How to locate the cause of error code 1603 in a verbose MSI log file
There is a trick I use very often when trying to figure out why an MSI-based setup is failing that I wanted to share with everyone. I believe it is commonly known among setup developers and people who have to troubleshoot failed setups, but I could not find any "official" documentation for it. This trick helps narrow down the root cause of error code 1603, which is a generic catch-all error code that means "fatal error during installation". The 1603 error code is returned when any action fails during an installation, and most commonly it indicates that one of the custom actions in the MSI failed.
When I encounter a failed setup with return code 1603, here are the steps that I follow:
Re-run the setup with verbose logging enabled using steps similar to those that I listed here (if there is not already a verbose log file available). Those steps will generate a verbose log file named msi*.log in the %temp% directory the next time the setup package is executed.
Important note - some MSI-based setups, including the .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5 and higher and Visual Studio, will not create log files named %temp%\msi*.log even if using the instructions listed below. Please see this blog post for more details about why that is the case and also for a list of some products that I know of that use different log file creation logic and the locations of the log files that they create.
Open the verbose log in a text editor such as notepad and search for the string "return value 3". In nearly all cases, this takes me to the section in the verbose log that lists the action that failed that initially caused setup to rollback.
Review the contents of the log file immediately above the "return value 3" string to determine which custom action or standard action failed.
Depending on which action is failing, I will proceed to more detailed debugging from here
I find that the biggest hurdle to debugging a failed setup is often zeroing in on which part of the setup is actually failing, and this trick of searching for "return value 3" ends up helping speed this process up in nearly all cases. Of course, it does not work in 100% of scenarios. Notably, if you are running setup on a non-English version of Windows, the string "return value 3" is written to the log file in the language of the operating system instead of in English, so string searches will not work.
Also note that there is an MSI verbose log parsing tool in the Windows Installer PSDK that is also very useful in locating errors inside verbose log files. You can read more about this parsing tool (called wilogutl.exe) by clicking here. This tool is more thorough in identifying errors, but most often I end up not using it because it is faster to open the log in notepad and do a string search than it is to load up the parsing tool, browse to the log file, wait for it to parse the whole log and then read the output it produces.
<update date="1/21/2009"> Added a caveat to these instructions indicating that some setups create their own verbose logs and enabling verbose logging using the Windows Installer logging registry keys will not work as expected for those setups. </update>
Comments
Anonymous
August 09, 2005
I have had a few customers report problems installing the .NET Framework 2.0 with the following symptoms:...Anonymous
August 09, 2005
I have had a few customers report problems installing the .NET Framework 2.0 with the following symptoms:...Anonymous
August 18, 2005
A little while back I described a method of searching for errors in a verbose MSI log file.&nbsp; At...Anonymous
August 23, 2005
A little while back I described a method of searching for errors in a verbose MSI log file.&nbsp; At...Anonymous
August 22, 2006
The comment has been removedAnonymous
August 25, 2006
Hi Ubhatnagar - Can you check and see if you have any error logs named dd_msi.txt in your %temp% directory? The log file you are currently looking in is not a verbose MSI log, so you will not see "return value 3" in that log. If you are unable to find the log with the error, please zip and send me any logs named %temp%dd_msi.txt at Aaron.Stebner (at) Microsoft (dot) com and I will try to help you find the root cause.Anonymous
September 07, 2006
I received a mail from a customer this week regarding an installation failure that proved to be fairly...Anonymous
November 25, 2006
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November 26, 2006
Hi Bahadir - There is a full list of log files produced by the .NET Framework 3.0 setup package at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/10/30/net-framework-3-0-setup-log-files.aspx.In this case, the log file named %temp%dd_WF_3.0_x86retMSI*.txt should contain the exact error information for this failure. Can you please check and see if you have this log, and send it to me via email at Aaron.Stebner (at) Microsoft (dot) com so I can take a look and see if I can figure anything out?Anonymous
March 31, 2007
To resolve this issue, reinstall all .Net 3.0 product by using .Net 3.0 Uninstaller tool.Open machine.config file of .Net 2.0 Framework and change encoding format from UTF-8 to UTF-16.Anonymous
April 04, 2007
I often get asked questions about how to read, interpret and find error information in verbose WindowsAnonymous
April 20, 2007
Rob Mensching, father of Windows Installer XML (WiX), blogs about why managed custom actions are a badAnonymous
July 03, 2007
Rob Mensching, father of Windows Installer XML (WiX), blogs about why managed custom actions are a badAnonymous
August 02, 2007
Problems when installing .NET Framework 3.5 (Pre-Release Version)Anonymous
September 25, 2007
Neat Tip To Enable Verbose Installer LoggingAnonymous
October 19, 2007
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October 19, 2007
Hi Caranosian - The .NET Framework 3.0 creates its own set of logs, so the verbose logging instructions that I provided won't cause additional logs to be created in this case. You can find a list of logs created by .NET Framework 3.0 setup at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/10/30/net-framework-3-0-setup-log-files.aspx. If you have trouble finding the source of the error in those logs, please zip and send them to me and I'll try to take a look. You can send them to Aaron.Stebner (at) microsoft (dot) com.Anonymous
December 01, 2007
Hi, I'm having this error when installing .Net Framework 3.0 on Windows XPError 25015.Failed to install assembly 'C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv2.0.50727System.Management.dll' because of system error: The system cannot find the path specified.It's kinda weird since I can see the file there in that folder. Thx youAnonymous
December 02, 2007
Hi Shagpub - I'd suggest trying the steps listed at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2005/10/11/479928.aspx to clean off and re-install the .NET Framework 2.0, and then hopefully the .NET Framework 3.0 will install correctly after that.If those steps do not help, then one of the following might also be useful:http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/09/04/739820.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/11/25/disabling-services-with-msconfig-to-work-around-setup-failures.aspxAnonymous
December 10, 2007
Every once in a while, I hear from a customer who has encountered an error while trying to install DocumentAnonymous
December 10, 2007
Every once in a while, I hear from a customer who has encountered an error while trying to install DocumentAnonymous
December 10, 2007
PingBack from http://msdnrss.thecoderblogs.com/2007/12/10/possible-workaround-for-errors-during-installation-of-document-explorer-2005-and-2008/Anonymous
March 28, 2008
I often get questions from fellow employees or customers who find my blog regarding how to troubleshootAnonymous
June 04, 2008
Hi Aaron,Can you tell me what is return code 3? I am getting this return code at the end of the Popfly Explorer beta install when it's trying to register itself with VS2005. Thanks!MSI (s) (54:F8) [14:42:39:205]: Executing op: CustomActionSchedule(Action=Launch_VS_80_DEVENV,ActionType=3122,Source=C:Program FilesMicrosoft Visual Studio 8Common7IDEDevEnv.exe,Target=/setup,)MSI (s) (54:F8) [14:43:59:273]: Note: 1: 1722 2: Launch_VS_80_DEVENV 3: C:Program FilesMicrosoft Visual Studio 8Common7IDEDevEnv.exe 4: /setupError 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action Launch_VS_80_DEVENV, location: C:Program FilesMicrosoft Visual Studio 8Common7IDEDevEnv.exe, command: /setupMSI (s) (54:F8) [14:44:00:927]: Product: Microsoft Popfly Explorer Beta (1.0.30319.0) -- Error 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action Launch_VS_80_DEVENV, location: C:Program FilesMicrosoft Visual Studio 8Common7IDEDevEnv.exe, command: /setupAction ended 14:44:00: InstallFinalize. Return value 3.Anonymous
June 04, 2008
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June 17, 2008
When I am attempting to investigate a setup-related failure, I typically end up looking at verbose logAnonymous
September 09, 2008
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September 09, 2008
Hi Melamason - You sent me some log files via email, and in one of them, I see the 1402 access denied error listed in your comment - in that case, you need to make sure that the local system account and the Administrators group on the computer both have full control over the registry key in question in order to correct the access denied error.In the other 3 of the log files, I see an error in the ServiceModelReg.exe custom action. I usually recommend the steps listed at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2008/03/28/8342307.aspx. For your logs, I've already done steps 1-3 in that blog post to narrow down the action that is causing the error, and you'll need to try steps 4 and 5 to see if you can find the cause of that error.Hopefully this helps.Anonymous
November 30, 2008
PingBack from http://justindevine.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/visual-studio-2008-sp1-installation-errors-and-error-code-1603/Anonymous
December 10, 2008
Hi Arron,I am having trouble installing .Net Framework 3.0, i had the same error with framework 3.5 so i did a complete uninstall of previous installations using your cleanup tool. I was able to reinstalled version 2.0 adn 2.0 sp1 but i get the error code 1603 when trying to install 3.0 here is the <a href="http://dporiginals.co.cc/dd_wcf_retMSI47BF.txt">Verbose log</a>. I would greatly apreciate if you could help me out here.Thanks,IjaasAnonymous
December 11, 2008
Hi Ijaas Yunoos - Your log file shows that the ServiceModelReg custom action is failing on your system, and that causes .NET 3.0 setup to fail. I have posted some ideas about how to troubleshoot that type of failure at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2008/03/28/8342307.aspx. I've already done steps 1-3 for you, so you can skip to step 4.Alternatively, you can also try to install the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 instead of the original 3.5. The 3.5 SP1 installer will install 3.0 SP2 behind the scenes as a prerequisite, and 3.0 SP2 has some modified setup logic that will not cause the entire installation to fail if this ServiceModelReg custom action fails.Hopefully one of these helps.Anonymous
December 11, 2008
Thanks Arron,I used the easy method of installing 3.5 Sp1 and it worked.Thanks.Anonymous
January 18, 2009
PingBack from http://www.keyongtech.com/3249920-installing-net-3-5-aAnonymous
January 21, 2009
The comment has been removedAnonymous
January 21, 2009
Hi Tomas Portnoy - The .NET Framework installers configure their own verbose logging, so using the registry key to enable verbose logging and then searching for msi*.log doesn't work for these setups. Can you please use the list of log files at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2008/04/30/8445569.aspx to find the .NET Framework setup log files from your system, and then zip and upload them to a file server so I can try to take a look?Anonymous
January 22, 2009
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January 22, 2009
Hi Tomas Portnoy - Thanks for posting these logs. There is an additional log file that is needed to narrow down this failure further. From the logs you posted, this is the name and location of the additional log that we need to look at next:[01/22/09,20:46:43] Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 SP2 x86: Enabling MSI log file: C:DOCUME~1PROLET~1LOCALS~1Tempdd_NET_Framework30_Setup21A2.txtCan you zip and post that log as well?Anonymous
January 22, 2009
Hi Aaron. I take a look at the dd_NET_Framework30_Setup21A2.txt file and searched for the "return value 3" string.I found it and take another look at the string just above:Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 2 -- Erreur 1402. Impossible d’ouvrir la clé HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareClasses.xpsPersistentHandler. Erreur système 5. Vérifiez que vous disposez des droits d’accès nécessaires.It was saying that the reg key was unable to be open, so i gave me the rights of "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareClasses.xps" from the regedit pannel, and the installation goes fine!!It's annoying to see how often the keys are restricted even when you're the administrator!Thank you for you help sir. I wounldn't be able to do nothing without your help...Anonymous
January 23, 2009
Hi Tomas Portnoy - I'm glad to hear that you were about to find the cause of and the fix for this issue. I agree - it is really unfortunate that ACLs can be removed for the Administrators group like this and can cause installers to fail in very cryptic ways.Anonymous
February 15, 2009
Hello Aaron,I am having this same problem! Everytime I try run Visual Studio 2008, I get mass errors and then it loads but I can not create a project.. So I uninstalled and now when I reinstall I get the error!I have done the verbose logging (I think) which I will email to you.. Any help would be appreciated!Anonymous
February 15, 2009
Hi BMort - I received an email from you, but the log you sent is not a verbose log file from VS 2008 setup though. There is an important note listed in the instructions in this blog post, and it links to http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2008/02/27/7927123.aspx. That blog post explains that some installers enable their own verbose logging, and when that happens, the technique of enabling logging using the registry value and then looking for msi*.log does not work. You can find the names and locations of the verbose log files created by VS 2008 setup at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2007/07/31/4156781.aspx.Anonymous
March 06, 2009
I was working with our product support team on an interesting .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 installation failureAnonymous
March 12, 2009
Here are the results from the verbose MSI log:MSI (s) (2C!44) [17:39:01:906]: Closing MSIHANDLE (39) of type 790531 for thread 2372MSI (s) (2C:48) [17:39:02:000]: Closing MSIHANDLE (38) of type 790536 for thread 348MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:02:062]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=SelfRegModules,Description=Registering modules,Template=File: [1], Folder: [2])Action 17:39:02: SelfRegModules. Registering modulesMSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:02:172]: Executing op: ProgressTotal(Total=3,Type=1,ByteEquivalent=1300000)MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:02:218]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=C:WINDOWSsystem32)MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:02:265]: Executing op: RegSelfReg(File=mscoree.dll,FileID=FL_mscoree_dll_____X86.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8)SelfRegModules: File: mscoree.dll, Folder: C:WINDOWSsystem32MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:03:078]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705)MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:03:140]: Executing op: RegSelfReg(File=mscordbi.dll,FileID=FL_mscordbi_dll_____X86.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8)SelfRegModules: File: mscordbi.dll, Folder: C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:03:359]: Executing op: RegSelfReg(File=mscorsec.dll,FileID=FL_mscorsec_dll_____X86.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8)SelfRegModules: File: mscorsec.dll, Folder: C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:03:546]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=CA_ComRegSystemData.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8,,)Action 17:39:03: CA_ComRegSystemData.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8.MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:03:671]: Executing op: CustomActionSchedule(Action=CA_ComRegSystemData.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8,ActionType=3073,Source=BinaryData,Target=_QuietExec@4,CustomActionData=C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705RegAsm.exe C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705System.Data.dll;System.Data.dll;C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705)MSI (s) (2C:5C) [17:39:03:750]: Creating MSIHANDLE (40) of type 790536 for thread 348MSI (s) (2C:28) [17:39:03:812]: Invoking remote custom action. DLL: C:WINDOWSInstallerMSI7D.tmp, Entrypoint: _QuietExec@4MSI (s) (2C!70) [17:39:03:843]: Creating MSIHANDLE (41) of type 790531 for thread 24161: C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705RegAsm.exe C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705System.Data.dllMSI (s) (2C!70) [17:39:05:765]: Creating MSIHANDLE (42) of type 790531 for thread 24161: ERROR: Process returned non-0 value! CMDLINE: C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705RegAsm.exe C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705System.Data.dllMSI (s) (2C!70) [17:39:05:999]: Closing MSIHANDLE (42) of type 790531 for thread 24161: FailedMSI (s) (2C!70) [17:39:06:078]: Closing MSIHANDLE (41) of type 790531 for thread 2416MSI (s) (2C:28) [17:39:06:109]: Closing MSIHANDLE (40) of type 790536 for thread 348Any ideas on what the issue might be?Anonymous
March 17, 2009
Hi ZachSmith - This is the action that is causing .NET Framework 1.0 to fail:C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705RegAsm.exe C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.0.3705System.Data.dllRegAsm is essentially trying to write some registry keys for System.Data.dll. I'm not sure why that action would fail though. What OS are you seeing this happen on?If you haven't yet, I'd suggest trying to use the steps listed at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2008/03/07/8108332.aspx to remove all versions of the .NET Framework, then install the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 from the link at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=AB99342F-5D1A-413D-8319-81DA479AB0D7.After installing 3.5 SP1, I'd suggest trying again to install the .NET Framework 1.0 and see if it works better after that.Anonymous
May 07, 2009
I have heard from a few folks recently (such as this blog comment and this forum post ) who have runAnonymous
July 28, 2009
Hi.I had no luck trying this...i searched the log file but no "return value 3" was found, so could i email the log to you?I've had no luck installing .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 for days on end now...just constant error and failing and crashing of the setup.exe.Thanks, Ryan.Anonymous
July 28, 2009
Hi Ryani210693 - Can you please use the tool described at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2007/08/01/4172276.aspx to gather your .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 setup log files, then post the file vslogs.cab that this tool produces on a file server (such as http://skydrive.live.com) and then reply here with a link to the log files? I will download them and take a look and see what I can figure out about the root cause of the setup failure from there.Anonymous
July 29, 2009
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July 29, 2009
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July 29, 2009
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July 30, 2009
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July 30, 2009
Hi.I would give that a go...but the OptionalFeatures.exe list of items shows blank strangely? I looked this up and came across the System File Checker Scan- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931712I ran the scan but it said it could not fix some corrupt files, but said that the same CBS type logs were created again. I feel like I'm going round in circles!Do i have to go through the OptionalFeatures.exe? Can i simply downlaod the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 package?Apologies for the many questions...thanks, for your help! Ryan.Anonymous
July 30, 2009
Hi Ryani210693 - If your Windows Features dialog is still blank after renaming those registry values, then that means there is still something wrong with your OS update installation engine, and .NET 3.5 SP1 will end up failing for the same reason.I described how I have solved that issue with the blank Windows Features dialog in the blog post I previously linked to - http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2009/01/09/9303167.aspx. Can you try to re-run CheckSUR and see if it shows any additional errors and try to work around those as well?Anonymous
July 30, 2009
When attempting to actually rename the keys i get this error- http://www.grabup.com/uploads/4100311A07732009B901E3002E04.png?directI've ran regedit as administrator and also tried to change permissions, but similar error messages occur.Anonymous
July 30, 2009
Hi Ryani210693 - I'd suggest trying to rename the subkey instead of just the InstallName value. If that gives the same error, you may need to right-click on the sub-key, choose Permissions... and grant your user account full control over that sub-key so that you can successfully rename it.Anonymous
July 31, 2009
Hi.I managed to successfully change permissions and rename the keys.I loaded up OptionalFeatures.exe once again yet the list remains blank.I shall re-run the CheckSUR and report back!Thanks, Ryan.Anonymous
July 31, 2009
Hi.I have now deleted the keys after making a backup, and the OptionalFeatures.exe now shows the list.I have ticked the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 option, and there were no errors or the like. So does this mean it is installed? I cannot see it in the list of installed programs/features?Is it now possible for me to install 3.5 SP1 on top of this without any errors?Thanks for your help once again, Ryan.Anonymous
July 31, 2009
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July 31, 2009
Hi.Success! Both installed and running fine. The help has been extremely valuable and a great method of looking at the logs that may help in the future for any problems!I had to delete the keys, not just rename them for this to work. Then OptionalFeatures.exe worked, allowing me to have 3.0 installed. On top of that, Windows Update then successfully installed 3.5 SP1 that was waiting to be installed.Thanks once again for the help! Ryan.Anonymous
August 10, 2009
Hi! I am unable to install the .NET Framework 3.0 on my Windows XP Pro laptop. I followed the above steps and I do a dd_wcf_retMSI704C.txt file that got created.MSI (s) (6C:E0) [15:15:58:712]: Hello, I'm your 32bit Elevated custom action server.MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: User policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0Action ended 15:16:10: InstallFinalize. Return value 3.MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: Executing op: Header(Signature=1397708873,Version=301,Timestamp=990542326,LangId=0,Platform=0,ScriptType=2,ScriptMajorVersion=21,ScriptMinorVersion=4,ScriptAttributes=1)MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: Executing op: DialogInfo(Type=0,Argument=0)MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: Executing op: DialogInfo(Type=1,Argument=Windows Communication Foundation)MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: Executing op: RollbackInfo(,RollbackAction=Rollback,RollbackDescription=Rolling back action:,RollbackTemplate=[1],CleanupAction=RollbackCleanup,CleanupDescription=Removing backup files,CleanupTemplate=File: [1])MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=DD_CA_InstallXwsRegExe_X86.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8,,)MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:852]: Executing op: ProductInfo(ProductKey={491DD792-AD81-429C-9EB4-86DD3D22E333},ProductName=Windows Communication Foundation,PackageName=wcf.msi,Language=0,Version=50336154,Assignment=1,ObsoleteArg=0,,,PackageCode={A63B31E5-2445-4C91-BD89-4532D7F4D434},,,InstanceType=0,LUASetting=0,RemoteURTInstalls=0)MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:868]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=DD_CA_InstallXwsRegExe_RB_X86.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8,,)MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:10:868]: Executing op: CustomActionRollback(Action=DD_CA_InstallXwsRegExe_RB_X86.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8,ActionType=1345,Source=BinaryData,Target=QuietExec,CustomActionData=C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv3.0Windows Communication FoundationServiceModelReg.exe /u /x /y /v;dummy;C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv2.0.50727)MSI (s) (6C:38) [15:16:10:899]: Invoking remote custom action. DLL: C:WINDOWSInstallerMSI36.tmp, Entrypoint: QuietExecMSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:14:133]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=WriteRegistryValues,Description=Writing system registry values,Template=Key: [1], Name: [2], Value: [3])MSI (s) (6C:E4) [15:16:14:133]: Executing op: RegOpenKey(Root=-2147483646,Key=SYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesSMSvcHost 3.0.0.0Performance,,BinaryType=0)Any help would be appreciated.Anonymous
August 10, 2009
Hi Russiawolf - It looks like you're running into a failure with the same custom action that I described in the blog post at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2008/03/28/8342307.aspx. I'd suggest trying the steps listed there to see if they help you in this scenario.Anonymous
March 07, 2010
Hi, I have tried to install Synctoy in my MS Server 2003 but failed. According to the install log file, code 1603 appeared.Could you please advise? I have already gotten .NET 2.0 & 3.0.ThanksAnonymous
March 08, 2010
Hi Terryamk - Can you please use the steps listed at http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2005/03/29/help-me-help-you-if-you-have-setup-bugs.aspx to enable verbose logging, upload your log files to a file server such as http://skydrive.live.com, and then reply here with a link to the log files? I can download it and take a look to see if I can figure anything out about why this installation is failing on your computer.Anonymous
March 10, 2010
Hi AaronThanks for your reply and I will try.But before that, I would like to ask what is the difference between the verbose logging & the original install log. Verbose logging shows more details?Thanks a lot.TerryAnonymous
March 10, 2010
Hi AaronI have followed the steps and get the log file:http://cid-96a691a2f51ca411.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/MSI49e8a.LOGThanks.TerryAnonymous
March 11, 2010
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June 06, 2010
Hi, Aaron,I got the error number 1603 while trying to install visual studio 2008 on windows 7. It stops on installing the pre-requisites. I close the windows firewall, I run the setup program as administrator. But I was not able to install the program.any suggestions.Anonymous
June 06, 2010
Hi Watercad - Visual Studio 2008 setup automatically creates verbose logs that can be used to debug this type of failure. Can you please use the tool described at blogs.msdn.com/.../6458047.aspx to gather your VS 2008 setup log files, post the file that it creates at %temp%vslogs.cab to a file server (such as http://skydrive.live.com) and then reply back here with a link to your log files so I can download them and take a further look?Anonymous
September 02, 2010
Action ended 11:17:25: InstallInitialize. Return value 1.Action start 11:17:25: ProcessComponents.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:745]: Doing action: CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8Action ended 11:17:25: ProcessComponents. Return value 1.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CustomAction 3: -2147287038MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CustomAction 3: -2147287038MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Note: 1: 2235 2: 3: ExtendedType 4: SELECTAction,Type,Source,Target, NULL,ExtendedTypeFROMCustomActionWHEREAction= 'CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8'MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CustomAction 3: -2147287038MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:776]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:792]: Transforming table CustomAction.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:792]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CustomAction 3: -2147287038MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:792]: Note: 1: 2721 2: CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8Action start 11:17:25: CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8.DEBUG: Error 2721: Custom action CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8 not found in Binary table streamMSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:839]: Product: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2 -- The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2721. The arguments are: CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8, ,The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2721. The arguments are: CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8, ,MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:839]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:839]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInstallerRollbackScripts 3: 2Action ended 11:17:25: CA_ScheduleUpdateAssemblyRB.3643236F_FC70_11D3_A536_0090278A1BB8. Return value 3.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:854]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInstallerRollbackScripts 3: 2MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:854]: No System Restore sequence number for this installation.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:854]: Unlocking ServerMSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:932]: Transforming table InstallExecuteSequence.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:932]: Transforming table InstallExecuteSequence.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:932]: Note: 1: 2262 2: InstallExecuteSequence 3: -2147287038MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:932]: Transforming table InstallExecuteSequence.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:932]: Transforming table InstallExecuteSequence.MSI (s) (FC:20) [11:17:25:932]: Note: 1: 2262 2: InstallExecuteSequence 3: -2147287038Action ended 11:17:25: INSTALL. Return value 3.Anonymous
September 02, 2010
Hi Ree2 - In the past, when I've heard from people who encountered this type of error from the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, I have suggested using the steps listed at blogs.msdn.com/.../8108332.aspx to remove the .NET Framework and then re-install the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (which will also install the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and 3.0 SP2 for you behind the scenes).Anonymous
February 16, 2011
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February 17, 2011
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February 17, 2011
Hi AronI build and ran the unattend file (dl.dropbox.com/.../unattended_no_sql.ini) on a freshly installed Win7 machine.Running the same setup (deselection only 'Sql Server' and 'Crystal Reports' stuff) works fine, only this time I get success and failure at the same time when the process concludes (dl.dropbox.com/.../SuccessOrFailure.png).Any ideas?regards/andersAnonymous
February 18, 2011
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February 20, 2011
Aaron, you're the man!That was just what the doctor ordered, my install works like a charm now.Thanks a lot :-)Anonymous
February 24, 2011
Диагноз!!!Error.Ошибка установки framework 3.5 для windows xp msi returned error code 1603 wapui depcheckПримерное сообщение:[11/09/10,11:10:10] WapUI: [2] DepCheck indicates Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a x64 is not installed.[11/09/10,20:33:26] Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a x64: [2] Error: Installation failed for component Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a x64. MSI returned error code 1603MSI returned error code 1603РегМон(RegMon=ProcessMonitor) показал ACCESS DENIEDHKCRMsxml2.DOMDocumentHKCRMsxml2.DOMDocumentCLSIDHKCRMsxml2.DOMDocumentCurVerHKCRMSXML.DOMDocumentHKCRMSXML.DOMDocumentCLSIDHKCRMSXML.DOMDocumentCurVerРешение(исправил)ResolveРегЕдитом(RegEdit)Give all rightsДал все права"System"Установилось.не ставится msi returned error code 1603 "windows xp" "net framework 3.5" wapui depcheckAnonymous
February 25, 2011
Hi Hoha - For this type of access denied error, I'd suggest trying the tool and the steps described at blogs.msdn.com/.../solving-setup-errors-by-using-the-subinacl-tool-to-repair-file-and-registry-permissions.aspx to see if they help fix your file/folder/registry permissions.For a Windows Installer setup, you will need to make sure that the local system account and the Administrators group have full control over the registry locations that need to be updated by the setup program.Anonymous
April 30, 2011
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May 01, 2011
Hi Dima - Can you please use the tool described at blogs.msdn.com/.../6458047.aspx to collect all of your .NET Framework setup log files, upload the file named %temp%vslogs.cab that will be created by this tool to a file server (such as http://skydrive.live.com) and then reply back here with a link I can use to download your log files and take a closer look?Anonymous
May 02, 2011
Thanks for help, Aaron!Here they are:cid-e596f963568a1e09.office.live.com/.../vslogs.cabAnonymous
May 02, 2011
Hi Dima - It looks like there was some kind of problem downloading one of the files needed by .NET Framework setup on your computer. This is what I see in the error logs:[04/30/11,20:54:24] Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0a: [2] Error: Install package not found: WF_32.mspCan you please try to download and install the full install package for the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 from download.microsoft.com/.../dotnetfx35.exe instead of using the web downloader and see if that helps solve this error?Anonymous
May 05, 2011
I'll try it.Thanks!Anonymous
July 12, 2011
Hi Arron!I'm getting similar error during installation of Visual Studio 2010 Premium from MSDNAA on Windows 7 x64 SP1.Installer stops on the first step - Microsoft Application Error Reporting.I've found standalone installer (dw20shared.msi) in temp folder and after running it, I found in logs this:MSI (s) (E4:CC) [00:46:13:155]: Invoking remote custom action. DLL: C:WindowsInstallerMSI1290.tmp, Entrypoint: DwDoSharedRefCountAddCustomAction CADwDoSharedRefCountAdd returned actual error code 1603 (note this may not be 100% accurate if translation happened inside sandbox)Action ended 00:46:13: CADwDoSharedRefCountAdd. Return value 3.MSI (s) (E4:2C) [00:46:13:160]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0MSI (s) (E4:2C) [00:46:13:160]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInstallerRollbackScripts 3: 2MSI (s) (E4:2C) [00:46:13:161]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInstallerRollbackScripts 3: 2MSI (s) (E4:2C) [00:46:13:162]: No System Restore sequence number for this installation.MSI (s) (E4:2C) [00:46:13:162]: Unlocking ServerAction ended 00:46:13: INSTALL. Return value 3.Can You help me?Thanks in advance,LechAnonymous
July 13, 2011
Hi Lech - Can you please use the tool described at blogs.msdn.com/.../6458047.aspx to collect all of your Visual Studio setup log files, upload the file named %temp%vslogs.cab that this tool will create to a file server such as http://skydrive.live.com and reply here and provide a link I can use to download your log files and take a closer look?Anonymous
July 14, 2011
Here are these logs: rogers-design.net/.../vslogs.cabThanks in advance for help!Anonymous
July 15, 2011
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July 16, 2011
Also, during installation from MSDNAA ISO error is the same. I used web trial installer to get standalone Application Error Reporting installer and generate logs.I hope You will help me find cause of error 1603.Greetings,LechAnonymous
July 17, 2011
Well, I think my earlier message didn't pass filters. So I will try send it again:rogers-design.net/.../log.txtIf you could write to me on my personal e-mail, I would be glad. Communication through post comments isn't really comfortable ;)Here is my mail: xrogers@gmail.comAnonymous
July 17, 2011
Hi Lech - This error looks like it could be caused by incorrect registry permissions on your computer. I found a forum post at social.msdn.microsoft.com/.../fd0ccc8b-4cb0-4f4a-87fa-09bb66bee6b3 that looks like a similar problem. Can you please take a look at the information in that post and see if it helps you solve this problem on your computer too?I'd prefer to complete this discussion in blog comments as opposed to email because that will allow others to find this issue in search results in the future. I'm sorry for the hassles.Anonymous
July 17, 2011
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July 18, 2011
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February 28, 2012
Hi Aaron,I have problems installing .NET and any MSI files on Windows 2003 SP2 x64. I've created verbose logs (skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx) but can't seem to find the cause.Please help.Thank you and best regards,GasperAnonymous
March 01, 2012
Hi Gasper - I took a look at your log files, and it looks like Windows Installer is crashing when it tries to start .NET Framework setup:MSI (s) (BC:7C) [13:48:05:406]: Internal Exception during install operation: 0xc0000005 at 0x000006427EE83C3F.I'm not sure if this problem is specific to the .NET Framework or if it is a general problem with Windows Installer. Do you see errors installing other types of MSIs on this machine?It might help to try to repair/re-install Windows Installer 4.5 on your computer to see if that helps resolve this issue.Anonymous
March 01, 2012
Hi Aaron,Indeed it looks like a problem with Windows Installer 4.5. I've reinstalled Windows Installer 4.5 but it does not seem to work so I'll try to find a solution to repair it.Thank you very much, now I know in where exactly is my problem.Best regards,GasperAnonymous
March 04, 2012
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March 07, 2012
Hi Rolf - Office setup creates its own verbose logs, and that means you won't see verbose log information for this installer in msi*.log. I'd suggest taking a look at the article at technet.microsoft.com/.../cc179058(v=office.12).aspx to see if it helps you find the relevant log files for this failure. If you'd like, you can zip up your log files, upload them to a file server (such as http://skydrive.live.com), and reply back here and post a link that I can use to download your logs and take a closer look.Anonymous
March 13, 2012
Hi AaronDid you get the log files?I just ask, because I don't see my last message in the forum :-)Thanks and best regardsRolfAnonymous
March 13, 2012
If you didn't get the log files, here again the link:skydrive.live.com/embedBest regardsRolfAnonymous
May 12, 2013
very helpfull, showed me that i had a problem with credentials on sql server during update of WSUS with KB2734608Anonymous
March 03, 2014
Thanks for the help located value 3 and stright away saw the issue many thanksAnonymous
October 31, 2014
Thanks much!!! The 'return value 3' made my day! I'll add this to my troubleshooting arsenal! Again, thanks!Anonymous
February 23, 2015
Thanks for share...........More info mcafee customer serviceAnonymous
June 22, 2015
I had nightmares reading those long and ugly LOG files. With your tip I speeded up the error locating process by a factor of 1000! Thank you again, you deserve a medall AND a bronze statue xD Regards.Anonymous
November 28, 2015
MSI (s) (80:3C) [07:45:38:514]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInstallerRollbackScripts 3: 2 Action ended 07:45:38: ProcessComponents. Return value 3. MSI (s) (80:3C) [07:45:38:514]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInstallerRollbackScripts 3: 2 MSI (s) (80:3C) [07:45:38:519]: No System Restore sequence number for this installation. MSI (s) (80:3C) [07:45:38:519]: Unlocking Server Action ended 07:45:38: INSTALL. Return value 3Anonymous
November 29, 2015
Hi Eder Valois - This log snippet isn't enough to narrow down the root cause of the installation failure. Would it be possible for you to zip and upload the full verbose MSI log file to a file server (such as http://onedrive.live.com), and then reply back here and provide a link that I can use to download your log files and take a closer look?Anonymous
January 25, 2016
I get this error ISIISCosting. Return value 3.Anonymous
January 26, 2016
Hi Pranita - ISIISCosting is a custom action inserted when using InstallShield to build an MSI. If you're the one building your MSI, then there is likely a setup authoring problem that you'll need to fix to resolve this error. I found a potentially useful thread about that issue at stackoverflow.com/.../installshield-2012-cryptic-error-code-iisrt-1204. If this isn't a setup you created, then I'd recommend searching for information about this error on the web site for the manufacturer of the application that you're trying to install to see if they have any known issues, workarounds or patches for this error.
