Windows Installer Cannot Be Accessed

[eriopolis]

I am getting an error when I am attempting to install the C++ Redistributable Package that says:

"Windows Installer Service cannot be accessed. This can occur if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."

I have attempted to look up what this means, however all of the guides I find are for Windows 2000 or Server 2003! I have also had the same error message pop up when I try to manually install updates with Windows Updater. I have no idea how to fix this problem, below is everything I think may be relevant about my PC, if anyone can help please do.

Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit version
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66 Ghz
4 GB DDR3-1333
GeForce GT220
Western Digital Caviar Blue HHD 320GB 7200 RPM
ASUS P5P43TD Motherboard

I built this machine myself but I have very little knowledge about Operating Systems or how to fix them, thank you for your time.

 

[Ztruker]

This has fixed the problem for some people. Worth looking at at least:

windows installer service could not be accessed

I looked at mine and it's HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msiserver. The values there are:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msiserver]
"DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\msimsg.dll,-27"
"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,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
"Description"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\msimsg.dll,-32"
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000003
"Type"=dword:00000010
"DependOnService"=hex(7):72,00,70,00,63,00,73,00,73,00,00,00,00,00
"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001
"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\
00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,\
74,00,65,00,50,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,66,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,\
00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,63,00,\
6b,00,4d,00,65,00,6d,00,6f,00,72,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,\
00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,\
73,00,65,00,42,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6f,00,72,00,69,00,74,\
00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,\
65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,65,00,72,00,6d,00,61,00,6e,\
00,65,00,6e,00,74,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,\
00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,\
00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,00,75,00,72,00,\
69,00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,\
00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,00,61,00,6e,00,67,00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,\
66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,\
00,65,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,66,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,53,00,69,00,6e,00,67,00,\
6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,73,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\
00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,\
72,00,73,00,6f,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,\
00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,\
47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,\
72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,\
00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,52,00,65,00,\
73,00,74,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,\
00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,\
51,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,\
00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,68,00,75,00,74,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,6e,00,\
50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,\
00,61,00,6b,00,65,00,4f,00,77,00,6e,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,68,00,69,00,70,00,\
50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,\
00,6f,00,61,00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,\
76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00
"FailureActions"=hex:84,03,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
00,01,00,00,00,c0,d4,01,00,01,00,00,00,e0,93,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

If you want to try this, export your current msiserver data then create a .reg file by copying and pasting the above red data into notepad then saving it to your desktop as msiserver.reg. Make sure you set the Save as type: to All files or it will append .txt to the name making it useless. Once you have the old data saved then right click on msiserver.reg and select Merge to replace those values in the registry.

 

[A Guy]

As Ztruker mentioned:

Unregister and re-register the Windows Installer

Start> Type Run in search box> Click on Run in results above

Type

MSIEXEC /UNREGISTER

Click OK

Start> Type Run in search box> Click on Run in results above

Type

MSIEXEC /REGSERVER

Click OK

See if the problem is fixed.

A Guy

 

[eriopolis]

Well after trying everything (with no luck) I opened up Regedit and I apparently don't HAVE a MSIServer folder there, so how do I make one because it is not immediately obvious to me and I feel this will solve the problem.

 

[Ztruker]

Create the .reg file and merge it as I mentioned in my previous post.

 

[eriopolis]

I tried to merge the registry then reboot but it still has not worked.

The SFC scan however detected some problems, but was unable to fix them, I could pull up the log but I cannot find it using any of the methods I can find (probably because I lack experience with the Command Prompt)

any help?

 

[Ztruker]

See this MS article: How to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows Vista or on Windows 7

It tells you how to locate the SFC error data in the log file.

 

[eriopolis]

Ok, I have attempted most of this multiple times, and I still get the error, I think that I am going to do a Repair Install but am worried about needing a new product key, will my old product key work for this process?

 

[A Guy]

Yes, your valid key should work fine. Follow along with this great tute by our own Brink, before you begin. See the last step to reactivate Windows 7. A Guy

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

 

[eriopolis]

Ok, a repair install has allowed me to install an Anti-virus (Microsoft security essentials) but now I randomly get an error saying "Can't find AsIO.sys !! (2)" what is that? also the last few times I've booted Windoes runs ScnDsk and finds sectors that cannot be read, and I am getting bizzar performance glitches. I think my hard drive may be dying but I'm not sure. It's still under warrenty and I think I may get an SSD for Windows and then put everything else on a replacement, what do you guys think?

Rep has gone to those who helped so far by the way, many thanks cause you guys are saving my ass a lot of guess and check!

 

[A Guy]

Hello eriopolis, that is from certain Asus programs. Possibilities are:

1. PC Probe II
2. EPU Six Engine
2. ASUS AI Suite

See if you have a process named aacenter running in task manager. If so, right click it and kill process.

Now find your folder C:\Program Files (x86)\ASUS\AASP\

There you find folders named 1.00.32, 1.00.33, or 1.00.54, etc.

After you stop the process you go to the folder listed above and delete the most recent folder in there.

If you are using T Probe or any of the others, you can try reinstalling them from the CD that came w/ the MB. Otherwise, you are done. I myself don't think much of T Probe, or use any of the other programs on my MB CD.

So, are you using the GT240, or are you just back where you started?

A Guy