Windows Installer problems - WinXP Pro

C

Chris

Everytime time I right-click on a drive in the drive list, I get a dialog
poping up for a few seconds,
titled "Windows Installer" and with a message saying "Preparing to install",
then I get the expected property page.
This started happening a few months ago.

Also, a related behavior is sometimes when I install or uninstall software,
the installer prompts me for an .msi file and apparently it is expecting it
to reside in one of my temporary folders (as a folder named {xxxx...xxxx},
where Xs are numbers, residing in a temp folder).
Ofcourse such an .msi file won't be found there so I keep clicking cancel
until it can hopefully continue. (sometimes that works)

I read about the Windows installer and about the cleanup utility and I
wasn't able to find any help with this, other than being told to run the
cleanup utility, which I did and it didn't fix anything, since the problem I
believe is with the Installer itself and not with any installed
applications.

I also read that the Windows Installer is supposed to fix itself if there
are any problems, mine isn't.

How do I reinstall the Windows Installer, to fix these problems?
( I did a 'repair' (not a console repair), but I still get the error)
The computer is up to date with updates.

Any help would be appreciated, I've tried everything short of doing a fresh
XP install,
which I don't want to have to do.

Thank you,

Chris
 
S

S.Sengupta

Start>run>services.msc, scroll down to "Windows Installer" and double
click it. Stop the service if it is running, set the startup type line
to disabled>apply
Delete the contents of the temp folders here:-
C:\Windows\temp
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\local settings\temp
Start>run>>services.msc, scroll down to "Windows Installer" and double
click it.Reenable it-make the startup to manual.Restart.

Now close all running programs-specially antivirus software and retry
installing.

"Error 1719. The Windows Installer Service Could Not Be Accessed" Error
Message When You Try to Add or Remove a Program
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315346

Windows Installer Error 1619 When You Install from NTFS-Protected
Directories
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316309

OFF: "The Windows Installer Service Could Not Be Accessed" Error Message
When You Try to Install Office
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=324516

regards,
ssg MS-MVP
pronetworks.org
 
C

Chris

I did what you said, still the same problems.
I even created a new account so that to start with fresh user folders, and
the same thing there also.
And none of the links you mentioned apply in my case

I just know the Windows Installer is corrupted though and I wish there was a
way to re-install it.

Thanks again.

Chris


--
Chris Pavlou,
Director of Network Development
Icarus Studios, Llc.
Voice: 919-656-8187
Fax: 919-678-0773
(e-mail address removed)
 
C

Chris

I did a repair a few weeks ago, using the CD, booted to it, pressed ENTER to
do a setup, selected the one and only installation available, pressed R to
do a repair on that, but it didn't fix these problems.

Even after getting all the updates, the problems were still there.

I don't want to have to do a fresh install.

Do you think that when SP2 is available, that installing that would fix
these problems?

Thanks,

Chris
 

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