Windows Installer Update not installed

dimante wrote:

I have the same problem today.... Unfortunately that web address no longer exists... Can someone let me know what the steps were? Please?

I had the same problem - I Repair-ed WinXP Pro using an intergrated SP2 CD, after which Windows Installer 3.1 wouldn't install, which means you can't get any updates.

Here's how I solved the problem:
Download the EXE installer for Windows Installer 3.1 v2 from here
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=889482fc-5f56...38-b838
You can try running it, but most probably will get an "Access denied" error and it will roll back the changes. If it installs fine, then you are set and don't need to do anything more, if not, look below.

Make sure Automatic Updates are turned off, or set them to "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them."
Also make sure WinXP's CD isn't in your CD/DVD drive.

Check in the Services app (services.msc) that Windows Installer service isn't running, stop it if needed.

Open the X:\Windows\system32\dllcache\ folder (where X: is your system drive) and delete these three files (if they exist):
msi.dll
msihnd.dll
msiexec.exe

After that, from this Symantec article
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001112111324...?Open&a
do this:
On the Windows desktop, click Start > Run.
In the Open line, type cmd and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type the following, depending on your version of Windows, and then press Enter after each line.

cd \windows\system32
ren msi.dll msi.old
ren msihnd.dll msihnd.old
ren msiexec.exe msiexec.old
exit

(Notice that after each rename you will get a prompt from Windows that system files have been replaced, and it asks for the WinXP CD in order to restore them. Do NOT put the WinXP CD into the drive, click Cancel, then choose Yes in the other dialog box that appears.)
Restart the computer.

Run the Windows Installer 3.1 EXE installer (downloaded in the beginning).
Follow the prompts to complete the installation, it will install fine.
Restart the computer.

You might get dialog boxes with errors about msi.dll missing.
I got such a dialog box from my anti-virus software.
Start the Command prompt (cmd) again, and rename the three files back.
Go to Windows Update. It will say it needs to install Windows Installer 3.1, and will say the installation failed, but it will actually succeed.
Do not restart the computer, click the link to Windows Update Home on the left to go back to the main Windows Update screen with the "Express" & "Custom" buttons.
Click the Express button, it should show you all post-SP2 updates (around 40-50 MBs). They should download quickly (if you are not on dial-up).
After the updates install, restart your computer.

You can now change the Auto Updates setting to the one you like.
To check if Windows Installer has been properly updated, follow this link
http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team/archive/2005/08/05/448386.aspx

This has been tested on WinXP Pro, I don't know if it will work on Home, but maybe it will.
Tell me if this helps or not...

Here's another possible solution (I found it on another forum):

Quote:

here is the fix for all of your problems.... it requires 2 files from a windows XP PRO or i believe a windows 2000 install of windows. you need to get %windir%\help\secedit.chm and %windir%\system32\secedit.exe. put them on the machine with the problem, open a command prompt from that folder and run this command: secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\repair\secsetup.inf /db secsetup.sdb /verbose /areas REGKEYS (must be entered on one line) this will reset all your registry key permissions back to default. Re-Run the installer 3.1 setup and roll one up.

This works! Thanks very much! I had spent HOURS (with 16 failed installs of the 3.1 installer) trying everything I could find or think of. All because I thought I could fix another problem by reinstalling my WinXP Home SP2 CD. That didn't fix the other problem (invisible entity hogging 100% of CPU time . . . got that fixed another way), but it sure got me in a pickle until I tried your fix. I really appreciate your help!

That post was my very first, and I see that I must be more specific about what post I'm referring to . . . the fix that worked was Naki's first fix, not the second one (using "secedit") . . . that one I didn't need to try. Thanks again, Naki!

Had similar problem with win2003 sp1, but update didn't install saying "Setup has detected that the Service Pack version of this system is newer than the update you are applying. There is no need to install this update" thia was strange as in the system 32 msi.dll has version 2.0
instructions in this topic was vary usefull but not enough. Here is additioanl steps to do in my situation:
1) remove msi.dll and Co. from servicepackfiles folder in %windows%
2) installer 3.1 would not install any way
3) copy 3 files mentioned from other system with installer 3.1 installed (winXP sp2 in my case) to all 3 folders where we did that mess
4) regsvr32 dll files copied

and installer starts to work and I finally have .Net Framework 2.0 Installed

Sorry for the idiot question, but I can't find the .dll cache folder that is mentioned in the long fix post, WinXP Pro Service pack 2.
I'm trying to get the Beta spyware program, and it won't let me do anything till I have the 3.1 Installer, which I can't get to install...