The Windows 7 Installer service does not start. Errors when installing programs from the Windows Installer “.msi” package

What kind of files are these that have the msi extension?

This is the installation package file that installs the software and uses the Windows Installer service. Own extension name msi taken from "Microsoft Installer » , as the Windows Installer version used to be called. Such a file contains a complete installation script for the software product, auxiliary components, libraries and, in most cases, all installation files compressed into cab archives. We can discuss for a long time all the advantages and disadvantages of the Windows Installer, but we will still have to accept it “as is,” and we will respond competently and adequately to some problems in its operation. Errors can occur both in the operation of the service and due to the msi files.

This is what sometimes happens: and then the system prompts me to verify whether there really was an installer file that I ran. At first it sounds at least strange. But, reading further the system message, I understand that I am being asked to verify not only the presence of the file itself, but also my rights to access it. As it turned out, it was not me, but Windows Installer was denied access to the file, hence the problem.

This issue is not resolved in a complicated way. Let's first make sure whether the system has full access to the file, for which in the “Properties” of the file, go to the “Security” tab and find the user “System”.

I’m more than sure that you won’t find it there, so add it yourself - click on “Change”, then on “Add” and enter the name: “System” (or System, in the case of the English version of the system),

then click on “Check names” (the line becomes underlined).
Confirm – OK and check the “Full access” checkbox, confirm again.

Click on “Advanced”, then – “Change permissions” – “Add permissions” », inherited from parent objects and we confirm everything three times.
Thus, we got rid of this installer error, and it will no longer bother us during the installation process. Although it would be more reasonable and prudent to add full system access rights to the entire content folder from which the software is usually installed (as in my case, the “Install” folder).

If your computer has a Windows XP operating system and "simple file sharing" is enabled in Folder Options, you will not see the Security tab in the file properties. In this case, you should go to “Folder Options” and uncheck the “Use simple file sharing” checkbox. Also, you risk not finding this tab in different “builds” and “lite versions” of both Windows XP and Windows 7. To access this tab, you will have to boot into Safe mode and log in under an administrator account.

Another problem with Windows Installer can be avoided by running the installation of applications with the antivirus program disabled, with administrator rights, and also in compatibility mode (the “Compatibility” tab in the properties of the msi file, check the corresponding checkbox).

There may also be problems when trying to install the program from removable media, a flash drive, for example (such actions can be prohibited in the operating system settings) - just copy the installation file to a convenient location on your hard drive. Another option to solve the problem is to create a new folder under any name you like and copy the installation package into it, and run the installation from there - it can be useful for errors number 1603, 214 728 7035, 2203 and 1723.

Be sure to ensure that the system has access to the temporary file directories. Open “System Properties” (Win+Pause or in the context menu by right-clicking on the My Computer icon, select the line Properties), in “Advanced system settings”,

On the "Advanced" tab, click on the "Environment Variables" button.

We find the folders of temporary variables (they have the words TEMP, TMP in their names), check whether the system has access to them (using the algorithm already described above). I hope you remember, to find out the address of such a folder, you need to double-click on the variable

and, having copied the specified path, paste the contents of the clipboard into the Explorer line and navigate to the folder. And at the same time, you can do something useful - clear all temporary folders from their contents.

It would also be the right decision to check for access rights those directories in which you plan to install applications and a directory named Config. Msi at the root of the system partition. Encryption must be disabled for all the directories indicated above, since the Windows Installer in this case does not have access to them, unlike the user.

Well, of course, an installation error can occur due to a broken installation file (the so-called “broken” file, with a mismatch of checksums), in such a situation it is necessary to get hold of a known “working” normal installation file. Most likely, it will make sense to download it from another source or through another mirror.

Cause of Windows Installer Error

Now it’s worth considering a situation where installation of an application is impossible due to errors in the Windows Installer itself. If the installation process does not start, no matter what application you try to install, then most likely the problem is in the installer service itself. System error messages may appear containing phrases such as: Installer package error or Windows Installer Error. The reason for this may be either errors in the system registry or a virus attack. Let's start by checking the status of the Windows Installer service and how it is started. For this purpose, in the Run line (Win + R) we enter the command services. msc, and in the console that opens we find the item we are looking for - “Windows Installer”.

Let's see if it works and what its startup type is (must be set to Manual). If the service does not work and has a different startup type, then we start it (click “Run”, you can click “Restart”), and in the properties change the startup type to "Manual". If the service is running, check the situation and enter the command in the “Run” line msiexec– if everything is OK, then instead of an error you will see a window with the Windows Installer launch parameters and its version number.

I see further elimination of the problem in correcting damaged system files of the operating system. To implement this, in the “Run” line, execute the command sfc/ scannow(prepare in advance the disk from which your operating system was installed, it may be needed in this process) and then reboot the computer. In theory, the problem should disappear.

This problem is also raised on the Microsoft website with a solution. Follow this link and launch the native FixIt utility. Follow the instructions provided, this should help resolve the issue.

Another option to eliminate this scourge may be to try to restore the registry settings for the Windows Installer, under which everything works normally. Run the registry editor file from the archive here and confirm the import of new settings (do not forget to change the settings in the registry before

Some users are faced with the fact that applications are not installed and a message pops up saying that the Windows installer is not installed or is not running. How to solve this problem and install the necessary utility will be discussed in this article.

Checking if the service is running

One of the main reasons for such failures is stopping the installer service. To check this, you need to launch the Run utility, which can be done through Start, and then enter the services.msc command into it, which can be seen in the image.

After this, a window will open in which all services, both active and not, will be displayed. You need to find a service called " InstallerWindows" and open it. The parameters should be the same as in the picture.

In seven you can try changing the startup type to automatic; in eight this action is not available. If the user changes the startup type, the device should be rebooted after this. However, you should try to run it in both versions. Then you need to start installing the program again.

Correcting errors manually

If the previous method did not help correct the situation, then you can re-registration of the service on one's own. To do this, you will need to run the console as an administrator. This can be done through the Start menu. On the command line you will need to enter the following operators:

Such commands are required for 32-bit operating system. And these will need to be used for 64-bit Windows. After completing the work you will need to make restarting the device and try again to install the necessary utilities. The installer service should start.

Using the registry to reset parameters

It is also possible that the error lies in the registry. You can use one of the programs to recover records, but it is not a fact that they will help. It is better to open the registry editor yourself and find the following entry there:

This folder should check the ImagePath entry, the value of which should be the same as in the image. If this is not the case, then it is worth editing it.

For 64-bit operating systems, it is also worth carrying out file checkWOW64. There should be a hexadecimal number system, and the value should be 0.

After editing the registry, you should restart your computer and check its functionality.

1. Click the button Start | Start.
2. In the search field, enter services.msc.
3. In the list of results, right-click on services.msc.
4. In the menu that opens, select Run as administrator | Run as administrator.

5. In the window that opens, scroll down the list of services and find Windows Installer | Windows Installer. Double click on it.
6. On the tab General | General in the group State | Service status check if the service is running.
7. If the service is not running, click Launch | Start.

8. Make sure the service is now running.
9. Press the button OK.

Step 2: Re-register Windows Installer.

1. Click the button Start | Start.
2. In the search field, enter MSIEXEC/UNREGISTER and press Enter.

3. Press again Start | Start.
4. In the search field, enter MSIEXEC /REGSERVER and press Enter.

Disclaimer. The next steps involve editing the registry. Be very careful, as incorrectly configuring registry settings can lead to serious problems in the system, including system failure. You change these settings at your own risk.

Step 3: Clean up suspended installation processes.

1. Click the button Start | Start.
2. In the search field, enter the command regedit and press Enter.

3. Go to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\InProgress. If section InProgress missing, go to step 5.
4. Remove all options in this section. If the section does not contain parameters, go to the next step.

5. Go to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\PendingFileRenameOperations. If section PendingFileRenameOperations missing, proceed to the next step.
6. Remove all options in this section. If the section does not contain parameters, proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Check access rights.

1. Go to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer.
2. Right-click on the section title and select the item in the menu that opens Permissions | Permissions.
3. In the dialog box that opens, in the category Groups or users | Group or user names click on the item SYSTEM.
4. In category Group Permissions | Permissions for Make sure the system has full control of the partition.

After completing all the steps, restart your computer.

Windows installer error is one of the most common pop-up problems encountered by users of the Windows operating system.

The error may appear regardless of your OS version.

Reasons for the error

You can scan the OS using the Sfc /scannow command. You need to enter it into the command line window.

You can also launch the command line in two other ways:

• Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt.
• Start -> Run and enter the program name cmd.exe

In a few minutes you will be provided with detailed information about OS disks, corrupted files, problems with services and other system programs.

The command line will not only find corrupted and corrupted files, but also replace them with functional ones.

After scanning, close the command prompt and restart your personal computer or laptop. Try running the installation process of any executable file.

Microsoft also offers users an automatic utility that can solve the problem with the installer.

Go to the web address of the company's official website https://support.microsoft.com/ru-ru/mats/program_install_and_uninstall

In the window that opens, click on the “Run now” button. The utility will restore the correct configuration of the installer.

It is worth noting that the utility does not work with the eighth version of the operating system.

I have had a couple of laptops damaged by “optimizers” and filled with programs installed together with them. Inexperienced users still believe in “optimizers” and don’t look at the checkboxes when installing, but that’s not the point. After cleaning, I started updating the software and unexpectedly (for the first time in my life) encountered the following error during installation:

The Windows Installer service could not be accessed. Windows Installer may not be installed. Contact support for assistance.

The error occurred during installation from msi (for which the service itself, among other things, is responsible). Maybe the service is turned off? We go to Control Panel - Administration - Services and do not find the one we need in the list. Did the optimizers optimize? We google for a long time, read a bunch of advice that doesn’t apply, study the question along the way and come to the following:

1. Let's check whether Windows Installer actually exists on the system. Press Win+R, in the “Run” window that appears, write msiexec, click OK. If the Windows Installer Help window opens, the service is in place. But why is it not in the list of services?
2. Let’s re-register the service in the system: open the “Run” window (Win+R) and write msiexec /unregister , then “Run” again and msiexec /regserver .
3. Go to Services (Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Services), find “Windows Installer” (Windows Installer for the English version).
4. Everything is ok. We check by installing from msi. If not, then my method did not help you, Google will help.