Windows installer service issues.

Repairing the Windows Installer Service

For a variety of reasons, the Windows Installer Service can at times fail. This typically becomes apparent when one is unable to add or remove an application and receives an error like, "Error 1719" The Windows Installer service could not be accessed."

The following fix is a simplified version of the steps listed on Microsoft's Knowledge Base:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315346

DO NOT follow these instructions as they do not prepare you for service re-install.

Method 1

·         Confirm the presence of the installer service.

·         click Start, and then click on Search

·         click All files and folders

·         in the File name box, type msiexec.exe, and then click Search
the location of the file should be %WINDIR%\System32 where %WINDIR% is your Windows directory

·         Confirm the registry enrty for the installer service.

·         click Start, and then click Run

·         in the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK

·         navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer

·         make sure the entry for ImagePath is "C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe /V"
if it does not reflect the location of msiexec, make sure that it does

·         Register msiexec.exe

·         Reboot your workstaion and Press F8 to enter Safe Mode

·         Once in Safe Mode, click Start, and then click Run

·         type the following line, and then click OK:
msiexec /regserver

·         Shutdown and restart your PC

·         if you still receive the error message follow steps in Method 2.

Method 2

·         Re-install the Windows Installer by first disabling the backup in DLLCACHE (not System32)

·         click Start, and then click Run

·         in the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK

·         at the command prompt type:
attrib -r -s -h "%Windir%\system32\dllcache"
this remove the Read Only, System and Hidden flags

·         At the command prompt, change directory by typing:

·         cd %WINDIR%\system32\dllcache

·         now type the following lines, pressing ENTER after each line:
ren msi.dll msi.old
ren msiexec.exe msiexec.old
ren msihnd.dll msihnd.old
this renames and thus disables the Installer Service backup files

·         Shutdown and restart your PC