Windows Installer Service not working

I have Vista Home Premium on a Del XPS410 and the only security program I am running is BitDefender Internet Security 2008.

My problem started when I couldn't get the Java 6 update 7 installed. Kept getting error 1101, which is said to be connected with Windows Installer.

Then later in the evening I was trying to do a repair install on a program and got the pop up that Windows Installer Service cannot be accessed; got it several more times.

I have literally been researching this problem for hours by googling, going to Microsoft, several forums. I've written to Dell.

Does anyone have an answer for this problem that works?

Thanks,
Nikilet

 

Well, that was 3 problems. Did you try these possibilities?

1. Repair Windows Installer - this here and here is Microsoft's recommendations about it
2. Uninstall old Java - use Add/remove programs first then JavaRa if it supports Vista
3. Update Java - make sure that you disable BitDefender during download and installation

 

The well-known program, Dial-a-fix, does not, unfortunately, support Vista...

Also: run CCleaner before reinstall.

 

I changed the run type from manual to automatic and restarted. When I went back into services.msc/Services, Windows Installer showed as running.

Halo: Here's what I'm afraid of. The Java that I presently have is working. I hate to remove it without knowing if I am going to be able to install the update. Is there any reason why I couldn't try installing the update first -- then go back and uninstall Java 6 and use that JavaRa?

I did not disable BitDefender previously when I tried to install. I could certainly try that.

Thanks!

 

HALO: I exited BitDeFender and using your link tried once again to install Java update. This is the exact error I got, and have been getting all along:

Exact Error when trying to download Java update: Error 1101.Error reading from file:
http://javadl-esd.sun.com/update/1.6.0/sp-1.6.0_07/sp1033.MST. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.

 

I pasted the http link from the error message when trying to download Java update into my browser. It gave me the option to save a file to my desktop which I then opened with Notepad. It was a full page of gibberish, but the following also appeared. I hope that one of you who knows what you are doing might be able to make some sense out of it. Maybe it isn't the Windows Installer. Here's what the file said:

TLOSS error
SING error
DOMAIN error
R6029
- This application cannot run using the active version of the Microsoft .NET Runtime
Please contact the application's support team for more information.
R6028
- unable to initialize heap
R6027
- not enough space for lowio initialization
R6026
- not enough space for stdio initialization
R6025
- pure virtual function call
R6024
- not enough space for _onexit/atexit table
R6019
- unable to open console device
R6018
- unexpected heap error
R6017
- unexpected multithread lock error
R6016
- not enough space for thread data

This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the application's support team for more information.
R6009
- not enough space for environment
R6008
- not enough space for arguments
R6002
- floating point not loaded
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library

Runtime Error!

Program: ... <program name unknown> Program: A buffer overrun has been detected which has corrupted the program's
internal state. The program cannot safely continue execution and must
now be terminated.
Buffer overrun detected! A security error of unknown cause has been detected which has
corrupted the program's internal state. The program cannot safely
continue execution and must now be terminated.
Unknown security failure detected!

 

My Vista is fully up to date, but I have not downloaded the SP1.

The Microsoft .Net Framework 1.1 is listed in Add/Remove, along with a hotfix, KB929729.

I did not have Visual C++ 2005 redistributable so I went to the link you gave me, downloaded and installed it. No problems with the installation so it must not be Windows Installer. However, I notice that it showed SP1 behind it so hope this wasn't something for Vista SP1, which I don't have.

I am logged in as administrator.

I've tried installing the Java both ways -- from my desktop and from the site. I get the same error message every time. I clicked on your link and downloaded the Java update again, exited BitDefender and then tried to install and I get the same message.

I downloaded something called Process Monitor from TechNet website, but don't know how to use it. Could this help in isolating what the problem is?

 

I finally got an answer from Sun as follows:

Go to this page http://java.sun.com/ and click the Java SE download link at the right. Select either the JDK or the JRE download (if you want to create and compile Java programs you want the JDK, otherwise the JRE.) Save the download to your disk. Click the downloaded file to install Java.

This time I save the file to C/Users/(my name) instead of to my desktop. I exited BitDefender, went into C/Users/(my name), doubled clicked to install and it installed like a dream.

I want to express thanks to all who answered and gave me advice and direction. Hopefully this answer I got from Sun will now help others who are having the same problem.

Good-bye ----- until my next problem crops up! :wave