When you no longer need an application or when the storage space is full, your first instinct is to uninstall some programs. We dont give much thought to the uninstallation processes until there are some issues with it.
The most common one about this is that you will not be able to uninstall the application or might see some error message in a dialog box. If you do not know what to do from here, we will take you on a tour.
This articles main goal is to help you uninstall the issues related to removing a service or an application from your computer and sometimes, installing them.
Table of Contents
- What Is The Windows Installer Service And What Does It Do?
- Sign That Your Windows Installer Service Is Having Problems
- Solutions To Resolve The Windows Installer Service Issue On Windows 10
- Fixing The Windows Installer Service Issue On Your Windows 10 PC
- Reset Your Windows Installer Service Settings Through The Registry Editor
- Restart The Windows Installer Service
- Register Your Microsoft Installer Service Another Time
- Run The regsvr32 Command
- Perform The SFC And DISM Scans On Your PC
- Remove The Previous Versions Of The Application
- Install The Windows Installer Redistributable For Your System
- Delete The Copy Of The msiexec.exe File
- Make Changes In The Remote Procedure Call Service Settings
- FAQs
- What Is Windows Installer?
- How To Fix Windows Installer Service Could Be Not Accessed Or Resolve Windows Installer Is Not Working Issue?
- What Can I Do If Windows Installer Service Could Not Be Accessed On Windows 10?
- Is it safe to stop Windows module installer?
What Is The Windows Installer Service And What Does It Do?
The Windows Installer is a Microsoft OS service that was created to help with software installation and removal, software deployment in corporate networks, and frequent issues such as shared .dll format incompatibilities.
The Windows Installer also contains a collection of criteria that developers must adhere to in order to use the service. Previously, the Windows Installer was known as Microsoft Installer [MSI]. As a result, the names of the API functions begin with msi, and the installation packages are of the .MSI format.
Sign That Your Windows Installer Service Is Having Problems
There is one big symptom that can be seen when you have an issue with the Windows Installer Service. If the issue exists, you will see this error message when you try to install a program on your system.
TheWindows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance.
You will find this error message very common in the Windows 7 and Windows Vista Operating System [OS] versions. Some similar issues that can be seen related to this issue are
- Windows Installer Servicecould not be accessed Safe Mode Applications couldnt be installed when the system is booted up in safe mode.
- Windows Installer not working Windows 10 No applications were able to be installed on a lot of computers powered by the Windows 10 OS.
- Windows could not start theWindows Installer Serviceon the local computer This error message can be gotten rid of by simply registering the Windows Installer Service again.
- Windows Installer Servicecould not be accessed error message when installing an application You may see this error message when you try to install a new application onto your system.
- Windows Installer Servicecould not be accessed error 1719, 1601 If you see the error 1719 or the error 1601 stop codes, they are associated with the Windows Installer Service.
- Windows Installer Servicecould not be accessed [Adobe Reader, Skype, Kaspersky, McAfee, .Net Framework 4] These are some of the applications that can affect the installation of other files on your computer.
- Windows Installer Servicecould not be accessed not correctly installed If your computer displays this error message, it means that the services settings may not be configured right.
Solutions To Resolve The Windows Installer Service Issue On Windows 10
These are the solutions we can use to fix the Windows Installer Service-related issues on your computer.
- Reset Your Windows Installer Service Settings Through The Registry Editor
- Restart The Windows Installer Service
- Register Your Microsoft Installer Service Another Time
- Run The regsvr32 Command
- Perform The SFC And DISM Scans On Your Pc
- Remove The Previous Versions Of The Application
- Install The Windows Installer Redistributable For Your System
- Delete The Copy Of The msiexec File
- Make Changes In The Remote Procedure Call Service Settings
Fixing The Windows Installer Service Issue On Your Windows 10 PC
Before getting into the fixes for this Windows Installer Service error message, we may have to consider the fact that the setup or any other source form can be faulty and the issue may not lie with your computer. It can be a virus or an incomplete download.
Viruses are generally removed after detection during download. Incomplete downloads wont run on your system and show an error dialog box when attempted to be run. With this piece of information in mind, let us proceed.
Reset Your Windows Installer Service Settings Through The Registry Editor
Resetting an aspect of the computer can fix the issue by changing the configurations back to default and getting rid of the unsaved or unwanted changes on your computer.
This is what we are going to try with the configurations of the Windows Installer Service. This is a complex process and has to be carried out with a lot of concern and caution.
Use the below-given steps to reboot the Windows Installer Service on your Windows 10 computer.
- Bring up the Registry Editor [regedit] window. You can use the search bar [Windows + S] or the Run tool [Windows + R] to open this window.
- When the Registry Editor window opens on your computer, open the File menu and go into the Export option.
- Set the Export range as All and choose the name of the file.
- Save this file so that you can jump back to this spot as a checkpoint.
- After creating this safe point, close the Registry Editor window.
- Then, open a Notepad window.
- In the window, copy and paste the below text
- Save the notepad as repair.reg, with the save as type set as All Files. We recommend saving the notepad file on the computer desktop.
- Once it is saved, right-click on the repair.reg file and choose the Run as administrator option. If you are not using the administrator profile, you may be asked to enter the password. If you are using the administrator profile, you can simply click on the Continue button.
- In the Registry key installation window, select Yes.
- Once these steps are completed, try installing the application again.
Restart The Windows Installer Service
Since the Windows Installer Service is a system service, you can always access it through the Services window. This is where we will try restarting this service to see if things are set straight. Heres how you can manually restart the Windows Installer service on your computer.
- Launch the Run tool [Windows + R] and run the services.msc command. The Enter key or the OK button will help you do this.
- Scroll down to the Windows Installer Service and right-click on it.
- From the context menu, choose the Properties option.
- In the Windows Installer Service Properties window, bring down the Startup type drop-down menu and select the Manual option.
- Then, set the Service value to Start.
- Save these changes by rebooting the system.
You should, now, be able to install the required application without any further issues.
Note: You can also use the same steps to check the status of the Windows Installer service. If this service isnt up and running, you wont be able to run installations.
Register Your Microsoft Installer Service Another Time
Registering the Microsoft Installer Service once again on your computer after deactivating it may be able to fix all issues related to the Microsoft Installer Service.
The method to do this can get a little complicated and you will need to execute some commands through the CMD window. Be cautious while you execute these steps.
Open the Quick Link menu [Windows key + X] and select the Command Prompt option.
There are two sets of commands that can be used to unregister and re-register the Windows Installer Service from your computer, depending on the OS type of your computer.
If your computer has a 64-bit OS, run these command lines
%windir%system32msiexec.exe /unregister %windir%system32msiexec.exe /regserver %windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /unregister %windir%syswow64msiexec.exe /regserverFor 32-bit OS, you can use these commands
msiexec /unregister msiexec /regserverOnce these commands are successfully executed, reboot your computer to save these changes. Now, when these steps have been completed, try installing the application onto your computer.
Run The regsvr32 Command
Regsvr32 is a command-line application for registering and unregistering OLE controls in the Windows Registry, such as DLLs and ActiveX controls.
This command can be used to fix the Windows Installer Service issue[s] by clearing the registration of the appropriate file/service and then, registering it back again.
This will set the configurations of this application source and the Windows Installer service and let you install it, without displaying any future issues.
- Open the Windows Command Prompt utility on your computer.
- Once the window is up, type in this execution line: regsvr32 c:windowssystem32msi
- Hit the Enter key to run this command.
Perform The SFC And DISM Scans On Your PC
There are two scans that we generally recommend for any issue that arises from the Windows OS. They are effective for fixing any corrupt file that is present in the computers storage drives.
By fixing the missing or corrupted system files, they get rid of most variants of the Windows Installer Service error that has occurred on your computer.
A System File Check scan [SFC] is a scanning tool that detects file damage and replaces it with a fresh and compatible copy of the same file so that the system operates fast and efficiently.
- In the search box on the left side of the taskbar, type cmd and select Run as Administrator from the results. This will launch a Command prompt with system administrator rights on your computer. You can also choose Command Prompt from the fast link menu [Admin].
- Now, type the following command into the script window and press Enter to run it: sfc /scannow
The Deployment Image Servicing and Management [DISM] utility is a built-in system scanning tool that may be used to make changes to the installation media for the Windows 10 OS, as well as to detect and repair issues with the Windows image file.
In the search box at the bottom of your screen, type cmd and then select Run as Administrator from the results. This will bring up a command prompt with administrative rights.
A series of commands make up the DISM tool. All of the following instructions must be executed in the sequence listed:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Checkhealth DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /RestorehealthRemove The Previous Versions Of The Application
Another important factor that causes most of the Windows Installer Service issues is the existence of older versions of the application we wish to install. We recommend uninstalling them before you try updating the application to another version.
You can also try uninstalling the software and installing it again. The only setback for this solution is that it can be time-consuming. The easiest way to uninstall an application on Windows is to use the uninstall wizard or the Add or Remove Programs page in the Windows settings.
Note: When you try uninstalling the application, you may face the Windows Installer Service could not be accessed error dialog box. If this is your case, you will be left with no other option but to use a third-party application management tool.
Install The Windows Installer Redistributable For Your System
The Windows Installer is the element of the Windows PC that is responsible for laying a basement out on your computer, for applications to be installed.
If your computer does not have it or the updated version of the Windows Installer, the OS prevents you from installing software on your system.
This is generally used by software developers to help their products or services be compatible with the system and to allow them to install them on computers. This component can be downloaded in the form of a redistributable package, from the Microsoft support website.
Once the download is complete, open the downloaded redistributable package and use the on-screen instructions to install it on your computer. To set these newly-made changes on your computer, restart it.
Delete The Copy Of The msiexec.exe File
Your system could have another copy of the msiexec.exe file, meaning that the Windows Installer Service could have trouble finding which file should help with the installation of any application you want.
The ideal solution here is to locate and get rid of the other, unnecessary msiexec.exe file. This is what you have to do now.
- Launch a Windows Explorer window [Windows + E] and go to this directory: C:\Windows\System32.
- Look for the msiexec.exe file. There are chances that there is a msiexec file, without the .exe file extension.
- Find the file without the application extension and rename it to msiexec.old.
Once you are done, restart the Windows Installer service process and after that, reboot the system.
Make Changes In The Remote Procedure Call Service Settings
The Remote Procedure Call [RPC] service is the Windows component that helps client-based applications communicate with the OS and other essential applications.
If the settings for this service are misconfigured, you may face issues when you try to install or remove an application from your computer. With the below settings, you should be able to change the settings for the Remove Procedure Call service.
- Bring up the Services window and navigate to the Remote Procedure Cell service.
- Open the Properties window for this service by double-clicking on it.
- Then, go into the Log on tab.
- In this window, click on the Log on as Local System Account and check the Allow this service to interact with the desktop option.
- Apply these changes to your computer and reboot it.
The above-given are the solutions that will help you fix all types of Windows Installer service-related issues on the Windows OS. If you are still experiencing this issue, we suggest that you talk to a professional or contact Windows support, both of whom should be able to help you deal with this issue.
FAQs
What Is Windows Installer?
The Windows Installer is a Microsoft OS feature intended to facilitate package loading or unloading, software distribution in operating systems, and common concerns like shared .dll formatting inconsistencies. The Windows Installer was previously known as Microsoft Installer [MSI]. As a result, the API functions have names that start with msi, and the installation packages are always in the .MSI format.
How To Fix Windows Installer Service Could Be Not Accessed Or Resolve Windows Installer Is Not Working Issue?
If you are facing the Windows Installer Service couldnt be accessed issue on your computer, you can reset the Windows Installer Service, restart the service through the Services application, re-register the Windows Installer service, run the SFC, DISM, and regsvr32 command, delete the outdated application versions, download a Windows Installer package & install it and delete the duplicated msiexec file in the System32 folder.
What Can I Do If Windows Installer Service Could Not Be Accessed On Windows 10?
If the Windows Installer Service is displaying an error message when you try to access it through an application installation or removal process, heres what you can do.
Reset the Windows Installer Service
Restart the Windows Installer
Re-register the Windows Installer
Perform SFC and DISM scans
Execute the regsvr32 command in CMD
Install the compatible Windows Installer redistributable on your system
Is it safe to stop Windows module installer?
One can stop the Windows module installer from running on your computer. However, it is not advisable as the system will be prevented from getting OS updates. If you are worried about safety issues regarding this, disabling the Windows Module Installer does not affect the functioning of the system in any way.