Errors when installing applications from files with the .msi extension are one of the manifestations of problems in the operation of the Windows Installer service (in the Russian version, the Windows Installer). Users of all versions of this OS, with the exception of the earliest ones, face a similar phenomenon. Until now, the problem with the installer is one of the frequent reasons why users decide to reinstall the system. Let's try to figure out how to avoid this. The reason why the Windows Installer is not working may be the following:
- virus infection, and removing the virus does not always solve the problem;
- incorrect installation of Windows updates;
- Anti-malware crashes when instead of blocking one suspicious msi file, the installation service is blocked entirely;
- changes in security policies on the computer;
- damage to system files or the registry for reasons not related to viruses (deletion of installer components, unskilled editing of the registry, "crooked" software, hard drive failure, etc.).
Checking the integrity of the Windows Installer structure
The Windows Installer is represented by the following components:- file C:\Windows\System32\Msiexec.exe - directly by the installer itself;
- file C:\Windows\System32\msi.dll - Windows Installer library;
- by the Msiserver service, whose settings are stored in the registry key .
If the files are missing, copy them from another system of the same version or from the installation disk. If the registry key is missing or damaged, also transfer it from the working system. To do this, on a working computer, run the registry editor (C:\Windows\Regedt.exe) and find the above section. 
Right-click to expand the context menu of the msiserver folder and click "Export". Save the file in .reg format and transfer it to the problem machine. 
Double-click this file and confirm your consent to add data to the registry. Restart your computer. 
If the Msiserver service still does not start, check if the RPC (Remote Procedure Call) service on which it depends is running. 
You can re-register the installer files and restart the service using a set of special commands on the command line. For convenience, you can create a batch file: paste the set of actions into notepad and save as with the .bat extension. To run a file, simply double-click on it. For the changes to take effect, click on the desktop and press F5. Checking security settings and permissions
Windows Installer may not work due to the fact that it is blocked by security software or the operating system does not have the necessary rights. First, let's deal with the software. If you have an antivirus installed, disable it temporarily. Each product has its own ways to disable it, but most often it is done through the context menu of the antivirus icon in the system tray. Now let's take a look at rights. Open the context menu of Msiexec.exe and expand its properties.
View the list of groups and users on the "Security" tab. Among them, there must be "System" and the "Trustedinstaller" service, and the latter must have full access to the file and be its owner. The system must have "read" and "read and execute" permissions. 
The Trustedinstaller service first appeared in Windows Vista, so in Windows XP, full control must be granted to the system. Everything written below refers to versions released after XP. To check who owns Msiexec.exe, click the "Advanced" button on the same tab. 
In the next window, expand the "Owner" tab. Set the owner to the Trustedinstaller service if something else is specified. If it doesn't appear in the "Change Owner To" list, click the "Change" button, followed by "Other Users and Groups". 
Enter Trustedinstaller in the "Enter Names..." field, click "Check Names" and OK. Return to the previous window. On the "Effective Permissions" tab, assign the necessary rights to Trustedinstaller and the system. 
The msi.dll library must have exactly the same security settings. Now let's check if there are any restrictions for the "System" user to access the following: - system drive (usually drive C);
- temporary folders (these are C:\Windows\Temp and C:\Users\Current_user\AppData\Temp);
- folder C:\Config.Msi;
- the folder where the msi file from which you are trying to install the program is located.
1. Press 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. Tab General | General in a group State | service status check if the service is running.
7. If the service is not running, click Run | start.
8. Make sure the service is now running.
9. Press the button OK.
Step 2: Reregister the Windows Installer.
1. Press 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 are related to editing the registry. Be very careful, because incorrect configuration of registry settings can lead to serious problems in the system up to its failure. You make changes to these settings at your own risk.
Step 3: Clean up hanging installation processes.
1. Press 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, go to the next step.
6. Remove all options in this section. If the section does not contain parameters, continue to the next step.
Step 4: Checking permissions.
1. Go to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer.
2. Right-click on the section header and in the menu that opens, select Permissions | Permissions.
3. In the dialog box that opens, in the category Groups or Users | Group or user names click on item SYSTEM.
4. Category Group Permissions | Permissions for make sure the system has full control over the partition.
After completing all the steps, restart your computer.
When installing any program with the .msi extension, it writes about a problem with the Windiws Installer service, and when this service is started, it says: Failed to start the service on the local computer ... Error 2: The specified file cannot be found. Or the service is not listed.
Follow these guidelines to restore the Windows Installer service.
How to repair Windows Installer
Check your computer for viruses
The first thing to do is to make sure that the computer is not infected with viruses. To do this, we recommend that you check your computer with an anti-virus program installed on the system. And also download the cure utility from dr.web (dr.web cureit!®) and run the scan again with this utility.
Check the startup type of the Windows Installer service
To do this, open Control Panel - Administrative Tools - 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 if the problem repeats or not.
If the service is not in the list, or the problem persists, read below.
Does the windows installer itself start
If the problem persists or the startup type is already set to automatic, then check if 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 windows installer version and available commands will be written.
The files required for the Windows Installer may be corrupted
To check the integrity of the system files, open the command prompt 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 if 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 of them:
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 if the Windows Installer is working.
If the problem persists, then compare the contents of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msiserver registry branch with the same branch on another computer and, if necessary, correct the values on the problem computer.
During a normal installation of the program, some users are “fortunate” to encounter a system message about problems with the Windows installer: it seems that access to it is impossible, such a service is not connected, or, in principle, such software is absent in the system. Not pleasant, right? But is there a chance to get rid of this "gift" without? The question is not easy. However, if you wish, you can reanimate the Windows installer in Windows 7 using this step-by-step instruction.
Step #1: Checking for Service Availability
In the event that the Windows installer for some reason does not work, before complaining about your plight, you need to clarify whether there is, in principle, such a program on your computer. How to do it? It is enough to select on the keyboard and R further, in the window that appears, enter the value msiexec and and click OK:
As a result, if Windows Installer is installed on the computer, something like this system notification window will appear:
If the miracle did not happen (for example, an error message appeared or about the absence of such a program in Windows 7), you can immediately jump to step number 5, since a simple reconfiguration will not do here. It happens rarely, but still. If everything is fine, the window appeared as it should, move on and try to reanimate the Windows installer on our own.
Step #2: Attempt to Start the Service
Having established that Windows Installer is on the computer, you need to clarify whether this service is connected to the system or not. How to do it? To get started, choose one of the following options:
One way or another, the result of such actions will be the appearance of the “Services” window on the screen. In it we find the item "Windows Installer", click on it with the mouse and check the data indicated opposite it in the "Status" column. What will indicate its performance? The value is "Working". If the column is empty, then most likely the service is not running. In this case, in the upper left corner we find the corresponding button (“Run”) and run the Windows Installer:
In the event that the “Status” column indicates that the installer is working, although this is not at all true, you can try restarting this service by clicking the corresponding item in the upper left corner. After that, it remains only to restart the computer and test the performance of the Windows Installer. If after such settings the program returns to normal, we can congratulate ourselves, this "torment" is over. Otherwise, you will have to "step" further.
Step #3: Reregistering the Service via the Command Line
You can return the Windows 7 installer to normal operation by re-registering such a service in the system. How do we act?
Go to the Start menu, type cmd in the search box and press Enter. Next, enter the msiexec /unregister parameter into the console that appears, click Enter, and then, after the command line responds, enter the msiexec /register value into it and press Enter again:
We repeat the input of commands if we are dealing with 64-bit Windows 7, and then restart the computer. In principle, this is often where all the difficulties with the Windows Installer end. However, if the working atmosphere did not return to the Windows installer after that, before reinstalling it, you can try to revive it through the registry editor. But what if?
Step #4: Debugging Through Registry Editor
You can try to resurrect the Windows Installer through the registry editor in this way:
and delete all available parameters in them:
If there is no data in the destination folders, right-click on the Installer folder, and then click on the "Permissions" item in the list that appears. Next, in the window that opens, click System, mark the “Full Control” option and click OK.
Safe Mode (Safe Mode) in Windows systems is one of the basic tools that allow you to restore the system. One of the significant disadvantages of safe mode is the inability to install / uninstall programs from msi packages. This limitation is because the developers considered the service Windows Installer(Window Installer) is potentially unsafe, and decided to stop this service from starting when the system boots in safe mode. Which in some cases is extremely inconvenient.
Most modern applications for their correct installation / removal use the services of the Windows Installer service, and if it is not available, their installation or removal is impossible. Let's say that in order to restore the system's performance, it is necessary to remove some application in safe mode that interferes with the normal boot of the system (for example, an antivirus). When you try to run the standard uninstaller to remove the application, the system reports:
The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personal for assistance
Manually starting the Windows Installer service in Safe Mode also fails (Services -> Windows Installer -> Start):
Windows could not start the Windows Installer service on Local Computer. Error 1084: This service cannot be started in Safe Mode
However, there is a little trick that allows you to start the Windows Installer service in safe mode and uninstall the software correctly.
To enable the Windows installer service in Safe Mode:
After starting the MSIServer service, it is possible to directly remove / install any application with an msi installer in safe mode.
