Weird Windows Fixes: Windows Installer Running all the time

Why does Windows Installer run every time I restart my system/start my application?

This behavior is part of the resiliency or self-repair feature of Windows Installer. When MSI fails to find a resource it needs, it displays a configuration dialog box similar to the one given above.

To see details about the missing resource, open the Event Viewer (Control Panel > Administrative Tools); the details are in the Application section.

The details of the repair are the MsiInstaller entries in the Application section of the event viewer.Double-clicking the warning event reveals the event properties; the details of the event list the product code, feature name, and component code involved, as well as the missing resource.

How can I fix this?

The ProductCode is a unique identifier for the particular product release, represented as a string GUID, for example {12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012}. This ID usually varies for different versions or a product.

Finding the corresponding Application name, using the ProductCode

To tackle the problem, one must first find the matching application name, given the ProductCode. As the event log reveals only the ProductCode GUID of the application involved, the name of the program can be queried by editing the registry using Regedit.exe. To do this use the following code and pasting it into a text editor save it as a .vbs file and run as administrator.

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------

'Description : Determine Application name from MSI ProductCode

'File name : anything.vbs

'Author name :GPL

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Option Explicit

Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001

Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002

Dim fso, b, WshShell, strUninstallString, strInstallSource, ret, LogFileName

Set WshShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")

Set fso = Wscript.CreateObject("Scripting.FilesystemObject")

LogFileName= WshShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop") & "\ProdCode_AppName.txt"

set b = fso.CreateTextFile (LogFileName,true)

ret = Trim(InputBox("Enter the Product Code GUID, including the braces. Example: {90170409-6000-11D3-8CFE-0150048383C9}", " ProductCode to App Name by Tausif"))

If ret = "" Then

WScript.Quit

Else

If Left(ret, 1) <> "{" Then ret = "{" & ret

If Right(ret, 1) <> "}" Then ret = ret & "}"

b.writeline String(71,"=")

b.Writeline "Description : Determine Application name from MSI ProductCode"

b.Writeline "File name : Getappname.vbs"

b.Writeline "Author name : Tausif [Windows XP Shell\User]"

b.writeline String(71,"=")

b.writeblanklines 2

b.writeline "Application Details"

b.writeline String(19,"-")

b.writeblanklines 1

b.writeline "ProductCode : " & ret

b.writeline "Application Name : " & GetAppName(ret)

b.writeline "Uninstall String : " & strUninstallString

b.writeline "Install source : " & strInstallSource

b.writeblanklines 1

b.writeline "----- (End of log) -----"

End If

Function GetAppName(strProdCode)

On Error Resume Next

GetAppName = WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\" & strProdCode & "\DisplayName")

strUninstallString = WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\" & strProdCode & "\UninstallString")

strInstallSource = WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\" & strProdCode & "\InstallSource")

If Trim(GetAppName) = "" Then

Dim strProdCode2

strProdCode2 = Left(strProdCode,Len(strProdCode)-1)

strProdCode2 = Right(strProdCode2,Len(strProdCode2)-1)

GetAppName = WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\" & strProdCode2 & "\ProductName")

End If

On Error Goto 0

End Function

b.Close

WshShell.Run "notepad " & LogFileName, 1

Set fso = Nothing

set Wshshell = Nothing

Use the product Code from the event log to determine the product and uninstall it completely using Windows Installer cleanup utility. This should fix the issue.

Windows installer could not be accessed windows Vista

- Copy the following keys into a text editor and save it with a .reg extension

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msiserver]

"DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\msimsg.dll,-27"

"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,\

74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6d,\

00,73,00,69,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,63,00,20,00,2f,00,56,00,00,00

"Description"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\msimsg.dll,-32"

"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"

"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001

"Start"=dword:00000003

"Type"=dword:00000010

"DependOnService"=hex(7):72,00,70,00,63,00,73,00,73,00,00,00,00,00

"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001

"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\

00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,\

74,00,65,00,50,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,66,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,\

00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,63,00,\

6b,00,4d,00,65,00,6d,00,6f,00,72,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,\

73,00,65,00,42,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6f,00,72,00,69,00,74,\

00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,\

65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,65,00,72,00,6d,00,61,00,6e,\

00,65,00,6e,00,74,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,\

00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,\

00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,00,75,00,72,00,\

69,00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,\

00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,00,61,00,6e,00,67,00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,\

66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,\

00,65,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,66,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,53,00,69,00,6e,00,67,00,\

6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,73,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\

00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,\

72,00,73,00,6f,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,\

47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\

00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,\

72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,\

00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,52,00,65,00,\

73,00,74,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,\

00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,\

51,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,\

00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,68,00,75,00,74,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,6e,00,\

50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,\

00,61,00,6b,00,65,00,4f,00,77,00,6e,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,68,00,69,00,70,00,\

50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,\

00,6f,00,61,00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,\

76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00

"FailureActions"=hex:84,03,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\

00,01,00,00,00,c0,d4,01,00,01,00,00,00,e0,93,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msiserver\Enum]

"0"="Root\\LEGACY_MSISERVER\\0000"

"Count"=dword:00000001

"NextInstance"=dword:00000001

For the same issue in Windows 7 use – this code in a .reg file and run it.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msiserver]

"DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\msimsg.dll,-27"

"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,\

74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6d,\

00,73,00,69,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,63,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2f,00,\

56,00,00,00