msiexec.exe problem - please help!

Hi,

Lately I have encountered the following problem when trying to download the latest update of Java (Java 7 update 10):

The installation starts, but before it has completed the installation process, an error box shows up telling me (translated) that "windows installer has encountered a problem and must be closed. We are sorry for the inconvenience". When I click on "show more information", I find the following:
Appname: msiexec.exe, appver: 4.5.6001.22159, modname: msi1cc.tmp, modver: 1.0.0.0 offset: 00014682. The technical information error report can be found in the following folders:
c:\documents and settings\user\local\temp\....\msiexec.exe.mdmp
c:\---same as above---\appcompat.txt

I can paste the reports here if you want to...

I have searched the internet and tried lots of remedies found there, but to no avail.

Funnily enough, I actually manage to download and install Java 6 update 37 without any problems. Maybe this is not an .msi file??? Since running an old version of Java is a security threat, I would of course really like to update it.

Java is just one little problem. This morning, however, I noticed that I can't download some of the updates from "Microsoft update", which of course is of much larger concern!!! Could it be that also some of these files are .msi files?

By the way, I run windows XP pro, service pack 3. Just tell me if I should provide more information.

Any kind of help would be very much appreciated!!
Thank you in advance!
Andy

 

Let's try this first, see if windows can repair itself.

Type CMD in Start, Run box. Right click on CMD in the list and then select the option Run as Administrator.

Type the following command, and then press ENTER on the keyboard:

Code:

sfc /scannow

 

Thanks for your swift reply!

I have XP, so tried to run the scan in safe mode, logging on as the administrator. The scan wouldn't run. Then I just ran the scan in normal mode, logging on as the regular user. The scan worked fine.

However, this scan didn't seem to solve the problem. When trying to install Java again, now the installation didn't even proceed through the box windows installer, which appears when one is installing new software.
In addition, an error message popped up saying something like this:
"can't access the windows installer service. This may occur if you run windows in safe mode (which, by the way, I am not doing at the moment), or if windows installer isn't installed correctly. Contact the user support department for help".

Should I just restore the system back to the earlier state, or is this error message something with which we can work? Was this what you expected/wanted to happen?

Thanks again so far!

 

Have a read here, re-register msi.exe:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315353&Product=winxp

 

Unfortunately, this also didn't work. Still the same error occurs: "the windows installer service could not be accessed...".

Any other ideas? Could it be a malware/virus? Could it be a missing file? Missing registry file (dll problem or whatever)? I have no idea, and this problem drives me crazy!

If I restore the system to the earlier state, I am at least able to install Java 6 update 37 again (which was not possible after running sfc /scannow). The error described above is of course also gone, but I am obviously back to square one as regards not being able to update to a newer version of Java + not being able to install certain updates from the Microsoft Update page.

I've never done it before, but should I run a Hijack this? I see everyone talking about that software on this forum.

Thanks for your help!

 

Let's do the first 4 steps here to make sure the service is running...

http://support.microsoft.com/KB/324516

 

Still the same issue and error message "cant' access the windows installer service..."

Tried the methods specified here: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/324516

1)this method showed that the windows installer box is ticked, but the service is shown as stopped.

2) this method, when searching for the msiexec.exe file, actually gave 2 versions. one of them is in the correct path under windows\system32. the other one is located in this folder: c\windows\servicepackfiles\i386

3) tried most methods on this page: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319624
method 1 didn't make a difference. method 2 i couldn't find out how to perform. methods 3 and 4 i think i managed to perform. still didn't solve the problem. method 5 i didn't do.

4) this method didn't make a difference.

do you still want me to use the current settings? or should i now restore the system back to the state when the error message didn't appear? If you recall, the above error message only started to show after i did the sfc /scannow .

any other suggestions?
thank you!

 

Hi my fellow , welcome to MG's :major

What is your antivirus programme ? :wave

 

Cheers, mate!

I use the free version of AVG, Threatfire, Spywareblaster and Spybot as my AV/Anti-malware programmes.

 

You can try disable them installing java update , go to

Start
Run msconfig
Ok

you have to go to startup tab there you must disable all - Ok - Apply

Windows is asking you about restart - do it
afterwards you are able to install java update :wave

 

Thanks for the tip. However, this also didn't work.

Tried the workaround both with the new settings, after i had tried all the remedies mentioned in my last post (also after i had ran the sfc /scannow - this scan seemed to have totally crashed the windows installer service file)

I also tried your workaround using the older settings (reverting the system back to the state when i first started posting in this forum, i.e. before i ran the sfc /scannow etc), but to no avail. The same thing happened. The windows installer service could now be started, the Java installation process started, but it finished before completion (with the error message that the msiexec file had encountered a problem and that it must be closed).

 

Do you have the XP install CD? If so, a repair install of XP may be the best option since all the other fixes have failed.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978788

Look for the section:
Method 2: Repair install of Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD

 

You can read this solution

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/631618-msiexec-exe-error-3.html

it might be works for you :wave

 

Have tried them alll - unfortunately nothing works.
Haven't got the xp cd. What to do?

 

You can find xo dvd from a friend doing repair like cipher is suggested you , you are looking at

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/138-how-to-repair-windows-xp/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNOQ0sCYY8s

before that you are able to try this solution

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/631618-msiexec-exe-error-3.html

by g0ro :wave

 

You can find xp dvd from a friend doing repair like cipher is suggested you , you are looking at

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/138-how-to-repair-windows-xp/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNOQ0sCYY8s

before that you are able to try this solution

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/631618-msiexec-exe-error-3.html

by g0ro :wave

 

you can try this... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942288 ...or this... http://www.windowsanswers.net/articles/windows-installer-fixes