Windows Installer

Microsoft Windows Installer is a component of the Windows operating system. Windows Installer provides a standard foundation for installing and uninstalling software. Software manufacturers can create the setup of their products to use Windows Installer to help make software installation, maintenance, and uninstallation straightforward and easy.These files are commonly known as “MSI files” because their default file name extension is .msi.

This section covers the methods you can use to resolve some common Windows Installer problems faced by users. The following warning messages may be displayed on your computer screen, when you try to install or uninstall one or more programs on your computer:

“The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed”

“Windows Installer Service couldn’t be started”

“Could not start the Windows Installer service on Local Computer. Error 5: Access is denied.”

Cause of the Error

These error/warning messages occur when:

• MSI package fails to install on your computer.
• The Windows Installer service is disabled on your computer.

Resolution Methods

There are many different methods to resolve the problem. The method you choose is usually dependent on the cause of the problem.

• Method 1: Unregister and Then Re-register Windows Installer
• Method 2: Upgrade to Higher Windows Installer Version
• Method 3: Uninstall Failed Product using the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
• Method 4: Check Windows Installer Startup Type
• Method 5: Clear the Contents of User and System “temp” Folders
• Method 6: Enable Windows Installer logging
• Method 7: Ensure that DCOM and System Permissions are Correct
• Method 8: Update Removal Process
• Method 9: Check the Length of Installation Path And Environment Variables
• Method 10: Fresh Installation Packet
• Method 11: Check Your System for One or More Pending Installations
• Method 12: Get Update MSI Package for the Program