Windows XP Installer Missing

[Carol Ann]

My Windows XP Installer is missing. Believe me, I went
into the Control Panel, etc., and could not find "Windows
Installer" where they said I should find but like Old
Mother Hubbard the cupboard was bare. I don't even have
the msiexec.exe, msi.dll & msihnd.dll files to extract! I
tried downloading something from Microsoft that was
allegedly supposed to fix it, but I get a message that
says I already have it - and I don't!
Short of making my 'puter a door stop, what can I do?

Carol Ann

 

[larry]

First thing is to run error checking, because you have
the files but the don't work. Go to my computer, Right
click properties on c drive(or where windows directory
is), select tool, select check now , check box for
automatical fix file system errors. You'll have to
reboot. Error checking has to run outside windows.
Reboot. It will run a while when you boot up

 

[Guest]

Thanks for trying, Larry; I followed your instructions,
but it still sang the same song: "The Windows Installer
Service could not be accessed. This can occur if you ware
running Windows in Safe Mode (which I'm not) or if the
Windows Installer is not correctly installed." Duh...
Anybody else want to give it a try and be my hero??

Carol Ann

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Carol Ann, have you tried reinstalling the windows installer? Go to my
website www.freelanceit.glowinternet.net and click on the Win XP Faq button.
take a look at question 66 'How do I reinstall the windows installer' Give
it a try and see if that cures your problem

 

[Carol Ann]

John-
Well........
alas & alack, my Windows Installer remains in the Twilight
Zone.
Thanks for trying, though. I may give it another shot,
after lighting up some insence and muttering incohesive
chants while dancing naked. Hey, anything to be able to
install a program agin! Well, almost anything; I can't
afford a new 'puter. Do you think maybe Microsoft's new
download (now available on disc, the name of which has
escaped thru my swiss cheese-like brain) might do the
proverbial trick?

Carol Ann

 

[Carol Ann]

John -
FYI, I tried again, and stil, after entering the info
starting with "c:\windows\..." and hitting Enter, I get
this message: "c:\windows\system32\dllcache is not
recognized as an internal or external command, operable
program or batch file."
Carol Ann