Windows 7 beta testers find critical Windows Installer Bug

[sevsman]

Mary Jo reports that a number of Windows 7 Beta testers have come across a bug that crashes the system randomly whenever they try to start a Windows Update or install anything using Microsoft's MSI installer.

Enthusiast Chris Holmes claims that many users have started experiencing random crashing of explorer and msiexec.exe when trying to start Windows Update or install anything that uses an MSI based installer. Some have gone to the extent of reinstalling the beta.

Rafael has discovered that the fault arises from the Software Quality Management (SQM) Client which is a part of the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). It seems that any process that calls WinSqmStartSession in ntdll.dll will start crashing when machine throttling is enabled in the registry and when CEIP is running.

The suggested workarounds are as follows:

1) Deleting the string values other than Default value in HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows\DisabledSessions in the Windows Registry [Or] renaming MachineThrottling to _MachineThrottling in the same node.

2) Turn Off Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program which can be done by traversing through the nodes - Computer Configuration->Administrative Templates->System->Internet Communication Management->Internet Communication settings in the Local Group Policy Editor.

If you are a Windows 7 Beta tester, please make sure that you report any bugs to Microsoft using the new Send Feedback tool

source: neowin.net

 

[Brink]

I just got this from the Action Center messages today:

Solve a problem with Windows 7 beta

An issue with the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) client in Windows 7 beta is causing Explorer and some MSI-based installers to stop working properly.

To solve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button
   
   , click All Programs, and then click Accessories.
2. Right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
   
   In the User Account Control window, verify that Program name is Windows Command Processor, and then click Yes.
3. In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type or paste the following text at the prompt:
   reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows\DisabledSessions /va /f
4. Press Enter to install the solution.
5. If The operation completed successfully displays, close the Administrator: Command Prompt window to complete this procedure. If "ERROR: Access is denied" displays, repeat this procedure from the top, making sure you clicked Run as administrator in step two.

 

[VegasDen]

http://www.sevenforums.com/news/2515-windows-installer-error-fix.html

 

[defrag1720]

Very timely. Just happened to me for the first time last night. Was able to get update going by running as administrator after several attempts.
Fix installed.
Thanks

 

[Ex_Brit]

Thanks for this. It just started for me this morning. I thought that an update had taken care of it, obviously not.

 

[Adamd]

I had this problem and was able to fix it

 

[xan K]

I received the solution last night and applied it. but some minutes afterwards explorer.exe crashed again. this time I didn't do anything in particular. dunno if I had to restart for the fix to work and I haven't restarted ever since. :S

 

[Ex_Brit]

Try a restart.

 

[jnfoot]

OMG! This fixes ALL the install issues I was having on my x64 box. This thread should be stickied for EVERYONE to ensure that they perform this.

 

[garysgold]

When I tried to uninstall a program this morning, I got the windows is looking for a solution box and for the first time in Vista or W7, windows actually found a solution and this registry fix was it.

Gary

 

[xan K]

It worked, Microsoft is really doing something good here.

 

[darragh1878]

I have this problem and I have tried both fixes many manny times and nothing works even though it says it is successful. Any ideas?

 

[Win7User512]

I have this problem and I have tried both fixes many manny times and nothing works even though it says it is successful. Any ideas?

Move on to the retail version from beta?