I am no longer able to add or remove "windows components" (fax, messenger,
IIS, index service, management and monitoring tools, etc.) by navigating to
Add Remove Programs > Add Remove Windows Components from my windows XP Pro
computer. I would really appreciate some tips on what try next.



When I try to install or uninstall any windows component software, I get
from what I read on the internet is a common problem where the installation
routine starts up but then stops and asks to locate/find/open a compressed
install file. The error says, "Setup cannot copy the file filename.dl_ ."
where filename represents the particular file name. This occurs even though
the file can be seen right there on the Windows XP SP2 install disk. If
tell the setup program to skip this file and move on, it will get the next
file it needs from the disk and then give me the same error. This happens
any time the setup needs a file.



This occurs with the original, genuine MS XP Pro disk used for the install
on this computer. Additionally, this disk will boot up and let me manually
copy files over to my hard drive just fine, so the CD itself does not seem
to be the problem.



I searched the archives of the Microsoft Usenet groups and found that I
should first read this MS bulletin >> "You cannot add a Windows component in
Windows XP"<< which is located at: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=884018



In the text of the bulletin, it lead me to a procedure Microsoft bulletin>>
"ESENT event IDs 1000, 1202, 412, and 454 are logged repeatedly in the
Application log"<< found at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278316/



I completed the manual procedure listed in the document above but I was
still having problems.



Since that didn't work, I tried the following procedure which I found in
multiple messages in the Microsoft newsgroups:



1. Click on the Windows Start Menu.

2. Click Run.

3. Type esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb in the Open

box, and click OK.



I have run the esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb routine
multiple times (even after rebooting into safe mode as administrator). It
has not helped and I still can't add or remove any windows components.



I have tried pointing the setup installation routine to cppies of the
compressed files on my hard drive as well as to uncompressed copies of the
same files already located on my hard drive. The Windows installation
routine does not accept either one.



Any help would be appreciated.



Thanks in advance.

In case anyone else has this problem and finds this thread via Google, here
is what Microsoft directed me to do over a number of days and emails. Each
step starting with a letter is the action they asked me to take when the
previous action failed to cure the issue.

A. Install the "cannot install windows components" hotfix KB884018 (you have
to get Microsoft support to email you the download location and password -
they refunded my support charge of $35).

B. Reinstall the fax program files (they sent them to me)

C. Based on the current information, this issue can occur if the security
database is corrupted. At this point let's perform the following steps to
troubleshoot this issue:
1. Click Start, click Run.

2. Type the following command and then press ENTER.

secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\repair\secsetup.inf /db secsetup.sdb
/verbose

You receive a "Task is completed" message, and a warning message that
something could not be done. You can safely ignore this message. See if
problem persists.

D. At this point, please follow the steps below to perform a System File
Check:

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM.

2. Click Exit if the auto-menu pops up.

3. Click Start, and click Run.

4. Type "SFC /purgecache" (without quotation marks) in the Open box, and
click OK.

Note: there is a SPACE between "SFC" and "/purgecache".

5. Type "SFC /Scannow" (without quotation marks) in the Open box, and
click OK.

Note: there is a SPACE between "SFC" and "/Scannow".

Restart the computer and check whether the original issue is resolved.

E. Perform a repair install from the original XP SP2.

After "E", I can now install and uninstall windows components (knock on
wood). You have to redo all of your Windows Updates. It has only been two
hours, so I don't know what other issues might be lurking...