Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 update not working

Question

I have a Latitude D800 running XP Pro with service pack 2.    In the past week, Microsoft Automatic Updates notifies me that there are updates ready to be installed on my computer.  When I run the program, I get a message saying, 'The following updates were not installed: Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1'   Can someone tell me how to fix this problem?

maxd · Answer

First off I suggest you make sure all your other updates installed correctly. Download this utility to this folder:

(c:\windows\) system32

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=155c7c58-102e-47b0-a12a-bfab8cfccc03&DisplayLang=en

After the download has been 'placed' in the system32 folder go to the command prompt and enter this command:

qfecheck

Post back with the results (output on screen after running the command); all the updates should say "Current on system".

rumpl14 · Answer

maxd,

I successfully downloaded the utility and placed it in C:\Windows\System32

I then tried to run the utility but got a dialog box that said:

Q282784 Setup Error

Failed to install catalog files.

I tried to run the utility again and got the same error message.

rumpl14 · Answer

maxd,

no go.

When I try to run the utility, it goes through the following steps:

checking for necessary space

backing up files

checking for necessary space (again)

then the utility aborts by showing a dialog box named "Q282784 Setup Error"

the dialog message text reads "Failed to install catalog files"

Finally, it has an OK

When I click the OK, it just closes the dialog box and that's as far as I can go.

Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help.

maxd · Answer

I think I forgot a step. Double-click on file to install it, then run it from the prompt.

maxd · Answer

Try this.

At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each line:

net stop cryptsvc
ren %systemroot%\System32\Catroot2 oldcatroot2
net start cryptsvc
exit

Close all open programs (if any) and reboot computer. After reboot try WindowsUpdate site for any installs that need doing.

NB: Make sure the filenames are *both* entered as *catroot2, not catroot; ie, don't forget the "2" at the end of catroot.

Note: If the install(s) goes ok you can probably now install the qfecheck utility.

rumpl14 · Answer

maxd,

net stop cryptsvc worked fine, but when I tried to run the rename step (ren %systemroot%\System32\Catroot2 oldcatroot2), I got the message

Cannot run the process because the process is being used by another applicaiton.

Are there processes that I should stop (ctrl + alt +delete) before I go to the command prompt?

Thanks again for your patience and continued help.

maxd · Answer

I haven't a clue what process/application could affect the ren command; go offline, at Start|Run enter:

msconfig

Disable all the entries in the Startups tab. Apply/ok/close all and reboot.

Try the 4 'command' lines again. Same error message ? If so, you could try to run the steps from the Recovery Console or bypass stopping the cryptographic service and justdo a search for the catroot2 folder on your system and rename via right-click option on the folder. Or instead of renaming the folder (from the command prompt) you could try to remove it. The command for that is:

rd %systemroot%\System32\Catroot2

In this case the other 3 lines of this 'command set' would remain the same.

Actually the answer to your original question should have been short and sweet. You try what I've given you and I'll search Denny.

Hold the presses. This may be short and sweet. Try this:

Download the windows installer, 3.1 to the desktop.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=889482fc-5f56-4a38-b838-de776fd4138c&displaylang=en

Follow these directions (thanks to Symantec);

On the Windows desktop, click Start > Run.
In the Open line, type command and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type the following, depending on your version of Windows, and then press Enter after each line.

cd \windows\system32
ren msi.dll msi.old
ren msihnd.dll msihnd.old
ren msiexec.exe msiexec.old
exit
Restart the computer.
On the desktop, double-click WindowsInstaller-KB893803-x86.exe.
Follow the prompts to complete the installation.
Restart the computer.
Double-click the desktop installer file and see what happens; hope that error message doesn't pop up. If it does, disable all the startups as I outlined previously.

Message Edited by maxd on 04-30-200512:14 PM

Message Edited by maxd on 04-30-2005 12:14 PM

rumpl14 · Answer

maxd,

Thanks for all of your help. Unfortunately, the last suggestion did not work either. I decided to go ahead and start all over by reloading Win XP. I've finally gotten back to sp2 and all of the current updates. The problem with Windows Installer 3.1 is fixed.

Thanks again for all of your help.

maxd · Answer

You're welcome for the attempts. Did you install the chipset driver yet ? Ignore if already done.

dcmotorworks · Answer

Sounds like a corrupted update file. windows update will not attempt to re-download the file but it will try to install a corrupted file forever. After the first failed attempt to update, further attempts will list the file download size as zero. The corrupted file is saved in the Windows folder.  Look in windows folder (C:\windows) for a text file named 'windows update.log' and double click to open with notepad (there may be more than one but the logs have a date/time so find the one which corresponds with the last time you attempted an update).   This is the full log of update activity. look in the third collum for the word 'failure' and note the file it is refering to. The file will be located in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download  .   Delete that file and re-attempt windows update. It should now re-download the file and install succesfully.   DC

wewotti · Answer

Thanks for that answer dcmotorworks!!

I have had a problem for months with update.exe has encountered an error Failure Content Install Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0xd0000005: Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1.

I looked in c:\windows\softwaredistribution\downloads and in one directory there was a file referring to windows installer 3.1 so I deleted that catalog and made a new windows update request and all worked like a charm!!

Thank you again!

/Anders

timsmith10000 · Answer

I have this problem also, but sadly I cant find the right file. I have the error updates about the windows installer 3.1 but I cant find the file in that download folder. There are 4 files and 3 folders each named with different numbers and letters but I cant seem to see one that is linked

Windows General

Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 update not working

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