windows installer damaged after malware attack

Hello,

After cleaning up some malware (that one that makes a .bmp wallpaper saying you have spyware and disables the display properties tab (screeensaver is gone)), I am getting an error upon loading Wordperfect. "The Windows Installer Service Could not be Accessed, this can occur if you are running in safe mode, or if the windows installer service is not correctly installed. Contact your Support Personel for assistance."

I have attempted Microosft KB articles 315436 and 315353 as well as several other how to fixes from various sources (EE, other expert forums). I am simply trying to get wordperfect functional, but the installer service won't cooperate. Another example is when I try to install lavasoft's adware, it uses the windows installer, so I get the above message. I tried an XP repair using the XP CD, same result still broken. I tried adjusting the RPC service, no difference. I tried to start the windows installer service and get an error that it cannot be restarted. I also tried dial-a-fix, which indicated some error message and said I should email the author. All my other installed apps function perfectly. I really do not want to go the re-format route. I have run hijackthis a few times, and cleaned out one thing that didn't belong. I am at a loss as to what it could be, please if anyone can assist. Thank you!

 

A friend of mine has exactly the same problem. I tried reinstalling MS Installer 3.1 but this did not cure the problem. I tried installing MS Installer 4.5 but it failed to install because it was denied access to a registry key during the install process. I have tried to use the installer clean up utility but, ironically, this would not install. I have also carried out what appear to be the standard 'sort out installer' procedures, also to no effect.

 

I am trying to repair a couple of machines that have exactly the same situation. We tried copying known good MSI files from clean machines, but I can't get the problem machines to accept these files. I have to assume that one of the source files that Windows File Protection is using is also dirty somehow and I can't get things beyond that. We don't have a clean restore point to revert to.

 

Right, hot shot, but it ISN'T a whole new problem, it is exactly the same problem now evidenced three different ways. And since the thread had already been moved to Software from Malware, we seem to be in the correct neighborhood. We've all had malware attack, we've cleaned the malware but there are system files still messed up, and one of those is Windows Installer, and nothing we've tried has made it work again. My contention is that we still have some aspect of the malware at work, but since we're not in the malware area, I didn't bring that up.

 

I think I had the same thing, a yellow stripe across a blue screen on my desktop telling me I needed to install an anti-virus or something. Most of my spy apps and anti -virus saw nothing but I can't remember for sure I think it was A-Squared free or Avast in deep scan mode that found a rootkit and removed it and I was able to get a semblance of normalcy back. Its still not right but at least everything works fair. I will reinstall later when its more convienient. I don't recall my installer having ever been a problem.

OH, it also kept coming back until I deleted all my restore points.