What an ordeal to reinstall Windows Installer!!

J

John Dalberg

This has to be one of my most frustrating experiences with a Microsoft
product.

I am unable to reinstall Windows Installer and every step that I have
followed was just a roadblock. Follow me:

- I go to MS site trying to locate Windows installer and I come across this
page:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305496
I am using Windows 2000. They say the installer is included with Windows
2000 but nothing on how to use it. So I download InstMsiW.exe which the
page says it's for NT 4.0. I figured NT and Windows 2000 are similar.

- I double click on InstMsiW.exe and it says "The specifided service
already exists". Well.. why don't you just let me reinstall it?

- So I go search around on how to uninstall Windows installer and come
across this page:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315346
Note that I came across this from a newgroups. I search in vein on MS's
site for removing the installer and I came across
I followed the instructions and reboot and double on InstMsiW.exe and get
the same error. Dammit.

- I go back and follow the same instructions but now
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer doesn't
exist. So why on earth does InstMsiW.exe report that the service exists if
the registry key doesn't exist? Also what's the name of the service in the
service control panel as I can't find anything that says installer.

Also now I can't rename msi.dll because it says the system is using it even
though I rename it earlier and the docs says that Windows 2000 reinstalls
the installer if it doesn't find it. Well, if I have to reboot after the
above intructions to take place and Windows 2000 reinstalls the installer,
how does ths uninstall process work and complete?

I couldn't even rename msi.dll in safe mode. I couldn't rename
hklm\system\currentcontrolset\enum\root\legacy_msiserver..

MS site also mentions Windows Installer 3.0. What is this exactly? I can't
find a download link for it. Is it an sdk only software for developers?


This whole process is very frustrating. My next step is to use Sysinternals
erd commander and work on the files while the OS is not running.

My question is why does InstMsiW.exe report that the service exist? What is
it looking at so I can remove it and let it "think" that Windows Installer
doesn't exist?

John D.
 
J

JeffFerrel

To reinstall the installer (2.0 for windows 2000 and XP)
1 - Download the installer -- duh!
2 - search for msisip.dll -- rename it or just delete it
*note - Don't delete the one in c:\i386 directory
3 - NOW run the windows installer.

Reboot.

email me with problems.


John said:
*This has to be one of my most frustrating experiences with
Microsoft
product.

I am unable to reinstall Windows Installer and every step that
have
followed was just a roadblock. Follow me:

- I go to MS site trying to locate Windows installer and I com
across this
page:
http://tinyurl.com/2a5gc
I am using Windows 2000. They say the installer is included wit
Windows
2000 but nothing on how to use it. So I download InstMsiW.exe whic
the
page says it's for NT 4.0. I figured NT and Windows 2000 ar
similar.

- I double click on InstMsiW.exe and it says "The specifided service
already exists". Well.. why don't you just let me reinstall it?

- So I go search around on how to uninstall Windows installer an
come
across this page:
http://tinyurl.com/eq0l
Note that I came across this from a newgroups. I search in vein o
MS's
site for removing the installer and I came across
I followed the instructions and reboot and double on InstMsiW.exe an
get
the same error. Dammit.

- I go back and follow the same instructions but now
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServe
doesn't
exist. So why on earth does InstMsiW.exe report that the servic
exists if
the registry key doesn't exist? Also what's the name of the servic
in the
service control panel as I can't find anything that says installer.

Also now I can't rename msi.dll because it says the system is usin
it even
though I rename it earlier and the docs says that Windows 200
reinstalls
the installer if it doesn't find it. Well, if I have to reboot afte
the
above intructions to take place and Windows 2000 reinstalls th
installer,
how does ths uninstall process work and complete?

I couldn't even rename msi.dll in safe mode. I couldn't rename
hklm\system\currentcontrolset\enum\root\legacy_msiserver..

MS site also mentions Windows Installer 3.0. What is this exactly?
can't
find a download link for it. Is it an sdk only software fo
developers?


This whole process is very frustrating. My next step is to us
Sysinternals
erd commander and work on the files while the OS is not running.

My question is why does InstMsiW.exe report that the service exist
What is
it looking at so I can remove it and let it "think" that Window
Installer
doesn't exist?

John D.


-
JeffFerre
 

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