Windows 7 : Unable to Install Any Programs

Anonymous

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Hi - just finished a clean install of Windows 7 this afternoon ( upgrading from XP ). Running a homebuild system : Gigabyte GA-8PENXP Mobo, 2GB RAM, Core2Duo 6600, Nvidia 8800GTS Graphics. Install went cleanly no errors or hiccups. Problem is I can't install anything. Tried to download an install AVG and Avast AV products, both installers failed. iTunes installer just does nothing. However, I have successfully installed Office XP Pro and Stanza eBook reader. Turned off UAC - no difference. Ideas appreciated. It's driving me nuts

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Anonymous

Hi,

Welcome to Microsoft Answers Forum!

I would suggest you to perform a System File Checker [SFC] scan on the computer

Steps to perform SFC scan:

1. Click the Start button

From the Start Menu, Click All programs followed by Accessories
In the Accessories menu, Right Click on the Command Prompt option
From the drop down menu that appears, Click on the 'Run as administrator' option
If you have the User Account Control (UAC) enabled, you will be asked for authorization prior to the command prompt opening. You may simply need to press the Continue button if you are the administrator or insert the administrator password etc.
In the Command Prompt window, type: sfc /scannow and then press Enter
A message will appear stating that 'The system scan will begin'
Be patient because the scan may take some time
If any files require replacing SFC will replace them. You may be asked to insert your Vista DVD for this process to continue
If everything is okay you should, after the scan, see the following message "Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations"
After the scan has completed, close the command prompt window, restart the computer and check.

Additional information: How to repair the operating system and how to restore the operating system configuration to an earlier point in time in Windows Vista: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936212

Also try to run program as an administrator.

To do this right click on a program which you are trying to install and click on “Run as an Administrator”.

Also try to run program in compatibility mode and also check whether that program which you are trying to install is compatible with Windows 7 or not.

Check the link which talks about How to run program in compatibility mode.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Make-older-programs-run-in-this-version-of-Windows

Also click on the link given below to check for the compatibility.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

Shalini

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

SOLVED! ~ Well for me

Hi,

I'd been having this same problem with updating windows / vc_red.msi problems & installing programs

tried everything literally been goggling for days thought it was a corrupt registry / then maybe some anti-virus programs finally found this forum

http://blog.tiensivu.com/aaron/archives/1823-Windows-7-fix-for-crashing-Windows-Installer-errors-cannot-install-or-uninstall-MSI-packages.html

Followed the recommendations & my computer is back working perfectly, can install & update like normal.

Really hope this helps someone :-)

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73 additional answers

Anonymous

2014-02-25T04:07:20+00:00

It must be great to know everything about everything and to be able to discern that another person is an idiot. Makes me feel envious.

I have been using and working with computers since 1988 and yet, although I considered myself reasonably computer literate, I have come across a problem to which I have not been able to obtain an answer.

My PC is and has been for a number of years, running Windows 7 Professional 64bit and suddenly programs which appear to instal and which say they are installed are actually not to be found on my HDD. As if this is not enough of an oddity a recently purchased notebook running Windows 8.1 has developed the same habit of appearing to instal programs but there is no trace of them on the HDD.

Perhaps our self-styled "expert" can give us a glowing report, preferably without the contumelious comments, as to the reason for this anomaly.
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Anonymous

2013-10-15T02:20:22+00:00

Your an idiot. Just reinstall windows. Clean install. U do an upgrade from Windows XP and u expect it to work perfectly? Uve been sitting on this for a year? Take a class or something or read a book.

Backup your data, boot with Windows 7 install disc, format hard drive, reinstall win 7. Easy as pie. How are you going to use Linux if you can't even handle windows. Way out of your league!
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Anonymous

2013-10-14T06:12:25+00:00

Unable to download anything - everything comes back as an error - anyone know the fix for this - windows support is of no benefit
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