Internal Error 2503/2502

This is something that i found out by doing something else

...

[the usual about running explorer.exe with admin privileges then installing/uninstalling]

This does not work for me. Only opening a command prompt with administrative privileges and then directly executing/accessing the .msi file worked. My normal user has administrative privileges.

I have tried:

1. changing permissions to C:\Windows\Installer
2. changing permissions to C:\Windows\Temp
3. Running explorer.exe as administrator from the Task Manager

What has worked for me (and this does not fix the problem, but just allows me to install and uninstall MSI packages) is

1. running the command prompt as administrator. You can do this by right clicking the Start button and selecting Command Prompt (Admin).  
2. Browse to the directory where your MSI file is.  If you want to uninstall a program, you are probably typing "cd C:\Windows\Installer". 
3. manually finding the .msi file representing the program I want to install or uninstall, and then running "msiexec <that file>" to install it, or "msiexec /x <that file>" to uninstall it.

This does not fix the problem, but allows you to install or uninstall the program.

As near as I an trace this issue, it's a permissions problem.  However, on my computer, no matter what permissions I give I cannot get rid of this error, nor do I know why it started.

That I need to do this is, in a word, nuts.

For posterity, someone else over at (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_8-performance/error-codes-2502-and-2503-in-windows-8/1b16152d-48ae-45b5-93b6-628e357b96b3?page=2&auth=1) suggested the following. I have not tried it.

>>>

> Finally found the solution to this error. I was working around the problem by doing the "Run as Administrator" manually when trying to install programs. Trying to choose allow UAC prompt and trying with UAC turned off, it would still error.

> The problem also showed itself with programs installed in non-trusted areas as well (clicking magnet links in a browser with utorrent as the registered client giving error of "uTorrent running but not responding"). It's a Windows 8 elevated UAC settings under: 

> Start Menu | Run | gpedit.msc

> Computer/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Local Policies/Security Options/User Account Control:

> For me it was "User Account Control: Only elevate USAccess applications that are installed in secure locations" that was causing problems. Disabled that and it would work.

<<<

Info about this issue:

- https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj852244.aspx

- https://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/dd834830.aspx (not much info)

The keys corresponding to this gpedit.msc fix:

keys are as follows to turn it off

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin: 0x00000000

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\EnableLUA: 0x00000000

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\PromptOnSecureDesktop: 0x00000000

HKU\CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Action Center\Checks{C8E6F269-B90A-4053-A3BE-499AFCEC98C4}.check.0\CheckSetting: 23 00 41 00 43 00 42 00 6C 00 6F 00 62 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

to turn it back on(to highest) with the following

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin: 0x00000002

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\EnableLUA: 0x00000001

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\PromptOnSecureDesktop: 0x00000001

HKU\CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Action Center\Checks{C8E6F269-B90A-4053-A3BE-499AFCEC98C4}.check.0\CheckSetting: 23 00 41 00 43 00 42 00 6C 00 6F 00 62 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 80 00 00 00 41 00 70 00 7A A2 40 BF B6 AA CF 01 00 00 00 00 7B 00 43 00 38 00 45 00 36 00 46 00 32 00 36 00 39 00 2D 00 42 00 39 00 30 00 41 00 2D 00 34 00 30 00 35 00 33 00 2D 00 41 00 33 00 42 00 45 00 2D 00 34 00 39 00 39 00 41 00 46 00 43 00 45 00 43 00 39 00 38 00 43 00 34 00 7D 00 2E 00 6E 00 6F 00 74 00 69 00 66 00 69 00 63 00 61 00 74 00 69 00 6F 00 6E 00 2E 00 31 00 00 00 50 00 69 00 6E 00 6E 00 65 00 64

On my new Windows 8 machine I have had lots of problems with these errors - few of the fixes suggested worked consistently but the steps below have worked every time for me.

1. Firstly I am running a Windows 7 desktop setup to get away from the Metro interface
2. From the Start option, find the shortcut to the cmd.exe program, right click on it and make sure to open it using the 'Run as Administrator' option
3. Depending on your User Account Control settings you may have to respond OK to the question as to whether to Allow changes to the PC.
4. Proceeding should open a black window with some text in it something like this

                                                 C:\Windows\system32>

5. Type in the path to the .msi file causing the problem and press return e.g. if the .msi is located in the C:Temp folder then you need to type C:\Temp\WhateverTheProgramNameIs.msi
6. The install should then proceed correctly.

THREE WORDS: I LOVE YOU :)

YOU SAVED ME COUNTLESS WORK HOURS, AND I LOVE YOU.

I HOPE EVERYONE APPRICIATE WHAT YOU JUST DID HERE.

MILLION THANKS, AND I WISH I CAN REWARD YOU SOMEHOW

Sorry I don't understand your reply.

.msi files are installation files and are used for most newer Windows applications. Clicking on such a file should launch an install program which will attempt to install the software. In some cases in Windows 8 it seems that authorization conflicts prevent the installer running correctly.

The steps above may help solve this problem if you try to install a new program (for example something you bought as an add-on program for your computer) and get the error message Internal Error 2503/2502.

The steps are un-necessary if you do not see this error message.

I ran into the same problem with locating the C:\windows\installer directory. For some reason Windows Explorer wouldn't show it even though I don't have it hidden.

I ended up using a different application to locate the directory. (In this case ExplorerXP. I've also verified that Free Commander can see it as well)

Once I located the directory I was able to reset the permissions and now applications that were failing during the install went in normally.

Free commander is available at portableapps.com and ExplorerXP is available at http://www.explorerxp.com/