The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed.

[Marcel Cox]

This is a Windows XP professional SP3 workstation.
Since about 2 weeks, I'm no longer able to install new problems that
use the msi installer. When I try to install a new program, the
following message gets displayed:

The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if
you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows installer is
not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assitance.

I have tried an install of an MSI with logging enabled, and the log
shows the following (just one line):

MSI (c) (44:2C) [20:47:52:390]: Failed to connect to server. Error:
0x80040154

At the same time as the windows installer, windows update also stopped
working. The windowsupdate.log file reports the following messages
over and over again:

2008-09-29 20:57:50:031 1476 328 AU Launched new AU client for
directive 'Install Approval', session id = 0x0
2008-09-29 20:57:50:062 3884 f98 Misc =========== Logging initialized
(build: 7.2.6001.784, tz: +0200) ===========
2008-09-29 20:57:50:062 3884 f98 Misc = Process: C:\WINDOWS
\system32\wuauclt.exe
2008-09-29 20:57:50:062 3884 f98 AUClnt Launched Client UI process
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 Misc =========== Logging initialized
(build: 7.2.6001.784, tz: +0200) ===========
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 Misc = Process: C:\WINDOWS
\system32\wuauclt.exe
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 Misc = Module: C:\WINDOWS
\system32\wucltui.dll
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 CltUI FATAL: Failed to get agent
interface pointers, hr=80040154
2008-09-29 20:57:56:125 1476 328 AU AU received handle event
2008-09-29 20:57:56:125 1476 328 AU AU setting pending client
directive to 'Install Approval'


I already tried the following solutions I found in the Micsoroft
knowledgebase, but none helped:
- I downloaded and installed the latest Windows installer (WindowsXP-
KB942288-v3-x86.exe). The new installer installed without error but
did not help to solve the problem.
- I unregistered and registered the installer service

I also run filemon and regmon during an msi installation, but could
not see any obvious problem related to the install.

I'm running out of ideas here. Does anyone have an idea to help?

 

[R. McCarty]

Windows Installer has a single dependency service "Remote
Procedure Call". You need to check the current status of that
service. Also check your System Event Log for errors to help
determine what is at fault.

 

[Marcel]

I checked the services and the "Remote Procedure Call (RPC)" service
is set to automatic and currently running. The "Remote Procedure Call
(RPC) Locator" service is set to manual and not running. I tried to
start that service, but it makes no difference to the problem.
I noticed that the Windows installer service is set to manual and is
not running by default. If I start it, it runs for 10 minutes and then
stops again. In the system event log, there is no message related to
the installer. I just see messages when I start the installer and when
it stops again 10 minutes later. The only error message I see is the
following:

The Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service service depends on
the Universal Plug and Play Device Host service which failed to start
because of the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or
because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

However I assume that this is not really a problem in itself and not
related to this issue.

In the application event log, I get the following warning message for
each failed install attempt:

Failed to connect to server. Error: 0x80040154

This is the same error code as reported in the log files I already
posted before.
The error code actually means "class not registered". So I wonder if
maybe the real problem is with my computers service registration
system rather than with the service itself.

Windows Installer has a single dependency service "Remote
Procedure Call". You need to check the current status of that
service. Also check your System Event Log for errors to help
determine what is at fault.

This is a Windows XP professional SP3 workstation.
Since about 2 weeks, I'm no longer able to install new problems that
use the msi installer. When I try to install a new program, the
following message gets displayed:

The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if
you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows installer is
not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assitance.

I have tried an install of an MSI with logging enabled, and the log
shows the following (just one line):

MSI (c) (44:2C) [20:47:52:390]: Failed to connect to server. Error:
0x80040154

At the same time as the windows installer, windows update also stopped
working. The windowsupdate.log file reports the following messages
over and over again:

2008-09-29 20:57:50:031 1476 328 AU Launched new AU client for
directive 'Install Approval', session id = 0x0
2008-09-29 20:57:50:062 3884 f98 Misc =========== Logging initialized
(build: 7.2.6001.784, tz: +0200)  ===========
2008-09-29 20:57:50:062 3884 f98 Misc   = Process: C:\WINDOWS
\system32\wuauclt.exe
2008-09-29 20:57:50:062 3884 f98 AUClnt Launched Client UI process
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 Misc =========== Logging initialized
(build: 7.2.6001.784, tz: +0200)  ===========
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 Misc   = Process: C:\WINDOWS
\system32\wuauclt.exe
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 Misc   = Module: C:\WINDOWS
\system32\wucltui.dll
2008-09-29 20:57:56:109 3884 f98 CltUI FATAL: Failed to get agent
interface pointers, hr=80040154
2008-09-29 20:57:56:125 1476 328 AU AU received handle event
2008-09-29 20:57:56:125 1476 328 AU AU setting pending client
directive to 'Install Approval'

I already tried the following solutions I found in the Micsoroft
knowledgebase, but none helped:
- I downloaded and installed the latest Windows installer (WindowsXP-
KB942288-v3-x86.exe). The new installer installed without error but
did not help to solve the problem.
- I unregistered and registered the installer service

I also run filemon and regmon during an msi installation, but could
not see any obvious problem related to the install.

I'm running out of ideas here. Does anyone have an idea to help?