Repair Windows Installer Service in Vista (All Versions)

[stephenx]

If anyone faces error saying "The Windows installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running windows in safe mode, or if windows installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance" then they can try out the below solution. I have tried it out my self and have found it to be working. So everyone facing this error can try out these steps without any doubt.

• First find a Windows Vista system where Windows Installer service runs without any issue and run regedit, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msiserver, right click on it, select "Export" and save it to cd,flash drive or other storage media that you might be having.
• Now login back in to the system where you are facing above error message and run Run sfc /scannow, Once scanning process gets completed then connect your storage media, Double click on saved .reg file that you have exported from working machine and import registry settings.
• Once you have done then then you can reboot your system and try out installation and un-installation process.

If anyone has any query regrading any steps mention above then feel free to ask.

[attitude.ashwin]

I am facing some serious issue with my Vista system, I am just not able to install any program as i keep getting the error message you have mentioned. I have tried following the trick that you have posted but that's not making any difference in my case. I wanted to know if there is any way by which i can install windows installer service online? i am not sure if that's possible but will surely like to know how, if it is.

[Nathen]

Thanks for sharing it stephenx, Ive just tried out your trick and it worked. I dint even had to restart and run sfc /scannow command. I simply imported .reg file in registry settings and it worked.

[Agilent]

It did not worked for me as well, i have tried following the mentioned solution with reg key from my friends working vista system but no luck. I have checked out the services and it shows that it is started and is set to automatic but when i am trying to uninstall any program from control panel then i get an error message saying "windows installer cannot be accessed" . I have asked about the same to some of my friends and they simply said if there is anything wrong with the registry then i will have to try out reinstalling Vista for fixing it. What will you suggest? is there anything i can try out rather than that? i just want to get Windows Installer somehow as i am not able to uninstall any program that require it. Further help regrading this issue will be highly appreciated.

[Landon]

Same here, its not working. I have imported .reg file from my office machine in to my machine but no luck. I am still getting same error message when i am trying to install programs kike adobe flash player which uses windows installer for that task. I wanted to know if you can send me your registry key to my register email account so that i can try using it? It will be very grateful if you do so.

[F'n Vista]

If the above solution is not working out for you then you can try out this trick:

• Go to this registry key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer
• Check out for WOW64 and it's value, if it is 0x00000001 (1) then change it to 0x00000000 (0) and restart your system.

[Ibrehim]

hi,

Iam trying to install wnds xp sp2, besides to vista Basic wnds which is originally on my laptop Toshiba. Though I already partitioned the HDD, I couldnt install the wnds xp in my laptop. Any idea to make this happen guys?

[Rambler]

F'n Vista,
Bless ya. I've tried so many suggestions to fix my Windows Installer. Your simple(r) suggestion did the trick.