Solving Microsoft Installer errors when installing Skype. Windows Installer error - Ways to solve the problem Microsoft installer for Windows 7 home

It's no secret that the lion's share of the planet's population uses an operating system from Microsoft on their PCs. This could be Windows 7, the same Windows 8.1, or the ultra-modern Windows 10. Naturally. There are a huge number of programs specifically for this OS. From the simplest ones, which do not require installation, to giants like Photoshop.

But there are such unpleasant moments when any of these applications simply refuses to be installed on the computer. What to do in this case? The solution exists - all you need to do is download the desired application on Windows 7 and install it on your computer. Below we will talk about how to do this correctly and describe all possible deviations from the course and ways to work around them.

What is the application?

Windows Installer (aka Windows installer) is a part of the operating system through which we can install or uninstall an application with the .msi extension. Thanks to this component, you can not only install or uninstall any application, but also make changes to it (we hope you understand the importance of the installer). You can download and install Windows installer for free.

Reasons for program failure

If you started installing a program on your PC, but instead of the treasured window you saw the message: “Cannot access Windows Installer,” then by reading this article, you are moving in the right direction. The component is supplied as part of the Microsoft OS, but there are situations when it requires a forced launch or reinstallation. The program may malfunction for the following reasons:

Restricting access when logging in through a second account

To solve this problem, you just need to log in with your main account (administrator). If you do not have this option, you need to contact the person who installed this OS or configured it.

Windows Installer service disabled

To start a stopped service, open the “Search” menu and enter the word “Services”.

You can also press Win+R. In the small window we write services.msc and click “OK”:

We look for Windows Installer in the list, then double-click on it and click “Run”.

Missing component

If the service is not found on your computer or is simply outdated, you can download it from the link and install all components.

When installing any program with the .msi extension, it writes about a problem with the Windiws Installer service, and when starting this service, it writes: The service could not be started on the local computer... Error 2: The specified file cannot be found. Or this service is not in the list.

To restore the Windows Installer service, follow these guidelines:

How to repair Windows Installer

Check your computer for viruses

The first thing you need to do is make sure that your computer is not infected with viruses. To do this, we recommend checking your computer with an antivirus program installed on the system. And also download the treatment utility from dr.web (dr.web cureit!®) and check again with this utility.

Check what startup type is set for the Windows Installer service

To do this, open Control Panel - Administration - Services. Find the Windows Installer service in the central part. Right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu. See what startup type is set. Change it to automatic, restart your computer and check whether the problem recurs or not.

If the service is not on the list, or the problem remains, read below.

Does the windows installer program itself start?

If the problem repeats or the startup type was already set to automatic, then check whether the windows installer program itself starts. To do this, click Start - Run - Type msiexec and press enter. This should open a window in which the version of windows installer and available commands will be written.

Files required for Windows Installer to function may be damaged.

To check system files for integrity, open the command line as an administrator (click Start - All Programs - Accessories - Right-click on Command Prompt - Run as administrator) and in the command line run the command

Sfc /scannow

Restart your computer and check whether the error persists or not.

If this does not help, open a command prompt as an administrator and enter the following commands in sequence, pressing enter after each one:

Msiexec /unreg msiexec /regserver net stop msiserver regsvr32 /u /s %windir%\System32\msi.dll regsvr32 /u /s %windir%\System32\msihnd.dll regsvr32 /u /s %windir%\System32\msisip. dll regsvr32 /s %windir%\System32\msi.dll regsvr32 /s %windir%\System32\msihnd.dll regsvr32 /s %windir%\System32\msisip.dll net start msiserver

Restart your computer and check the Windows Installer.

If the problem persists, compare the contents of the registry branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msiserver with the same branch on another computer and, if necessary, correct the values ​​on the problem computer.

Microsoft Windows Installer is a freely available system component that provides software developers with the ability to more easily develop installation programs. This component provides the basis for installing and uninstalling programs in a Microsoft Windows environment.

One of the most important features of Windows Installer is the Multiple Package Transaction technology. Thanks to it, if for some reason the installation of the application was interrupted or completed unsuccessfully, all changes made by the installation will be canceled. In addition, when installing multiple components, there is no need to restart the computer each time. Windows Installer will take care of everything. In addition to installation, this tool is well suited for applying patches. This replaces only the necessary files and makes only the necessary changes. If a patch is removed, all changes made by other patches will not be affected. There is also a feature to embed your own user interface into the installer.

What's new in this version?

4.5.6001.22133 Beta (19.07.2009)

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.

Configuring installer access to msi files

The installation problem may be caused by the installer not having access to msi files. The user can resolve this problem independently.

Follow the instructions below:

• Find your installation file and right-click on it;
• Select the properties window;
• Go to the security settings tab;
• In the groups or users text box, check to see if there is a user named "system". If it is not there, you need to add the user manually;

• To add a new user, click on the Edit button and then on the Add button;
• In the text field for the names of the selected object, write the word “system” (without quotes). If you are using the English version of the operating system, enter the word System;
• The entered word should instantly become underlined, as shown in the figure below;

• Check the box next to Full access and now click on the OK button;

The installer will now be able to access the executable file. The installation should complete without problems.

Please note that in some cases antivirus software may block access to the installation file.

To solve this problem, you need to log into the operating system under an administrator account, turn off the antivirus and enable compatibility with other OS versions in the antivirus properties settings, as shown in the figure below.

Windows Installer Error - Troubleshooting

In Softonic we scan all the files hosted on our platform to assess and avoid any potential harm for your device. Our team performs checks each time a new file is uploaded and periodically reviews files to confirm or update their status. This comprehensive process allows us to set a status for any downloadable file as follows:

It’s extremely likely that this software program is clean.

What does this mean?

We have scanned the file and URLs associated with this software program in more than 50 of the world's leading antivirus services; no possible threat has been detected.

This software program is potentially malicious or may contain unwanted bundled software.

Why is the software program still available?

Based on our scan system, we have determined that these flags are possible false positives.

What is a false positive?

It means a benign program is wrongfully flagged as malicious due to an overly broad detection signature or algorithm used in an antivirus program.

It’s highly probable this software program is malicious or contains unwanted bundled software.

Why is this software program no longer available in our Catalog?

Based on our scan system, we have determined that these flags are likely to be real positives.

We’d like to highlight that from time to time, we may miss a potentially malicious software program. To continue promising you a malware-free catalog of programs and apps, our team has integrated a Report Software feature in every catalog page that loops your feedback back to us.

Flag any particular issues you may encounter and Softonic will address those concerns as soon as possible.