The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed

[mgriffiths]

Get "The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed" error message whenever run any msi file.

have tried running msiexec /regserver
also checcked service registry settings which appear to be ok (service is actually running)
other thing to note is that msi files don't appear with an icon, is this related?

Other posts about similar issues with xp talk about re-install of windows installer but as win 7 uses installer 5 i guess this is a none starter?!

it was working fine but i've done something to break it, not sure what!

any help appreciated... otherwise i'm going to have to re-install (after only 2 weeks!!!)

 

[richc46]

By default, windows makes a system restore. Go to system restore, pick a shown date that you think is before the problem began, this should fix your problem. Your personal information will not be touched. You may have to reinstall programs that you installed after the restore point date that you picked.

 

[mgriffiths]

Ehem... yeah that's the first thing I though of.... BUT...

...then I remembered that after I'd installed all the software I needed and I thought everything was working OK, I removed all but the last restore point to save disk space!!!

I won't do that again!

 

[richc46]

Do you have a system image, that you can use?

 

[mgriffiths]

No system image i'm afraid.

I do have another install of same OS on a dual boot if that's any use. (Different software installed but same os, that one is working fine)

 

[richc46]

Before I began fooling around with another computer, I would, go to services, by typing services in the startup search. In services go to windows installer. Go to recovery tab. Follow instructions for setting up recovery actions for your computer. This one should work. My policy is always try the easiest step first.

Using the other computer is a bit more difficult. But now I am sure we can get you up and going soon. I have to leave for a while. Post any problems or questions. Someone will be here to help. I will check as soon as I return.

 

[mgriffiths]

The windows service is "Started". (I have been checking that it was started whenever I get the error, it usually is although on the one or 2 occaisions I have seen it stopped.)

I've set recovery options but still get the same error. (Recovery just set to restart service)
Tried a few restarts too with no joy.
To be honest I was assuming no difference, recovery I assume is just about when the service crashes, and that's not what's happening here..

From scm it looks like the service is running fine, I can start/restart etc.. with no errors... it's just that whenever i run any msi it says "The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed"

BTW: Thanks for all your suggestions and help so far...

 

[richc46]

I read all the information that you have supplied, again. It appears to me that we can solve your problem. It really is not that difficult, but it involves the registry. This area, always makes me concerned. Get back to me after you save the current registry settings:run>regedit>export. Export to some external device.
As a safeguard, also, make a system image.
In the event that Murphy's Law is invoked we can return to our starting point.

 

[mgriffiths]

OK have...
Exported registry
Made a sys restore point
System image just about to run now (now that I found some space for it...)

Registry hacks are go...

 

[richc46]

While you were making your back up, I found the necessary register entry that will help you fix your computer.

The only thing that we are doing is reregistering the Window Server. You mentioned in your intital post that you did something similar, but it did not work. If you did it differently from my instructions you may want to try again. I truly believe that this will work. You checked and you said that the registry setting are ok and that the service is actually running. There is really nothing else I can think of.

My original thought was to take the command from your other computer, but that will not help because the command is ok in your problem computer.

My last piece of advice. I do not like fooling around with the registry, but we have 2 backup, so it should be ok.

Go to run, enter regedit
go to HKEY_local_machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\msiserver

On the right click ImagePath and click modify
you should see or enter msiexec.ele file/v, i.

Contiue and confirm that you want to make the chaneg
click ok and exit registry.

Restart your computer in safe mode. This is done during reboot by holding down f8 and by selecting safe mode. click start
then go to run and enter msiexec /regserver

Hit ok hit start and restart computer in the norml way.

Get back to me so I know what happened

 

[mgriffiths]

Hi,

My current imagepath is:

C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe /V

You are suggesting I change it to:

C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe file/v, i.

i.e. Is the ", i" and the "." (dot) at the end included?

by the way I have already done msiexec /regserver in safe mode (As instructed by some other post on the net)
But will do it again in case I did something wrong last time (After you reply to above..)

Also I wonder whether there is something wrong with my msiexec.exe becuase the icon shown against an msi is the default windows generic icon and not the msi icon that I see on my other windows 7 installation.
I think I'm going to also try copy and pasting the files from the other partition when in safe mode.
Any advice about this?? I will try after re-doing this registry stuff though...

In fact this is my export of the MSIServer registry key:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\MSIServer]
"Type"=dword:00000120
"Start"=dword:00000003
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"ImagePath"=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,\
5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6d,00,73,00,69,\
00,65,00,78,00,65,00,63,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2f,00,56,00,00,00
"DisplayName"="Windows Installer"
"WOW64"=dword:00000001
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"FailureActions"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

Many thanks,
Mike G

 

[richc46]

In the Value Data box enter the location of the msiexec.exe file followed by /v, i. e.,

Yes, the dot is included and must be a typo there should be an e. at the end with a dot and comma. When I tried on my computer that entry was already in the data box. If I were making the changes, I would not have to input the entry myself.
If the entry is not already there. BE SAFE, CK THE ENTRY IN YOUR OTHER COMPUTER AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE IDENTICAL.

I do not know about the icon, but if you paste from your other computer, it WILL be taken care of.

As I said, I am very cautious when it comes to the registry. Be careful, take your time and your system will be working again. There can only be two problems, corruption, which you will correct, pasting from your other computer
or
you have to register. Computers are not that profound. This will work. Either by registering or by pasting.
Just keep me informed.
Good Luck,

G

 

[mgriffiths]

Well this is interresting....
On my broken win 7 install loads of MSI related registry keys are all messed up.
E.g.
Keys in [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Msi.Package]
...
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Msi.Package\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Users\\MGRIFF~1.COM\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\IXP000.TMP\\MsiExec.exe,0"

What!! MsiExec in this folder which btw doesn't even exist!
On the working install it looked like this, which looks much more sensible...
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Msi.Package\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Windows\\system32\\msiexec.exe,0"

It's not fixed yet though still same message when installing but the MSI icon is back on msi files which makes me feel I may just get there...
I think I just need to go through finding all msi related registry keys and then export from working install and import into not working install. (I hope!)

Anyway i've started looking at all reg keys I can find to do with msi.

If anyone out there has a list of all related keys for msi stuff then feel free to post.

In the mean time I'm off to search the net for them.

I'll post my findings when I'm done.

So far i've copied from these keys which were all different and what I would class as obviously wrong!
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Msi.Package]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Msi.Patch]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\MSIServer]
(I think this last one had some values that were correct, I assume they came from running msiexec.exe /regserver, but they still had some keys missing when compared to the working install)

By the way does anyone know of any program that during it's install it copies a version of msiexec into a temp folder and executes it? I wonder if stoping such a program mid install is what caused by issues...

 

[richc46]

Use plan B. You saved all the registry setting, import them back. Now go to your other dirve and copy exactly the settings for


msiexec.exe file followed by /v, i. e., Go by the settings in your other machine, not the one that is shown here.

Make sure reregister, and it should work. The only change you made was to the above script. If you change it to exactly what was shown on your other drive, it should be good to go.

 

[bjcamillo]

Possible Solution

Due to this problem, I created a VM on VirtualBox running Windows 2008 Server R2 and hosted my IPod Nano there instead of my main Windows 7 machine. Eventually, this problem occurred on server as well. It has something to do with the iTunes install process which fires when you run iTunes as well as when you are asked if you want to pull down an update and install it. The only solution I used prior to today was to do a restore to an earlier date and time. Not the best because Windows 7 code has some problems with user ID's needing to be deleted and recreated. But that does resolve the problem as well, however, it's a bit ugly, but less than re-imaging your system


At any rate, I resolved this problem on a W2008 R2 which runs Windows 7 code.

Use the following reference:
Repair Windows Installer Service in Vista (All Versions) - Vista Forums

It's for a Vista system. However, I was not successful until I used this modified approach.

In short, they had me replace a folder in the registry, msiserver, from a working machine.

What I did differently was on the broken machine, I took the msiserver key and renamed it by putting a unique string at the end, msiserver.orig.

Then I imported the key from the working Windows 7 box...yes I took something from my working Windows 7 system and inserted it into the registry of my W2008 Server R2 VM.

Once done, I first tried to run iTunes...I did not try to run an install process. I also jumped to multiple login id's to test iTunes. I've seen iTunes error on one ID but not another for symptoms related to this problem.

Once I verified that iTunes was working, I ran the install process for the downloaded copy of iTunes 64-bit that I had so I could apply the latest update. I did not use the iTunes application to do a download and upgrade that way. That's what got me into trouble in the first place. I could work but I don't know.

The install ran properly. I then retested iTunes using different login id's and found that all was well.

At this point, I have a backup of that key saved on both systems to ensure that I can restore again if need be. It's possible that this problem is related to installing the latest 9.2 version of iTunes.

I hope that this problem is the final fix. I'm still not ready to install iTunes on my main Windows 7 box.

Finally, SHAME ON MICROSOFT AND APPLE FOR NOT RESPONSIVELY DOCUMENTING A PRACTICAL SOLUTION. INSTEAD THEY BOTH REMAINED SILENT WHILE THEIR CUSTOMERS WERE STUCK IN AN UNSUPPORTED SITUATION NOT KNOWING WHO TO CALL.

HEY MICROSOFT, HOW ABOUT SENDING ME A COUPLE COPIES OF WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE.

While you were making your back up, I found the necessary register entry that will help you fix your computer.

The only thing that we are doing is reregistering the Window Server. You mentioned in your intital post that you did something similar, but it did not work. If you did it differently from my instructions you may want to try again. I truly believe that this will work. You checked and you said that the registry setting are ok and that the service is actually running. There is really nothing else I can think of.

My original thought was to take the command from your other computer, but that will not help because the command is ok in your problem computer.

My last piece of advice. I do not like fooling around with the registry, but we have 2 backup, so it should be ok.

Go to run, enter regedit
go to HKEY_local_machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\msiserver

On the right click ImagePath and click modify
you should see or enter msiexec.ele file/v, i.

Contiue and confirm that you want to make the chaneg
click ok and exit registry.

Restart your computer in safe mode. This is done during reboot by holding down f8 and by selecting safe mode. click start
then go to run and enter msiexec /regserver

Hit ok hit start and restart computer in the norml way.

Get back to me so I know what happened