Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item. ...while installing MOSS SP1

I ran into some issue on a MOSS virtual machine while installing MOSS SP1.  Actually, it was the any SP1 (WSS, MOSS, or one of their Language Pack).  One of my colleague at Orckestra pointed me to a registry setting he had to update while installing a service pack with Team Foundation Server so I tried it just for fun and got off lucky :)

 

Here's the script that I used (patch.bat):

 

reg export HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer installer.reg

reg add HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer /v MaxPatchCacheSize /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

net stop msiserver

start /wait wssv3sp1-kb936988-x86-fullfile-en-us.exe

reg delete HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer /v MaxPatchCacheSize /f

reg import installer.reg

net stop msiserver

del /q installer.reg 2>nul

 

Maxime