Windows Update has been returning a message "The windows installer could not be accessed" and error message #'s 641 & 80070641

The items to update were related to Net framework & Office 2007 - 12 updates in all. - error message # 641 & 80070641. This problem has been going on for about 4 weeks. I tried all the "fixes" I could locate on the Microsoft website, which included using their "fix it', plus many, many other options. Then lately, other programs were also not able to be updated due to this problem.

Through utter frustration I decided to reformat C drive two days ago.

After getting everything back on the system it worked for a day. I then got a message about the photo screensaver - "The app has failed to start because MSVCR100.dll was not found". Back to the website to find a solution. I tried all I could find including trying to download M Visual C++2008,2010. Now the original problem returned  -  "The windows installer could not be accessed..." so it could instal anything. The earlier updates that could not be downloaded were downloaded in the update following the reformat & prior to the problem returning. I would have thought that a reformat should have solved the original problem.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION

RESPONSE

I tried both the articles you (ABOVE)provided and their problem solvers with varied success. The second option was the best but the only advanced I am is that I now have the latest version of Windows Installer V4.5. I'm sure that in past couple of days I had already tried most of their solutions without success.

Now every time I attempt to use Windows Update I still get the error message 80070641 & when I leave the computer for a while & come back, and the screensaver was supposed to be on, the MSVCR100 message pops up.

I have thought of upgrading to Windows 7 but reformat I did two days ago hasn't seemed to have any use in overcoming the problem, so I therefore reluctant to pour more money into the exercise at this stage.

Are there any other solution that I can try

MORE SUGGESTIONS

Hi,

Hope it helps.

RESPONSE

I started to follow the steps in the first article but found that I was unable to download Java, some changed settings would put my computer at risk.

Apart from that nobody has explained why the problem exists AFTER A REFORMAT.

To continue to complete the istructions in article 1 & then article would take me many more hours to complete. I shouldn't have to waste all that time on somebody else fault product

The same old problem keep coming back about WINDOWS INSTALLER is not correctly installed. sometimes the settings show the thing has stopped while other times it is on start. In any event it is still working.


Is it possible to UPGRADE the operating system or buy a brand new one to overcome this problem. At least this way it will only take a limited numbers of hours to reach a happy conclusion. The only other solution I can see is to switch to APPLE which has a very good reputation and even one of my friends, who knows absolutely nothing about computers, can operate successfully.

FINALLY

During the last re format I noticed that all was fine UNTIL i loaded Dell PC Tuneup now called System mechanic. When I loaded this software the problem came back very quickly.

I then re formatted for the umteenth time without the Dell software and have not had a problem

Does anybody have a solution to the Dell software issue

Thanks