Problem with manually configured MSI files.

In a situation you may need to create a customized MSI for your configuration or application or vendor of an application may supply a Customized MSI to deploy application updates. MSI will work correctly when you install and double click on the local machine. You may get the error when you deploy MSI using Group Policy - Software Installation snap-in. When you open the MSI log you will get the following errors:
 
 
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:38:54:515]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=_341744F6_503A_48FB_AB56_E563AB3D8D89.install,,)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:38:54:515]: Executing op: CustomActionSchedule(Action=_341744F6_503A_48FB_AB56_E563AB3D8D89.install,ActionType=1025,Source=BinaryData,Target=ManagedInstall,CustomActionData=/installtype=notransaction /action=install /LogFile= /targetdir="C:\Program Files\xxxxx\Browser\\" /sourcedir="\" "C:\Program Files\xxxxx\Browser\rowser.exe" "C:\WINNT\TEMP\CFG2.tmp")
MSI (s) (70:F0) [08:38:54:562]: Invoking remote custom action. DLL: C:\WINNT\Installer\MSI6.tmp, Entrypoint: ManagedInstall
MSI (s) (70!F4) [08:39:00:406]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Error 3: -2147287038
MSI (s) (70!F4) [08:39:00:406]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Error 3: -2147287038
MSI (s) (70!F4) [08:39:00:437]:
MSI (s) (70:F0) [08:39:00:453]: Leaked MSIHANDLE (12) of type 790531 for thread 1268
MSI (s) (70:F0) [08:39:00:453]: Note: 1: 2769 2: _341744F6_503A_48FB_AB56_E563AB3D8D89.install 3: 1
MSI (s) (70:F0) [08:39:00:453]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Error 3: -2147287038
Error 1001. Exception occurred while initializing the installation:
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: File or assembly name Browser.exe, or one of its dependencies, was not found..
DEBUG: Error 2769:  Custom Action _341744F6_503A_48FB_AB56_E563AB3D8D89.install did not close 1 MSIHANDLEs.
The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2769. The arguments are: _341744F6_503A_48FB_AB56_E563AB3D8D89.install, 1,
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:468]: User policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:468]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
Action ended 08:39:00: InstallFinalize. Return value 3.
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:468]: Executing op: Header(Signature=1397708873,Version=301,Timestamp=881018074,LangId=1033,Platform=0,ScriptType=2,ScriptMajorVersion=21,ScriptMinorVersion=4,ScriptAttributes=1)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:468]: Executing op: DialogInfo(Type=0,Argument=1033)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:468]: Executing op: DialogInfo(Type=1,Argument=xxxxx Browser)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:468]: Executing op: RollbackInfo(,RollbackAction=Rollback,RollbackDescription=Rolling back action:,RollbackTemplate=[1],CleanupAction=RollbackCleanup,CleanupDescription=Removing backup files,CleanupTemplate=File: [1])
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:468]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=_341744F6_503A_48FB_AB56_E563AB3D8D89.install,,)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:484]: Executing op: ProductInfo(ProductKey={B9F52B16-7040-4DA8-9D05-D6C366B468F2},ProductName= xxxxx Browser,PackageName=Browser.msi,Language=1033,Version=16842759,Assignment=1,ObsoleteArg=0,ProductIcon=_bb32ea6.exe,,PackageCode={737A9C67-474C-4C8F-BC8E-5FE44A26BACA},,,InstanceType=0,LUASetting=0,RemoteURTInstalls=0)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:484]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=CreateShortcuts,Description=Creating shortcuts,Template=Shortcut: [1])
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:484]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=23\xxxxx\)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:484]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:484]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=25)
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:484]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop
MSI (s) (70:78) [08:39:00:484]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=23\xxxxx\)
 
And the following Event ID will be logged:
 
Event Type:     Error
Event Source:     MsiInstaller
Event Category:     None
Event ID:     11001
Date:          03/04/2006
Time:          08:39:00
User:          NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer:     WD-UKSPARE6
Description:
The description for Event ID ( 11001 ) in Source ( MsiInstaller ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. The following information is part of the event: Product: xxxxx Browser -- Error 1001. Exception occurred while initializing the installation:
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: File or assembly name Browser.exe, or one of its dependencies, was not found.., (NULL), (NULL), (NULL).
Data:
0000: 7b 42 39 46 35 32 42 31   {B9F52B1
0008: 36 2d 37 30 34 30 2d 34   6-7040-4
0010: 44 41 38 2d 39 44 30 35   DA8-9D05
0018: 2d 44 36 43 33 36 36 42   -D6C366B
0020: 34 36 38 46 32 7d         468F2}  

This happens for the following reasons:
 

• This happens because of the NULL returned by Winlogon service at the time of processing GPO and applications (MSI). NULL is returned only when the value is not   returned to variable assigned in programming or while customizing MSI file. This variable could also be an UNC path pointing to the current machine where this MSI is being processed. MSI terminology uses UNC and %computername% variable to find machine name where it is currently being processed.

 

• This also happens when variables used in customized MSI will point to a local directory in the computer where this MSI is being processed. For example: in above error browser.exe couldn’t be located by MSI Installer Service because it points to a local path. 

Make sure MSI is configured with proper variable and settings in it and while receiving Customized MSI from vendor make sure that it can be deployed using Group Policy – Software Installation snap-in. 
 

Group Policy:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/technologies/featured/gp/default.mspx