Installer service not available

When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
..NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
..NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
Thanks...

"John Sargent" <> wrote in message
news:3EDD0AD2-9D0F-4D16-8DF2-...
> When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
> after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
> available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
> .NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
> .NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
> Thanks...


What is the context of this error code?

FYI sometimes documentation provides explanations for the decimal
equivalents of the error codes you see displayed in hex. So as well
as searching for that code as you have written it you could be searching
for 0x641 OR 0x00000641 OR 00000641 OR 1601


Hmm...

<title>KB321497 - "Disk Error -- Reserved Error (-1601)"
error message when you try to install the Office XP Update</title>


Post more details if you need more help.

Try looking in the Event Viewer's Application log for clues
but more importantly look for any log files the installation
attempt might have created. E.g., use Search Companion to find files
which were changed on the day the update failed, use View Details,
and order by Date Modified.

Also tell us if you have the latest installer update (ref. KB893803)
For one method of checking see this article:

<title>Windows Installer fails silently after you upgrade to Windows Installer 3.1</title>
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898628


and please *always* disclose your OS when you ask for help.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Thanks for the reply. I got it resolved by uninstalling the Windows 3.1
Installer, installing the new antispyware program, then reinstalling the
Windows 3.1 Installer. Why it worked I don't know, but it did.

"Robert Aldwinckle" wrote:

> "John Sargent" <> wrote in message
> news:3EDD0AD2-9D0F-4D16-8DF2-...
> > When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
> > after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
> > available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
> > .NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
> > .NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
> > Thanks...
>
>
> What is the context of this error code?
>
> FYI sometimes documentation provides explanations for the decimal
> equivalents of the error codes you see displayed in hex. So as well
> as searching for that code as you have written it you could be searching
> for 0x641 OR 0x00000641 OR 00000641 OR 1601
>
>
> Hmm...
>
> <title>KB321497 - "Disk Error -- Reserved Error (-1601)"
> error message when you try to install the Office XP Update</title>
>
>
> Post more details if you need more help.
>
> Try looking in the Event Viewer's Application log for clues
> but more importantly look for any log files the installation
> attempt might have created. E.g., use Search Companion to find files
> which were changed on the day the update failed, use View Details,
> and order by Date Modified.
>
> Also tell us if you have the latest installer update (ref. KB893803)
> For one method of checking see this article:
>
> <title>Windows Installer fails silently after you upgrade to Windows Installer 3.1</title>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898628
>
>
> and please *always* disclose your OS when you ask for help.
>
>
> Good luck
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>
>

I am having the same problem

a brief history I removed the one care beta package, with some help from
microsoft, 'cause it would not update, and now defender will not update, nor
will office 2003, all return the same error code 0x641, a look at the log
gives me Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update
with error 0x80070641: Security Update for Excel 2003 (KB918419). A click on
the link gives the following: There is no additional information about this
issue in the Error and Event Log Messages or Knowledge Base databases at this
time. You can use the links in the Support area to determine whether any
additional information might be available elsewhere.

any ideas would be welcome

"John Sargent" wrote:

> When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
> after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
> available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
> .NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
> .NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
> Thanks...

How were you able to uninstall the Windows Installer? I appear to be having
a similar problem, but when I attempt to uninstall the installer nothing
happens. It won't uninstall. I can't get any 3rd party software to install
on my Win XP machine....and I can't even get a number of the Windows updates
to install. this is very frustrating. When I try to install the updates I
get Error Code: 0x641. When I try to install 3rd party software I get error
1719 "The windows installation service could not be accessed. This can occur
if you are running in safe mode or if the windows installer is not correctly
installed."

Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

"John Sargent" wrote:

> Thanks for the reply. I got it resolved by uninstalling the Windows 3.1
> Installer, installing the new antispyware program, then reinstalling the
> Windows 3.1 Installer. Why it worked I don't know, but it did.
>
> "Robert Aldwinckle" wrote:
>
> > "John Sargent" <> wrote in message
> > news:3EDD0AD2-9D0F-4D16-8DF2-...
> > > When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
> > > after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
> > > available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
> > > .NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
> > > .NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
> > > Thanks...
> >
> >
> > What is the context of this error code?
> >
> > FYI sometimes documentation provides explanations for the decimal
> > equivalents of the error codes you see displayed in hex. So as well
> > as searching for that code as you have written it you could be searching
> > for 0x641 OR 0x00000641 OR 00000641 OR 1601
> >
> >
> > Hmm...
> >
> > <title>KB321497 - "Disk Error -- Reserved Error (-1601)"
> > error message when you try to install the Office XP Update</title>
> >
> >
> > Post more details if you need more help.
> >
> > Try looking in the Event Viewer's Application log for clues
> > but more importantly look for any log files the installation
> > attempt might have created. E.g., use Search Companion to find files
> > which were changed on the day the update failed, use View Details,
> > and order by Date Modified.
> >
> > Also tell us if you have the latest installer update (ref. KB893803)
> > For one method of checking see this article:
> >
> > <title>Windows Installer fails silently after you upgrade to Windows Installer 3.1</title>
> > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898628
> >
> >
> > and please *always* disclose your OS when you ask for help.
> >
> >
> > Good luck
> >
> > Robert Aldwinckle
> > ---
> >
> >
> >

I am having the same exact problem as Jeremiah. I can't get any updates and I
keep getting the code 0x641. Also getting the code 0x80070643. It won't let
me install programs or games and keeps saying the computer is in safe mode
when it is not. Any help with this problem would be greatly
appreciated...This is very frustrating and haven't been able to find a
solution to the problem..Thanks.

"John Sargent" wrote:

> When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
> after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
> available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
> .NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
> .NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
> Thanks...

I hate to suggest it because it is an incredible pain in the backside and a
huge time suck....but after hours and hours of reading articles on
Microsoft.com and then trying endless suggestions from MSFT tech support
people, the problem remained and I had no choice but to back up my whole hard
drive to an external drive and then uninstall and reinstall Windows. Sucked,
but there was no other choice because I couldn't install anything. Good news
is that I freed up a couple Gig of space by gettind rid of all the build up
of junk files that accumulate over time every time you install and uninstall
programs.

Wish I had better news, but perhaps just conceding and going for the
reinstallation of Windows early on will ultimately save you more time.

"Gina Marie" wrote:

> I am having the same exact problem as Jeremiah. I can't get any updates and I
> keep getting the code 0x641. Also getting the code 0x80070643. It won't let
> me install programs or games and keeps saying the computer is in safe mode
> when it is not. Any help with this problem would be greatly
> appreciated...This is very frustrating and haven't been able to find a
> solution to the problem..Thanks.
>
> "John Sargent" wrote:
>
> > When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
> > after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
> > available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
> > .NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
> > .NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
> > Thanks...

"Gina Marie" <Gina > wrote in message
news:CA8FC1F7-2D50-4454-8F09-...
>I am having the same exact problem as Jeremiah. I can't get any updates and I
> keep getting the code 0x641. Also getting the code 0x80070643. It won't let
> me install programs or games and keeps saying the computer is in safe mode
> when it is not. Any help with this problem would be greatly
> appreciated...This is very frustrating and haven't been able to find a
> solution to the problem..


It often helps to convert those codes to decimal when searching.

E.g. 0x641 = 1601 0x0643 = 1603

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/229683/

(Live Search for
1601 site:microsoft.com
)


That isn't very interesting let's try focusing on the installer aspect:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/834484

(Live Search for
(1601 OR 1603) installer site:microsoft.com
)


> Thanks.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---


>
> "John Sargent" wrote:
>
>> When I try to update to the new MS antispyware program, message comes back
>> after installation starts and stops saying "MS installer service not
>> available". I 'm not in safe mode. Started after a failed installation of
>> .NET framework, which will not install either. Error code: 0x641 for failed
>> .NET framework, can't find anything about what it means. Help please?
>> Thanks...