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

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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
    2012-05-30T08:12:28+00:00

    I was wondering, has anyone had any sort of admission / apology from iolo confirming that SM was responsible for the issues we've all had. For some I should think the financial implications have been high. There will be countless others who never found this thread and ended up re-installing windows. Iolo should be putting their hand up and contacting all their registered users warning them not to use SM until the problem has been solved.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-05-31T05:49:55+00:00

    Hi,

    I am glad to know that you have fixed the issue. In case, if you need any assistance related to Windows you are always welcome to post your questions along with your valuable suggestions in this forum.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-05-31T20:39:19+00:00

    Tried a number of different things - the above worked perfectly! Thanks so much. Was running IOLO's System Mechanic - uninstalled before trying this fix - not sure if I should reinstall it now.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-05-31T22:34:51+00:00

    Tried a number of different things - the above worked perfectly! Thanks so much.

    Was running IOLO's System Mechanic - uninstalled before trying this fix - not sure if I should reinstall it now.

    Do NOT re-install SM until and unless they have a final fix.

    You can be sure it was the source (if you had done registry cleaning or registry scans) of your installer issues.  There has been a huge number of problems about this issue, both on these MS forums, but also external forums as well   !!!

    And I would add, that you really do not need any sort of registry cleaner.

    For yet another perspective, please see Ed Bott's blogpost Why I don’t use registry cleaners

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