A customer recently contacted me due to a problem they were experiencing while trying to install the .NET Framework 2.0 on the x64 version of Windows Server 2003. I took a look at the verbose log file for this scenario and saw the following error:
Action start 9:16:59: CA_InstallAssembly.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8.
MSI (s) (B0:F8) [09:17:03:906]: Product: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 (x64) — Error 1719.The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance.
Usually when I see error 1719, I recommend that the user try to repair the Windows Installer service. However, in this case, that didn’t seem to help, and I had to refer this customer to the Microsoft technical support team for further assistance.
Our technical support team looked at this scenario in more detail and found that there was an additional set of steps needed to repair the Windows Installer service on a 64-bit OS.
Here is a complete set of steps that should allow you to repair the Windows Installer service on a 64-bit OS:
- Click on the Start menu, choose Run, type cmd and click OK
- Run this command: %windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /unregister
- Run this command: %windir%\syswow64\msiexec.exe /unregister
- Run this command: %windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /regserver
- Run this command: %windir%\syswow64\msiexec.exe /regserver
- Restart the computer
After executing all of the above steps, you can try to re-run the failing setup and hopefully get better results.
Note that this workaround is documented in this knowledge base article, but the extra steps that are needed on 64-bit operating systems are somewhat buried in the middle of that article and can be easy to miss.
here is the solution when everying else fails:
I suddenly became unable to install some applications. Whenever I would try,
I would get the following:
"Error 1719. The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can
occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is
not correctly installed. …"
The solutions I found in the MS KB were not effective for me.
solution
The paths I use assume that Windows is installed in the C:WINDOWS folder. Change the
path to match your installation if necessary.
In Registry Editor, navigate to:
HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicesMSIServer
then change the DisplayName value to:
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /V
Close registry editor, then register the installer by opening a command
prompt and running:
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /regserver
THANK YOU.
I struggled for hours trying to get this repaired – all I could find was the re-registering of the System32 versions and not the sysWOW64 versions. This fixed ALL my installation issues.
THANK YOU.
This also fixed my issue, on Win7 64 bit. After cleaning up a bad SQL Server 2005 install & registry editing, the Windows Installer service was hosed. I tried everything else… The secret was, as the other commenter observed:
In Registry Editor, navigate to:
HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicesMSIServer
then change the DisplayName value to:
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /V
Close registry editor, then register the installer by opening a command
prompt and running:
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /regserver
After I rebooted, everything worked again! (It didn't work before reboot)
thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks
Excellent work Aaron!
Successfully installed SQL Server 2005 on Windows 7 64bit without a hitch.
In Registry Editor, navigate to:
HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicesMSIServer
then change the ImagePath value to: (Do not change the DisplayName value ^^)
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /V
Thanks……this is the only solution which worked….
when i am installing ms office i will get this below message please give some solution for this ……
"error 1719. this windows installer service could not be accessed. this can occur if the windows installer is not correctly installed.
contact your support personnel for assistance."
Hi Nicholas – What version of Windows are you running when you see this error? If it is Windows Vista or newer, then I'd suggest trying the steps in the Knowledge Base article at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 and the blog post at blogs.msdn.com/…/10165211.aspx.
FINALLY a solution that works on Windows 7 64-bit!! I thank you VERY much.
THANK YOU!
how do I get to the registry editor? Where do I find it?
Hi Sue – You can run regedit.exe to launch the registry editor.
Finally your solution worked Thanks
Thank you all,Worked for me As below
Windows key and R , in the opened Run window type regedit
In Registry Editor, navigate to:
HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicesMSIServer
then change the ImagePath value value to:
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /V
Close registry editor,
Press windows key and type cmd in search. when cmd opens copy the below location
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /regserver
Press enter and Reboot
After I rebooted, everything worked again! (It didn't work before reboot)
I followed Aaron Stebner's instructions to a T, and it worked. After trying to re-install my Windows Installer for 3 years, IT WORKED! Thank you, Aaron.
how do U change the system path without changing the msiexec.exe for windows 7 ultimate 64 bit system
I tried the above and found I didn't have CurrentControlSet/Services/MSIServer at all.
I coun't even find msiexec.exe. Can U please help me.
Hi darleneartist – Windows Installer (which includes msiexec.exe and the MsiServer service) is a part of the OS on all versions of Windows. I don't know how to explain why you're not seeing that file or service registered on your computer. You might want to try to repair the files that are a part of Windows by using steps like the ones at blogs.msdn.com/…/how-to-repair-the-net-framework-2-0-and-3-0-on-windows-vista.aspx. Those steps refer to the .NET Framework, but they apply equally to all files that are a part of Windows.
Those steps won't restore the service registration though, so you might need to manually re-create the service registration by adding the keys with regedit.exe. You can look at the keys in regedit on another Windows 7 PC to see what they need to look like.
friend. do these steps work in windows 7 64-bit ??????????????????????????????????????? if they don't let me know plz
Hi Aarya – The /unregister and /regserver commands appear to work, but do not actually do any re-registration on Windows 7. There is a knowledge base article at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 with some steps you can use to re-register the Windows Installer service on Windows 7.
Just had this problem and tried Aaron's solution but it did not work. Luckily, Jimmyklrn's solution did. I'm glad that for some, Aaron's advice worked though. Thanks to both Aaron and Jimmyklrn!
it worked for me!!!
thanks alot Aaron!!!!!!!!!!
Hi i have window 8.1 and i am looking for window installer for window 8 but i am not getting please suggest me how to get the window installer
Hi abhishek – The latest version of Windows Installer is included as a part of the OS on Windows 8 and 8.1, and there shouldn't be any need for you to install it separately.
I tried all the above suggestions. Restarted my system after each try, but it still doesn't allow me to install or uninstall any application.
Any suggestion is most welcome.
System is windows 64 bit home premium
Another thing I noticed was that the services are not visible in extended view , but appear properly in standard view.
I tried all the above suggestions. Restarted my system after each try, but it still doesn't allow me to install or uninstall any application.
Any suggestion is most welcome.
System is windows 64 bit home
Another thing I noticed was that the services are not visible in extended view , but appear properly in standard view.
Hi John – What is the exact error message that you see when you try to install/uninstall applications on your computer? Also, you said that you have Windows 64-bit Home, but what exact version of Windows is it – Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc?
Hi Aaron, thanks for replying. You are doing a great job.
I am using Windows 7.
The common error is "The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe
mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly
installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."
For some application it says that the files are missing.
I am guessing that the installer is corrupted, but I don't know how I should go about it.
Any help is appreciated…
Thanks !
Hi John – I'd suggest trying the steps in the knowledge base article at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 to see if they help solve this problem on your computer.
Hi Aaron, sorry it took me long to reply.
I have already tried the steps on that link.
I am able to start msinstaller, but whenever trying to install or uninstall a MSI based software, I get MSI 1015 warning and 1014 error.
Also I am not able to start IE, can these both issues be related ?
My IE flashes for a msec and exits.
Thanks for your help !
Hi John – Based on those symptoms, it sounds like Windows Installer isn't correctly installed on your computer. If the steps in the knowledge base article didn't help, then the only other thing I know of to do to solve that type of problem is to repair/re-install Windows.
I'm not very experienced with troubleshooting Internet Explorer issues, but I'd suggest trying to install/repair the latest version of IE (which is IE 11) on your computer to see if that helps resolve that issue.
i can not find the MSIServer in the register edit what can i do ????
Hi mohamed tohamy – The repair steps for this problem are different depending on what version of Windows you have on your PC. What version do you have on your PC?
Why I can not find the MSIserver in the register edit, my PC version Win7 prof 64 bit..can you help me..thanks before..
Hi atvir – I'm not sure why you're not seeing that information in your registry. This is where it is located on my Windows 7 64-bit PC: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesmsiserver.
Are you seeing specific errors when trying to install .msi files on this computer?
I also do not have the msiserver in my HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservices. I am running Vista SP2 64 Bit. I found, on line, the script "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00" to install but do not know how to get it in the proper way. I tried the MS installer but it would not install. Am I saveable?
Hi Controller44 – I'd suggest trying the repair steps listed at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 to see if they help solve this problem.
Hello. Thanks for replying so quickly. I have tried the steps in that post. They ask me to save the file I stated above as "Msirepair" on my desktop in Notebook and then right click the saved file and press run and to follow the prompts. When I right click I do not get the ability to "run" or the prompt to identify "administrator" credentials. The only thing on the drop down menu when I right click is to Merge, merge with what? When I physically search for the file "Msiserver" it isn't in my system at all. From the "regedit" My "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservices" goes from "msisadrv" to "Msiscsi" then "Mskssrv". It is strange that I have had this computer for 6 years and the entire file just suddenly disappears. Thanks for your time, if you can help it would be much appreciated.
Sorry, the file saved on my desktop was saved as "Msirepair.reg".
Hi Aaron..thanks for your solution.
Finally I successfully install ms office 2013 on win7 64 bit..
Hi controller44 – That step in the knowledge base article isn't correct. You should right-click on the file and choose Merge to add the information to your registry. Hopefully this helps.
I apologize Aaron for not being clear and taking up so much of your time. I did try to merge to no effect as my computer did not have the file to merge with. When merge was selected it just opened the file as a Notebook Document. Again, sorry I am so challenged.
Hi controller44 – Sorry that I misunderstood your previous reply. I'm not sure why the Merge menu item didn't work correctly. What happens if you just double-click on msirepair.reg? Also, can you please double-check that the file isn't actually named msirepair.reg.txt? Windows has a setting that will cause it to hide file extensions for known file types, and that can cause .txt files to not have ".txt" on the end of them.
Thanks for the info, I never thought to confirm it wasn't saved as .reg.txt. But no it wasn't.
Properties shows the file as .reg and lists it as a registry file. When I double click the file opens as a notebook document, same as when I merge. I looked for the file in HKEY again and there is nothing more than what was stated a couple of posts ago. I very much appreciate your efforts and do not want to monopolize your time. I'll keep searching and if I find a solution I will post it here for all.
Hi controller44 – It sounds like the file registration for .reg files might not be working correctly on your computer. Does it work if you right-click on msirepair.reg, choose Open With, then choose regedit.exe?
Thanks Aaron, when I choose Open With it only gives me the Notebook option or to browse for another program / go on the internet.
The computer works fine but will not update any programs ie. anti-virus definitions. I will keep plugging on.
Hi controller44 – Can you please try these steps and see if they help?
Right-click on msirepair.reg and choose Open with.
Click the Choose default program… option.
Click the Browse… button.
In the Browse dialog, go to c:windows, choose regedit.exe, and click Open.
Select Registry Editor in the list of programs afterwards.
Well Aaron you are a genius. My registry now has a msiserver folder with appropriate files. Thank you very much for your assistance.
Thanks fadildugolli and Aaron for your help!! This was driving me crazy.
I am running win 8.1 64 bit oem-dm and ran into problems attempting to install "AVG" 64 bit and was unsuccessful
I tried an option listed in this blog
run %windir%system32msiexec.exe /unregister
run %windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /unregister
run %windir%system32msiexec.exe /regserver
run %windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /regserver
the run command was not recognized.
I then went into regedit and navigated to HKLM and changed the
display name for MSIServer to C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /V that worked no problem
I then tried to execute the command
C:WINDOWSSysWOW64msiexec.exe /regserver
this failed as msiexec.exe did not recognize the switch /regserver
I then executed msiexec.exe /? and there was no switch value regserver
what can I do now?
Hi ron – The /unregister and /regserver commands do not do anything in versions of Windows starting with Windows Vista. There are some alternative repair steps listed at support.microsoft.com/…/2438651 that replace those commands on newer versions of Windows.
However, in most cases, the type of error that you're seeing is caused by a problem with the application's setup program and not with Windows Installer itself. The knowledge base article that I linked in the previous paragraph contains information about how to enable verbose logging so you can try to reproduce the setup failure with logging enabled and then hopefully use the log to narrow down the root cause. You can also search on the application manufacturer's web site to see if they have any known issues or workarounds for the installation issue that you're seeing.
Hi,
in my case the file msi.exe was no present on %windir%syswow64 folder.
Juste copy the file from another w7x64 laptop and the software installation works fine.
Best regards.
Hi guys.
This is what i did to resolve my issue.
I Changed reg key HKLMSYSTEMCURRENTCONTROLSETSERVICESMSIServer – ImagePath to C:WINDOWSsystem32msiexec.exe /V then followed the steps above except at number 6 I just restarted the service. Sorted.
Hope this helps.
Hi Aaron,
I've ended up here having pretty much exhausted MS Fixits etc. I use W7 Prof. A few months back Windows updates started reverting and on closer inspection dot net updates were choking on not being able to access the Windows Installer. I got wrapped up in trying to fix dot net and uninstalled some of it before further investigations revealed the error 1719 was affecting other software installs. I did however get all other WUs installed.
I've run MS Fixits, registry merges, checked settings for WI in services, sfc and actions in the thread above. Still getting the error 1719. I really want to avoid Windows repairs or installs as life is too short to keep retraining Windows. Is there any other diagnostics I can run to see what the problem/solution is?
Thanks,
Gary
Hi gjw – If you haven't yet, I'd suggest trying to use the steps listed at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 to reset the Windows Installer service settings on your computer. If that doesn't help and if the other Fix-its that you've tried didn't help, then I don't know of any other options aside from repairing Windows itself. It might also help to post a question on the Windows 7 forum at answers.microsoft.com/…/windows_7 to see if someone there has any additional suggestions for you to try before you resort to repairing Windows.
Hi Aaron,
Thanks – 2642495 – yes been there and done that. I've looked through the content at your second link and can see that there's a lot of people with the same problem not getting anywhere either. Didn't inspire confidence that investing time would get a return.
Thanks again for casting your eye over my problem.
Cheers,
Gary
Hi,
I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, and I'm having a bit of trouble. The following 2 commands work:
%windir%system32msiexec.exe /unregister
%windir%system32msiexec.exe /regserver
But when I try the following:
%windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /unregister
%windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /regserver
I'll get the following error:
The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please see the application event log or use the command-line sxstrace.exe tool for more detail.
Any ideas for this?
Thanks,
Scott
Hi Scott – Are there any errors or warnings reported in the Application Event Log on this PC when you run this command? Hopefully there are, and if so, they should help narrow down the root cause of this issue further. If you find any, please reply back here and copy/paste the information so I can take a closer look.
hie gut a problem with windows 8.1pro. I cant install programs such as blackberry desktop software,desplayes the massage msiexec/option required parameter>{optional parameter}
Hi timzee – Do you see this type of error only for the Blackberry desktop software, or do you see it for all .msi-based setup programs? If it is only for the Blackberry desktop software, I'd suggest contacting the manufacturer to see if they have any known issues or patches that you can try. If it is for all .msi-based setup programs, then it might help to try to use the steps at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 to repair the Windows Installer service, and if that doesn't help, then you might need to repair Windows to fix that type of problem.
is this work for xp sp2 64? i mean. edit the registry for resolve windows installer problem
Hi julius sachs – Yes, these steps should work for the 64-bit version of Windows XP. There are also some steps for Windows XP systems at support.microsoft.com/…/315346 that might help you in this scenario.
hi, i sould work for the 64-bit version of Windows XP.
Dear Aaron
my windows installer in running which i have checked from regserver and i also
did what solution you have provided but i am too much frustrated from this problem
and it is not fixed yet…
Hi rj – If you haven't yet, I'd suggest trying the repair steps listed at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495. If those steps don't work either, then I'd suggest posting a question on one of the Windows forums at answers.microsoft.com/…/windows and hopefully someone there will be able to provide additional troubleshooting steps for you to try.
hello aaron i am running windows 7 64 bit. i followed the instructions of HKey_localmachine typed above. I am now at msiserver what do I do now?
Hi Patrick – There are more detailed repair steps for Windows 7 in the knowledge base article at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495. Can you try those steps and see if they help on your PC?
HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicesMSIServer
Change the ImagePath > work fine thanks 🙂
Hi Aaron,
I am using Windows 7.
The common error is "ERROR 1719: The windows installer services could not beaccessed this can occur if the windows installer is not installed contact contact your support personnel for assistance"
installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."
For some application it says that the files are missing.
Any help is appreciated…
Thanks,
Rajasekhar.
I am using Windows 2008 64-bit .
The common error is "ERROR 1719: The windows installer services could not beaccessed this can occur if the windows installer is not installed contact contact your support personnel for assistance"
installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."
For some application it says that the files are missing.
Any help is appreciated…
Thanks,
Rajasekhar.
Hi Rajasekhar – I'd suggest trying the repair steps listed in the knowledge base article at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 to see if they help in your scenario.
If those steps don't work, then I'd suggest posting a question on one of the Windows forums at answers.microsoft.com/…/windows to see if someone there can provide additional workarounds for you to try.
Worked like a charm Thx!!!
how do i change the image path? plz help
Hi Prashant – There is information at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 about how to change the image path for the Windows Installer service. Hopefully this helps in your scenario.
Hi! When i do the second step to the command prompt it is said that the directory name is invalid how can i fix this?
Hi Charles – The steps in this blog post will not work on Windows Vista or any newer version of Windows. If you have Windows Vista or newer, then I'd recommend trying the steps at support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 instead of the steps in this blog post.
If you have a version of Windows that is older than Windows Vista, then the steps in this blog post should still work fine, and I'd recommend double-checking that you typed the command exactly as it is written above in this blog post. If you still get the error after double-checking that, then can you please post a screenshot of the exact error that you're seeing so I can take a closer look?
YEAH!
My W7 64 bits lost acces after installing a SSD and cloning OS to it, including backup remounting.
I followed the steps to change the path for the MSi server, i found this:
Description: @%SystemRoot%system32msimsg.dll,-32
Image path: @%SystemRoot%system32msiexec /V
Which I, accordingly to the instructions above, have changed into:
Description: C:WindowssysWOW64msimsg.dll,-32
Image path: C:WindowssysWOW64msiexec /V
Perhaps I could have left the "@%SystemRoot%" for what it was, but this mod worked EXACTLY as it had to, so I leave it this way now.
TNX extremely to Aaron and fadildugolli for the solution to the problem where all MS-employees were pointing into nowhere!
Hi Aaron. Thanks a lot for your help. For me, work perfectly!
SIR, WILL YOU PLEASE INFORM ME IF THE IE INSTALLATION CONTAINS WINDOWS INSTALLER 3.1. IF SO WHICH VERSION OF IE HAS WINDOWS INSTALLER EMBEDDED
INTO IT SO THAT I DONT HAVE TO GO IN SEARCH OF WINDOWS INSTALLER
n_r_dwarakanathan66@hotmail.com
Hi – I don't believe that Internet Explorer uses Windows Installer for its setup. Here is a link to the download page for Windows Installer 4.5 so you can download it directly – http://www.microsoft.com/…/details.aspx.
when i paste your specific commands in
Run
It shows a MessageBox .That tells
windows can't find 'run'.Make sure you typed the name correctly and then try again.
what i've to do
Hi zia – You don't need to copy and paste the word "run" in these steps. You should start copying and pasting with %windir% in each of the commands. I updated the text of the blog post to try to make this more clear for readers in the future.
I'm seeing error 1719 windows installer service could not be accessed verify it is registered and enabled. Contact your support personnel on any installs, uninstalls or repairs. Windows 7 and I have tried everything suggested thus far.
I have tried using C:windowssystem32 and syswow64 in regedit for image path and display name. neither have worked. I've gone through support.microsoft.com/…/2642495 with no luck.
does anyone know anything more about error 1719 and what it means? windows installer service could not be accessed isn't exactly meaningful. As far as I can see it is registered and enabled. (At least I have registered it in cmd and enabled the service)
Hi Mike Bop – Error 1719 typically means that something related to the Windows Installer service is not registered correctly on the PC. If you've already tried the steps in the knowledge base article and they didn't help, then I'd suggest searching for similar issues on the Windows forums at answers.microsoft.com/…/windows, and if you don't find anything that is helpful, then I'd suggest posting a new question there to see if someone can provide additional troubleshooting ideas for you to try out.
This solution still works!!! Thanks Aaron. I am OSU though.
Thank you KingIdler and everybody else in this blog. I followed these steps and it worked like a charm:
1. Reboot the server
2. Verify that Windows Installer service is set to Automatic and started
3. Open regedit
4. Change reg key HKLMSYSTEMCURRENTCONTROLSETSERVICESMSIServer – ImagePath to %windir%system32msiexec.exe /v
5. Run these commands in order:
a. Run this command: %windir%system32msiexec.exe /unregister
b. Run this command: %windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /unregister
c. Run this command: %windir%system32msiexec.exe /regserver
d. Run this command: %windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /regserver
6. Restart Windows Installer service. Verify that is set to Automatic and remains started.
7. Install .NET 4.5.2
8. Reboot the server
9. Apply all of the patches
10. Reboot the server
please help me to solve window installer dialog box problem.
Hi sunil2066 – I need more information about the error that you're seeing in order to try to help out. What is the exact scenario that you are trying to do when you see a Windows Installer dialog box, and what is the full text of the error message that you are seeing?
Thanks for command
below command successfully worked for Win2003-64bit
%windir%\syswow64\msiexec.exe /regserver
Windows 7 Home Premium o/s
In response to —
C:\Users\Massey>%windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /unregister
got this return…….
‘C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
H E L P
mf
Discovered that msiexec.exe is MISSING from Windows\system32 folder.
So How do I obtain a copy of it to install ??
T I A
Hi Massey Ferguson – You can use steps like the ones listed at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2007/03/26/how-to-repair-the-net-framework-2-0-and-3-0-on-windows-vista.aspx to repair files that should be installed as a part of the OS.
Does this work for Windows 8.1??
Hi Zack – My understanding is that the /unregister and /regserver command line parameters are no-ops on Windows Vista and higher. On newer versions of Windows, I’d recommend looking at this knowledge base article – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2642495.