Windows Installer and Error Codes 641 & 80070641 Issues

Anonymous
2012-05-16T06:52:39+00:00

something has happened to the windows installer on my computer. I have vista home premium 32 bit. I tried searching your site to download the installer but I could not find anything. I tried installing Java and it said it couldnt because the windows installer could not be accessed. and I have been trying to install some windows updates and keep getting error message codes 640 & 80070641. everything was working up until a few days ago when I tried updating nothing has been downloaded to my computer prior to errors.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2012-05-23T08:09:09+00:00

Hi John and Kathy,

In addition to Ravinath P suggestion dated on May 21, 2012, you may also follow the steps mentioned below and check if it helps.

I suggest you to perform the following steps to rebuild the windows installer service.

Note: To do so: Important this section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (*http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/* )

How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

a. Open Notepad.

b. Copy the following command to notepad and save it asreset.regon to your desktop.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msiserver]

"DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\system32\msimsg.dll,-27"

*"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,*

*74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6d,*

00,73,00,69,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,63,00,20,00,2f,00,56,00,00,00

"Description"="@%SystemRoot%\system32\msimsg.dll,-32"

"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"

"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001

"Start"=dword:00000003

"Type"=dword:00000010

"DependOnService"=hex(7):72,00,70,00,63,00,73,00,73,00,00,00,00,00

"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001

*"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,*

*00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,*

*74,00,65,00,50,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,66,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,*

*00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,63,00,*

*6b,00,4d,00,65,00,6d,00,6f,00,72,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,*

*00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,*

*73,00,65,00,42,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6f,00,72,00,69,00,74,*

*00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,*

*65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,65,00,72,00,6d,00,61,00,6e,*

*00,65,00,6e,00,74,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,*

*00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,*

*00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,00,75,00,72,00,*

*69,00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,*

*00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,00,61,00,6e,00,67,00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,*

*66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,*

*00,65,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,66,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,53,00,69,00,6e,00,67,00,*

*6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,73,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,*

*00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,*

*72,00,73,00,6f,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,*

*00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,*

*47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,*

*00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,*

*72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,*

*00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,52,00,65,00,*

*73,00,74,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,*

*00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,*

*51,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,*

*00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,68,00,75,00,74,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,6e,00,*

*50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,*

*00,61,00,6b,00,65,00,4f,00,77,00,6e,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,68,00,69,00,70,00,*

*50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,*

*00,6f,00,61,00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,*

*76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,42,00,61,00,63,00,6b,*

*00,75,00,70,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,*

00,00

*"FailureActions"=hex:84,03,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,*

00,01,00,00,00,c0,d4,01,00,01,00,00,00,e0,93,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

c. Click on Start.

d. Type regedit in the Start Search field and hit enter.

e. On the registry edit windows click onFile and select Import.

f. Browse to the location where reset.reg file is located and select the file.

g. Click ok at the on-screen windows once the registry is merged successfully.

h. Restart the computer and check if updates installs.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-05-19T04:44:54+00:00

    I performed 2 & 3 neither worked. It looks like to me there is an issue with the windows installer. I have not downloaded or changed computer in anyway prior to receiving last windows update when I started having the issue.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-05-19T03:03:36+00:00

    kb 2690729

    kb 2604121

    kb 2604111

    kb 2656405

    kb 2596672

    kb 2596792

    kb 2596880

    kb 2597162

    kb 2597969

    kb 2597161

    kb 2596917

    here is the kb #'s.

    I did step 2  above nothing happened. and step 3 windows installer not found.

    I am not that technically skilled. I printed off 1st method gonna try and do it. I am not sure about all this.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-05-17T03:20:15+00:00

    Hi Kathy,

    1. Have you made any changes to your computer recently?
    2. Are you facing this issue with any particular Windows Update?
    3. What is the KB number of the Windows Update that you are trying to install?

    I would suggest you to follow the steps and check if it helps.

    Method 1: Perform a clean boot and then check if it helps.

    **How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7**

    NOTE: Make sure that you perform “step 7” in the link mentioned above to boot your computer normally.

    Method 2: Unregister and re-register the Windows Installer

    a) Click Start, clickRun, typeMSIEXEC /UNREGISTER, and then click OK. Even if you do this correctly, it may look like nothing occurs.

    b) Click Start, clickRun, typeMSIEXEC /REGSERVER, and then click OK. Even if you do this correctly, it may look like nothing occurs, or you may briefly see an hourglass. After you run this command, the operation is complete.

    c) Try to install the Windows Updates and then check if it helps.

    Method 3: Restart Windows Installer service and check if it helps.

    a. Click Start, type services.msc in the Start Search box,right-click services.msc, and then click Run as administrator.

    b. Right click on Windows Installer and click on restart(ifrestart option is not highlighted, click on Start) .

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