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Windows Installer Problem (.MSI files)

(23 posts)

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.MSI Windows Installer ERROR MEESAGE

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uninstall, install, windows, utility, exe, windows xp software, software maker, code.

Started 7 months ago by thaiZilla
Latest reply from emperor

thaiZilla
Member

Hi all

I keep recieving the following error message when i try install any .MSI files - "This installation package could not be opened. Verify that the package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package.".

My computer is 5 years old and i have never had problems with Windows Installer even after many reformats. However recently i reformated and again everything seemed fine, i installed Windows Defender which is a .MSI and continued using my computer for a further few weeks and later tried install another .MSI, however it came up with the error message. I'm 100% this package is legit because i had used it before the reformat. Seeing this problem i thought maybe my XP didn't install properly...so i reformatted once again...however after the reformat when i tried install Windows Defender, it didn't install, it came up with the error message again...therefore, sometime after the first reformat of me installing Windows Defender...something has gone wrong, and even a reformat won't solve it...

Both reformats i used a genuine XP disc and SP2 and got all the required updates. I really don't know whats wrong, please could you help...sorry about the essay of a message! Cheers

p.s i've tried removing Windows Installer (With add/remove applications) and updated it from Microsoft Website. Tried this a few times now...no luck

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

Do a system restore.

Then install sp3.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

Thanks for your reply, you reckon this will work? Even a reformat didn't sort it, i was thinking it might be something deeper like registry or something...also SP3 only just came out, worried about bugs etc...also a system restore wouldn't help because i reformatted meaning i cleared my whole C drive.

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

What is it you are trying to install?

SP3 came out during 2007, it's been beta tested ever since, so the r.t.m. and final to e.u.l.a has been through a lot of testing.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

I'm just trynig install a program called XAC (Xray Anti Cheat program for games)...i've never had problems with MSI files before...

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

Goto http://www.xraygaming.com/index.php?pageid=xac-download

Then right click the picture labeled xac.msi and use 'save target as' to the desktop.

Might be that downloading the file before was corrupted by a download manager or just was corrupted during download.

I just downloaded it and installed it, without a problem.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

I've downloaded this file at work and tried it already, i know it works. I said its 100% legit, but on my PC my Windows Installer refuses to install it...therefore the issue isn't the file but my PC

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

Download it to your pc when you're at home.

Then try again.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
Lee
Administrator

Download it to your pc when you're at home.

Then try again.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

Ok, i'll let ya know how it goes, cheers Lee.

Posted 7 months ago #
thaiZilla
Member

Nope didn't work...

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

Well all I can then suggest is downloading windows installer that is a distro version.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

whats a distro version? The current one installed is the 3.1 that was gotten from the updates...i also tried Bubby's (one of the admins) advice about registry...that also didn't work...just waiting on a reply from him at the mo

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893803 is a normal version and is 3.1 v2.

Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=889482fc-5f56-4a38-b838-de776fd4138c&displaylang=en

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

Ok since my last post i have reformatted once again...i found with XP SP1 i managed install XAC (the .MSI file)...then i began my updates, which were as follows :-

Upgraded to SP2
Updates for SP2 which include Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2)
My GFX Driver Update
Sound Card
Internet Explorer 7
I then installed AVG 8.0

All the above was legit and works.

I then tried installing a different .MSI file known as Steam...once again the error came up:-

"This installation package could not be opened. Verify that the package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package."

The 3 .MSI files i've been playing with are XAC, Windows Defender and Steam...all have been used in the past...I think by reformating now that i have just proven that something with the updates is not right...because i could install XAC when using SP1.

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

You should have slipstreamed sp2 and did a sp2 xp install.

So steam is the corrupt file.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

This post is gona be really long but i want to give you the full problem from begining to end:-

I keep recieving the following error message when i try install any .MSI files - "This installation package could not be opened. Verify that the package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package.".

I've never had this problem before, and i've reformatted my computer many a times without this issue occuring. soooo the long story goes...

The 3 .MSI files i've been trying install are XAC, Windows Defender and Steam, all these 3 have been used in the past with no trouble...few weeks ago i decided reformat. After reformat using Genuine XP disc (standard SP1) i began all my usual updates:- Updates for SP2 which includes Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2), IE7, AVG8, GFX drivers and Sound etc, as per usual with any of my reformats in the past. I also installed Windows Defender.MSI at this point...few weeks later i tried install XAC.MSI and i recieved that error message above...i also couldn't install STEAM...to correct the error i thought i'd reformat again...thikning maybe my reformat wasn't right

Same reformat procedure all over again except this time i couldn't install Windows Defender, XAC or STEAM...

so today i reformated once again except after reformat i kept SP1 for a while and installed XAC without any problems...After all my updates for SP2, Sound and GFX drivers, IE7 and AVG etc...i am unable to install Steam or Windows Defender...

From my rough breakdown of the problem i think the updates or something is stopping Windows Installer working properly...however in the past these updates etc worked fine so i'm stuck in a loop...i've tried uninstalling AVG and tried a .MSI file and still no luck...

Sorry for the essay, your help would be much appreciated

Posted 7 months ago #
thaiZilla
Member

none of the .MSI files are corrupt...100% legit and none corrupt and have been used in the past

Posted 7 months ago #
jinkazama
Member

.msi files can be extracted. try extracting them :)

Posted 7 months ago #
Lee
Administrator

Yes, some can some cannot be.

WinRar extracts them well.

There is a utility that turns .msi files to .exe files, can remember it's current location.

Posted 7 months ago # | Login to Send PM
thaiZilla
Member

Thanks for both of your replies...i just kinda wana get it fixed, i'm fussy like that...it use to work you see, ever since i got my computer 5 years ago, i've done many reformats and its been fine....its just these past 3 weeks...i still think its the SP2 Updates, even tho they have worked in the past...or maybe IE7 but that has worked fine in the past also...

really confused on why it won't work...but as i said, when i kept SP1 after the reformat i was able to install XAC, it was after the SP2 updates and river updates etc that i couldn't install any .MSI files...

Thanks again for your replies, i've tried extracting but that doesn't install the program

Posted 7 months ago #
hotdoge3
Member

http://www.cio.com/article/360866/Users_Report_More_Trouble_with_Windows_XP_SP_

Users Report More Trouble with Windows XP SP3

http://www.cio.com/article/364163/XP_Change_Corrupts_Data_Hamstrings_SP_Rollout

May 21, 2008 — Computerworld — Microsoft Corp. confirmed on Wednesday that it delayed the rollout of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) because changes to the operating system can corrupt data in the company's retail point-of-sale and store management software.
dont fit sp3 or sp1 fit sp2 it got sp1 in it fit net framwork 2 sp2 got netframwork 1
if you need IE7 dont fit till sp3 is OK as it do in XP if you fit IE6 or Firefox is OK

Posted 6 months ago #
emperor
Member

thaiZilla,

This won't solve your problem but it may give you a work-around. I had a similar problem where .msi files were not being installed.

Firstly, are you sure that Windows Installer is running?
You probably know this, but just in case,
Start > Run ...
In the dialogue box, enter "services.msc" without the quotation marks.
OK

When the Services window has opened, scroll down to near the end and click once on the Windows Installer entry.

If it shows that the service is started then I don't know what to do, but if it gives you the option to start the service then do so, and then try installing your .msi files.

If I have read you correctly then Steam is the online games manager which can take a long time to install. In this case, right click on the Windows Installer entry and click on "Properties". This will again show if the service is started or not and give you the opportunity to start it. I mention this because I found that the service stopped itself after about 10 minutes and needed to be re-started during the installation I was running. The properties box gives a good check on it and an almost immediate indication if it stops which the basic services window doesn't.

Whilst you have the properties box open it is also worth checking the startup type - you don't want it disabled.

I did find that some other services, as well as this one, were set to manual for some reason. Changing this one to automatic didn't help on its own but setting some others to automatic as well seems to have cured my problem for now. I'm sorry but I cannot recall which the others were.

I don't think you will do any harm doing this, but I make no guarantees, and you may get some temporary relief. Hope it helps.

Posted 6 months ago #

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