Method 1: Re-register the Windows Installer
To re-register the Windows Installer, verify the location of the Msiexec.exe file on your hard disk and in the Windows Registry, and then re-register the Windows Installer. To do so:
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps. 1. Verify the location of the Msiexec.exe file on your hard disk. To do so: a. Click Start, and then click Search.
b. Click All files and folders.
c. In the File name box, type msiexec.exe, and then click Search.
d. In the search results, make a note of the location of the Msiexec.exe file.
The location of the Msiexec.exe file should be similar to the following example, where Drive is the drive where Windows is installed, and %Windir% is the folder where Windows is installed:
Drive:\%Windir%\System32
An example of this is C:\Windows\System32.
Note In Microsoft Windows 98-based computers, the Msiexec.exe file is located in the Drive:\%Windir%\System folder.
e. On the File menu, click Close.
2. Verify the location of the Msiexec.exe file in the Windows Registry. To do so: a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
c. Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer
d. In the right pane, double-click ImagePath.
e. In the Edit String dialog box, make sure that the string in the Value data box contains the correct path of the Msiexec.exe file on your hard disk that you determined earlier in step 1.
For example, if the Msiexec.exe file is located in the Drive:\Windows\System32 folder on your hard disk, the correct path of the Msiexec.exe file in the Value data box is the following path, where Drive is the drive where Windows is installed:
Drive:\Windows\System32\Msiexec.exe /V
Note If you are using Windows 98, the correct path of the Msiexec.exe file is Drive:\Windows\System\Msiexec.exe /V.
If the Value data box does not contain the correct path, make the appropriate changes to correct the path, and then click OK.
f. Quit Registry Editor.
3. Start your computer in safe mode, and then register the Msiexec.exe file. To do so: a. Shut down, and then restart your computer.
b. Press F8 after you receive the following message:
Please select the operating system to start
c. On the Windows Advanced Option menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.
d. If you use a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the appropriate operating system from the list that is displayed, and then press ENTER.
e. Log on to the computer.
f. Click Start,, click Run, type the following line, and then click OK:
msiexec /regserver
Note For 64-bit operating systems, you also need to reregister the 64-bit MSI installer. To do this, click Start, click Run, type the following line, and then click OK:
Drive:\Windows\Syswow64\Msiexec /regserver
4. Shut down, and then restart your computer in standard mode.
If the issue persists and you still receive the error message that is described earlier in the "Symptoms" section, follow the steps in Method 2.
Method 2: Reinstall the Windows Installer
To reinstall the Windows Installer, rename the damaged Windows Installer files, and then reinstall the Windows Installer. To do so: 1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type the following line, and then press ENTER, where Drive is the drive where Windows is installed and where %Windir% is the folder where Windows is installed:
attrib -r -s -h drive:\%Windir%\system32\dllcache
For example, type
attrib -r -s -h c:\windows\system32\dllcache
Note If you are using Windows 98, type system instead of system32.
4. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after each line:
ren msi.dll msi.old
ren msiexec.exe msiexec.old
ren msihnd.dll msihnd.old
5. At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER.
6. Restart your computer.
7. Update the Windows Installer files on your hard disk to the latest version. Windows Installer 2.0 is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center.
