Windows Installer broken... how to fix it?

I just noticed today that I cannot install or uninstall any programs that depend on Windows Installer (.cab files?). Utilities/programs that come as zip files install just fine. I think my Windows Installer is broken.

I tried to download and install Windows Installer Cleanup... it downloaded fine, but cannot install (Of course! Why doesn't MS offer a zipped version of this utility? I mean, if people want to repair their Installers, why offer the file only as an Installer dependent app??!!).

I did a restore, rolling back about a week. No help.

I tried Acronis and replaced the Windows Installer file... no love.

I opened my external HD and copied the oldest version of Installer from the archive and moved it to Windows... still get the same 2203 error.

Any ideas? Please don't suggest a Repair Install, I just did one two weeks ago, and I'm not doing it again. It took me two whole evenings to get my system back the way I like it.

Are there any other windows files (besides Installer) that I can try replacing/restoring? Can I copy files directly off my Win7 dvd?

Thanks!

- From the Administrative Tools menu, open Computer Management.
- Expand the Services & Applications menu item.
- Double-click Services.
- Double-click Windows Installer, then stop the service.
- Launch regedit.
- Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer.
- Select the MSIServer subkey and delete it.
- Exit regedit and reboot the computer.
- Download and install the latest version of Windows installer from the http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/default.aspx

Urbwolf said:

- From the Administrative Tools menu, open Computer Management.
- Expand the Services & Applications menu item.
- Double-click Services.
- Double-click Windows Installer, then stop the service.
- Launch regedit.
- Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer.
- Select the MSIServer subkey and delete it.
- Exit regedit and reboot the computer.
- Download and install the latest version of Windows installer from the Microsoft Download Center

I don't think there is a installer redistributable for Windows 7... at least, I cannot find it.

kegobeer said:

Try creating a new user with admin status - see if that new user can add/remove/install applications.

I'll give that a try. Thanks!

Nope. The new user couldn't even open the DVD. Many normal functions wouldn't work,it couldn't set up a proper desktop, it couldn't search through explore, it couldn't access any libraries, it couldn't save any snips...

I kept getting an error message that it could find a certain file: C;\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop

I should mention that I run custom themes, start orbs, and icons, and I have patched some system files... but the file named in the above error isn't one of them.

I took a stroll through the Event Viewer logs, and I think I found a few clues.



That first snip leads me to think its a permissions issue. I'm gonna play around with that stuff for a while before I do a repair install... and if the simple patches I did to get a few decent themes is enough to cripple the OS, well, I'm gonna seriously consider dumping it for something else. I'm not gonna choose between MS's craptastic themes, and monthly Repair Installs to fix cascading file corruption.