Vista Microsoft Installer corrupt

[Auron]

this isn't a problem with installing Windows Vista, but rather Microsoft
Installer has become corrupt. You know the one. It uses .msi files
now-a-days. whenever I try to install anything that requires the use of
Windows Installer, it crashes out with an error. there are many ways for
installing a program, and every program uses one installer or another. the
ones that use a third party installer or their own is fine, but if it uses
Windows Installer, it's a no go.

I am using Vista Home Premium seeing as Home Basic is the crappiest (pardon
my language) of the crappy Vista operating systems. I'd go on Linux if I
could, but due to no drivers for half the hardware in my computer, it's a no
go. Macs are too expensive. So I have to suffer with crappy Microsoft.

Every time I come to use Windows Installer, it comes up with "Error 1316. A
network error occurred while attempting to read from the file
"directory\filename.msi". just switch "directory" for C:, D: or whichever,
doesn't matter, and name a file, but it always ends in the .msi extension.

I have googled the error, and tried solutions like using Microsoft's cleanup
utility http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301 to no avail. I have even
tried updating the installer to 4.something from the Microsoft website. This
didn't help, because it didn't update.

my only remaining solution is reinstall Vista, which means using up another
activation reducing the total left from 9 to 8. seeing as you can only
activate Vista 10 times before you have to use a premium rate number and
hand over a 60+ digit number before you can activate Vista again.

I don't mind reactivating software, but when you have a limit to how many
times you can, then it's rubbish. However, back on topic. Can anyone suggest
how I can sort it out?

 

[Rick Rogers]

There's no limit on the number of times you can reactivate your installation
on the same hardware. Some may require a phone call, but these should be
toll-free as well.

As to the actual problem, you may want to retry the installer cleanup
utility, this time in safe mode, as the error indicates that there is still
a thread from a previous installation stuck there.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Auron]

There's no limit on the number of times you can reactivate your
installation on the same hardware. Some may require a phone call, but
these should be toll-free as well.

i know someone who had to replace his entire set of memory. he installed a
different brand. he ended having to ring Microsoft because Vista was saying
that he had a change of hardware. he repeatedly told them that he was using
a legit copy of Vista. I would have stuck with XP Home, but the phoneline
that i had to call after reinstalling the thing so many times was unmanned.

As to the actual problem, you may want to retry the installer cleanup
utility, this time in safe mode, as the error indicates that there is
still a thread from a previous installation stuck there.

when i run the installer, all it does is lists every program that i have
installed, whether they had been installed via windows installer or not. i
don't know which one i last installed. for me to do this, i'd have to use
the program and remove every single program, forcing me to reinstall every
program. i have installed 54 programs.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

i know someone who had to replace his entire set of memory. he installed a
different brand. he ended having to ring Microsoft because Vista was
saying that he had a change of hardware. he repeatedly told them that he
was using a legit copy of Vista. I would have stuck with XP Home, but the
phoneline that i had to call after reinstalling the thing so many times
was unmanned.

Replacing hardware can trigger a manual activation to ensure it's not a
different machine when significant changes have been made. It would not
preclude one from reactivating, just have to call it in and state that the
memory was changed, nothing more.

when i run the installer, all it does is lists every program that i have
installed, whether they had been installed via windows installer or not. i
don't know which one i last installed. for me to do this, i'd have to use
the program and remove every single program, forcing me to reinstall every
program. i have installed 54 programs.

Well, don't know what to tell you there. Check the creation dates of the
program folders. You must have at least *some* idea of which ones were more
recent. I'd also look to ones that were recently updated (like
antivirus/antimalware software).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Auron]

Hi,



Replacing hardware can trigger a manual activation to ensure it's not a
different machine when significant changes have been made. It would not
preclude one from reactivating, just have to call it in and state that the
memory was changed, nothing more.


Well, don't know what to tell you there. Check the creation dates of the
program folders. You must have at least *some* idea of which ones were
more recent. I'd also look to ones that were recently updated (like
antivirus/antimalware software).

Kaspersky is set to update hourly, which is does most of the time