Windows Installer is missing

[Jim]

Last night I was checking my Services list (services.msc) and discovered
that Windows Installer is missing. I've no idea how long it's been
gone, although I know it was there about 5 months ago when I installed
an MS application. How can I restore it? (I tried Kelly's fix, but got
the message that "all keys could not be imported.")

 

[Kelly]

Hi Jim,

Are you running with admin privileges, is this Home or Pro? Which exact
edit was it? If line 94, re-download it and run again. Post back with the
results and good luck!

 

[Jim]

Hello Kelly,

I'm running XP Home SP1. The edit is line 94, and when I ran it again
just now, the message was "Cannot import (the edit)...Error accessing
the registry."

Jim

 

[Jim]

Yes, I'm running with admin privileges.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Jim,

For some this relates to Norton and/or Crystal Reports 8. However, I find
this.....

Interesting, as this is a reg file not vb. Some info here:

For some this relates to Norton and/or Crystal Reports 8

'Error Accessing the System Registry' message after installing Crystal
Reports 8
http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2008211.asp

PRB: 'Error Accessing the System Registry' Message When Displaying VB/VBA
References
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q269/3/83.ASP&NoWebContent=1

Accessing the Registry from Code
http://www.windowsitlibrary.com/Content/595/1.html

USING THE REGISTRY CLASSES (Netscape)
http://developer.netscape.com/docs/technote/softdist/registry/registry.html

Older Windows Issues:

REGEDIT May Not Be Able to Import Registry with Large Keys
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=132064

Err Msg: Cannot Import <File>. Error Opening the File.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=187316

In which, if the last one applies: Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\open\command

Change the data value to: regedit.exe "%1"

NOTE: Make sure to include the quotation marks. After you make this change,
quit Registry Editor and restart the computer.

And/or if applicable:

EXE and LNK Fix for Windows XP - Line 12
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

To use the Regedit: Save the REG File to your hard disk. Double click it
and answer yes to the import prompt. REG files can be viewed in Notepad by
right clicking on the file and selecting Edit.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Jim]

Hi Kelly,

After reviewing the links you provided, the only two that seemed to
apply were those below. In the first, the data value was already set
correctly. I ran the second one (your line 12) successfully. But line
94 still produces the same message: error accessing registry.

Jim

 

[Kelly]

Hmm.......will have to think about this. And please note, I don't like
thinking all of the time. ))

 

[Jim]

Some further info to help your thinking <g>....I followed the
instructions in
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q315346. I was
unable to re-register Windows Installer because there is no MSIServer
entry in my registry. Then I tried method 2 (renaming msi files to
..old) and rebooted. As before, there are still three instances of
msiexec.exe in Windows\System32\...all the same version. When I run
"msiexec /regserver," I get message "The system cannot find file
specified." A registry search shows these entries for msiexec.exe:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\msiexec.exe\NoOpenWith=0 data
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\msiexec.exe\NoOpenWith=0
data
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-776561741-746137067-1957994488-1004\Software\Microsoft\Search
Assistant\ACMru\5603\000=msiexec.exe

Jim

 

[Kelly]

Here I go thinking again.... )

When you went to Start/Run, there was a space between the c and /r, correct?
If so: go back to line 94, download and merge the edit for Windows not
WINNT.

As per your reply:

Your first two entries are reading correct. The third is your search
history. Back to the article you followed: When you went to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer

Did the image path in the right pane correctly point to:
C:\Windows\System32\Msiexec.exe /V

there are still three instances of msiexec.exe in Windows\System32\...all
the same version.

What are the dates? You should only have one listed.

In the meantime, boot into safe mode and then go to Start/Run/CMD and type
in: msiexec.exe
Once done and while still there type in: msiexec /regserver

Reboot.

 

[Jim]

No need to think about this one anymore, Kelly. Your final two
suggestions did the trick....at least one of them did. In safe mode, I
ran msiexec.exe on the command line and got the message "incorrect
command parameters." (Why would that be?) Then I ran msiexec /regserver,
checked services.msc and found Windows Installer listed with the correct
path. (Prior to this, there was no path entry in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer)

After rebooting, as a test, I successfully installed an msi application
that wouldn't install before. Sure wish I knew why WI went missing in
the first place. Anyhow, thanks a bunch for staying with me on this. I
really appreciate it.

Jim

 

[Kelly]

Great, Jim....glad to hear you now have it settled and to have helped.
Thanks for the feedback, it will help others. )

 

[Guest]

I am having the same trouble with my windows installer and you guys have lost
me somewhere. I have gone throught the steps posted on microsoft support
error 1719 article #315346 and get stopped at 3, whern I go to run
msiexec/regserver. I keeps coming up file not found...can you please help me
out?
Wendy

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Have you tried Question 66 on my website?
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Click the Win XP Faq button and look at Question 66

 

[Guest]

I did try this before, just tried again in case I was doing something wrong.
I put the first command in (attrb -r -s -h) and enter it says nothing, I type
in the next command (c:\windows\system32\dllcache) then I get
"c:\windows\systme32\dllcache is not a recognized as an internal or external
command, operable program or batch file"
Now what..there must be something else wrong?
Wendy