program were never detected, then you can turn to the “Reset service parameters in the registry” function. This information is available on the Microsoft website. For Windows 8, this method may not lead to the desired result, but, in any case, to implement it you will need to be thoroughly familiar with the official website. However, more often it’s enough to just download Windows Installer for Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit, without making any changes to the registry body.

Below are links to other methods of dealing with this problem, download links Windows Installer , as well as the official support forum, although if you carefully read the other methods and do everything according to the instructions, then the official website will no longer be useful to you.

A fairly common problem among users of the Windows operating system of any version is the msi error when installing programs from a file with the .msi extension. In this article, I will describe common problems with the Windows 7/10/XP installer and solutions to them, and also make a video on the current issue.

Files with the .msi extension are regular installation packages (distributions) from which the program is installed. Unlike the usual “setup.exe”, to launch msi file the system uses Windows service Installer (msiexec.exe process). Speaking in simple words, Windows Installer will unzip and run the files from the distribution. When Windows Installer does not work, various errors appear.

In general, this really infuriates me, because... After a stupid error message, it’s completely unclear what to do next. Microsoft specifically developed the Windows Installer to expand the capabilities of installing programs (mainly for system administrators), but did not take proper care to ensure that the service would run smoothly or even adequately report problems. Now we have to sort it out :)

Problems may be with the operation of the service itself or may arise during the installation of programs, when everything is configured, in principle, correctly. In the first case, you need to tinker with the installer service, and in the second, solve a problem with a specific file. Let's consider both options, but first the second one.

msi file errors

Very often errors appear due to insufficient system rights to files or folders. This is not to say that Windows Installer does not work; in this case, you just need to add the necessary rights and everything will work. Just yesterday I was faced with the fact that the downloaded distribution kit.msi did not want to be installed, the installation wizard starts successfully, the parameters are selected, but then the system thinks for a few seconds and gives an error:

"Error reading from file 'filename' verify that the file exists and that you can access it" (Error 1305). Translated: “Error reading from file...check if the file exists and if you have access to it.” Well, aren't you stupid? Naturally, the “Retry” button does not help, and canceling stops the entire installation. The message also does not carry any special meaning, because the file definitely exists and I have access to it, otherwise I simply wouldn’t be able to run it and receive this message, and for some reason it’s in English :)

And the mistake is that it is not I who should have access to the file, but the Windows installer, or rather the System itself. The solution is very simple:

Now the installer error will not appear! You can add access to the entire folder from which you usually install programs, for example, to the “Downloads” folder, like mine. Watch a video on solving problems with access rights:

In Windows XP, the Security tab will not appear if simple general access to files. To turn it off, you need to go to “Start -> Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View” and turn off the “Use simple file sharing” option. In stripped-down versions of Windows 7/10 and XP, there is no “Security” tab at all. To see it, you need to log in as an administrator.

Registry and service settings

The next way to resolve the error is to restore operating parameters in the Windows Installer registry.

To do this, download the archive and run two reg files from there, corresponding to your version of Windows. Agree to import settings.

Important! Before last action desirable! If the method does not help or gets worse, you can recover to your previous state.

In Windows XP or Windows Server set 2000 latest version installer 4.5.

If this does not help, then re-register the components:

Press "Win + R" and enter " cmd". Then in the black window enter the following commands in sequence:
MSIExec /unregister
MSIExec /regserver
The answer should be empty, no errors. If the problem is not solved, enter another command
regsvr32 msi.dll
Close the black window

If it says that you do not have enough rights, then you need to run .

If the commands were executed, but did not help, then run msi_error.bat from the archive and check the result.

The last option is to download the Kerish Doctor program, it has a function for fixing the installer service and many others common problems Windows.

Also, many programs use the .NET Framework, so it would be a good idea to install the latest version of this package. And, finally, one more piece of advice: if in the path to the distribution file there is at least one folder with a space at the beginning of the name, then remove the space. This simple trick will solve your problem :)

Summarizing

Errors with the Windows installer are very unpleasant, there are a lot of them and it’s not immediately clear where to look. One thing is clear - the system has failed and needs to be restored to working condition. Sometimes nothing helps and you have to. However, do not rush to do this, try asking for help on this forum. Describe your problem exactly, tell us what you have already done, what messages you have received, and perhaps they will help you! After all, the world is not without good people :)

When installing any program with the .msi extension, it writes about a problem with the Windiws Installer service, and when starting this service, it writes: Failed to start the service on local computer... Error 2: Can't find specified file. Or on the list this service absent.

To restore the Windows Installer service, follow these guidelines:

How to repair Windows Installer

Check your computer for viruses

The first thing you need to do is make sure that your computer is not infected with viruses. To do this, we recommend checking your computer antivirus program installed on the system. And also download the treatment utility from dr.web (dr.web cureit!®) and check again with this utility.

Check what startup type is set for the Windows Installer service

To do this, open Control Panel - Administration - Services. Find the Windows Installer service in the central part. Right-click on it and select context menu Properties. See what startup type is set. Change it to automatic, restart your computer and check whether the problem recurs or not.

If the service is not on the list, or the problem remains, read below.

Does the windows installer program itself start?

If the problem repeats or the startup type was already set to automatic, then check whether it starts on its own. windows program installer. To do this, click Start - Run - Type msiexec and press enter. This should open a window in which it will be written windows version installer and available commands.

Files required for Windows Installer to function may be damaged.

To check system files for integrity, open command line as an administrator (click Start - All Programs - Accessories - Right click mouse on Command Prompt - Run as administrator) and in the command line run the command

Sfc /scannow

Restart your computer and check whether the error persists or not.

If this does not help, open a command prompt as an administrator and enter the following commands in sequence, pressing enter after each one:

Msiexec /unreg msiexec /regserver net stop msiserver regsvr32 /u /s %windir%\System32\msi.dll regsvr32 /u /s %windir%\System32\msihnd.dll regsvr32 /u /s %windir%\System32\msisip. dll regsvr32 /s %windir%\System32\msi.dll regsvr32 /s %windir%\System32\msihnd.dll regsvr32 /s %windir%\System32\msisip.dll net start msiserver

Restart your computer and check Windows operation Installer.

If the problem persists, compare the contents of the registry branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msiserver with the same branch on another computer and, if necessary, correct the values on the problem computer.