 | By Fred Langa The Windows software Installer engine has been causing trouble since the early 1990s. Windows 7’s new Version 5 Installer engine is different from all those that came before, but it can mess up, too. Here’s how to fix it. |
Installer failure yields frustration
Reader Mel ran into an apparently intractable problem with the Windows Installer subsystem.
- “My brother and I have identical computers, same hardware, same operating system. But he does not have Windows Installer showing in Services.msc. He can install some software but not all.
“We are both running Windows 7 Professional, completely updated. I do not have any problem installing any software. I can install with no problems the exact same software that he is having trouble installing.
“I have tried about every fix that I have found on the Internet, but nothing has fixed the problem yet. I am open to trying anything short of formatting and reinstalling Windows. Any help would be appreciated.”
There, I feel better. You see, Windows Installer troubles have been around for a long, long time — all the way back to Windows 3.0! It’s been an ongoing source of user and IT frustration the entire time.
