The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed

Hmm_Messiah

Hi,

Trying to install a Dell games disk to add to my pda

when I open the exe file it eventually gives this message :

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.

I've gooogled, checked the Dell and Microsoft sites, tried one remedy
but:
found 4 msiexec.exe files not 1, and they were of different sizes/dates
also when i tried very last part of remedy:- open in safe mode, start run "misexec /regserver" get a message that file can not be found, despite verifying the location earlier as intructed

any suggestions
does this only happen occasionally? never happened installing anything else

Capt'n Midnight

control panel , admin tools , services , Windows Installer

also try windowsupdate.microsoft.com to see what message it gives you.

Hmm_Messiah

have checked admin > services

and microsoft.com

first says not a problem wih XP
the says can be gives remedy
doesn't work !!

have tried three times including installing version3

followed the remedy suggested to very last step, windows safe mode cant find the file !

apparently an option is uninstalling re installing from windows cd, but worried i might mess up

Hmm_Messiah

still getting the same message, even after installing Installer 3 ?

any suggestions ?

8T8

Microsoft have a means for re-registering the Windows Installer service I would highly recommend follwoing those steps as it should put it back in working order.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q315346

Hmm_Messiah

8t8

Will try when I get home, but truly appreciate that, I spent an age wandering around microsoft support getting nowhere

cheers