You receive an "Error 1606" error message when you try to install or remove a Microsoft program

When you try to install or remove any one of the products listed in the "Applies To" section, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:

This issue may occur if there is an incorrect setting in one of the following registry subkeys:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

To have us fix this problem for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. To fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

Note This Fix it package can automatically recover all the registry entries that are listed in the following tables.

Method 1

Fix it for me

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and then follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.




Notes

• This wizard may be in English only; however, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
• If you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.

Let me fix it myself

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
To resolve this issue yourself, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type Regedit.exe, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
3. In the right pane, verify that the values are the same as the values in the following table. If each value matches the table, go to step 7.
   For Windows XP and for Windows Server 2003
   Collapse this tableExpand this table

   Value name	Type	Value data
   AppData	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Application Data
   Cache	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
   Cookies	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Cookies
   Desktop	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
   Favorites	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Favorites
   History	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\History
   Local AppData	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data
   Local Settings	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings
   My Pictures	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Pictures
   NetHood	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\NetHood
   Personal	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents
   PrintHood	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\PrintHood
   Programs	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs
   Recent	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Recent
   SendTo	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\SendTo
   Start Menu	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu
   Startup	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\programs\Startup
   Templates	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Templates

   For Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008
   Collapse this tableExpand this table

   Value name	Type	Value data
   {374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Downloads
   AppData	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming
   Cache	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
   Cookies	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
   Desktop	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
   Favorites	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Favorites
   History	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
   LocalAppData	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local
   My Pictures	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Pictures
   My Music	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Music
   My Video	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Videos
   NetHood	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
   Personal	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\Documents
   PrintHood	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
   Programs	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
   Recent	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
   SendTo	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
   Start Menu	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
   Startup	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
   Templates	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates

4. If any Name, Type, or Value does not match the table in step 3, right-click the Value name, and then click Delete.
5. In the left pane, right-click User Shell Folders, point to New, click Expandable String Value, type the Name value that you want from the table in step 3, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click the value that you created in step 5, click Modify, type the value in the Value data box for the Value name, and then click OK.
7. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
8. In the right pane, verify that the values are the same as the values in the following table. If each value matches the table, go to step 12.
   For Windows XP and for Windows Server 2003
   Collapse this tableExpand this table

   Value name	Type	Value data
   Common AppData	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data
   Common Desktop	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Desktop
   Common Documents	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Documents
   Common Favorites	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Favorites
   Common Programs	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs
   Common Start Menu	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start menu
   Common Startup	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
   Common templates	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Templates

   For Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008
   Collapse this tableExpand this table

   Value name	Type	Value data
   {3D644C9B-1FB8-4f30-9B45-F670235F79C0}	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%PUBLIC%\Downloads
   Common AppData	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ProgramData%
   Common Desktop	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%PUBLIC%\Desktop
   Common Documents	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%PUBLIC%\Documents
   Common Programs	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
   Common Start Menu	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
   Common Startup	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
   Common templates	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
   CommonMusic	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%PUBLIC%\Music
   CommonPictures	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%PUBLIC%\Pictures
   CommonVideo	REG_EXPAND_SZ	%PUBLIC%\Videos

9. If any Name, Type, or Value does not match the table in step 8, right-click the Value name, and then click Delete.
10. In the left pane, right-click User Shell Folders, point to New, click Expandable String Value, type the Name value that you want from the table in step 8, and then press ENTER.
11. Right-click the value that you created in step 10, click Modify, type the value in the Value data box for the Value name, and then click OK.
12. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

Method 2

If the issue still occurs, find registry keys.
Below is a registry key reference of how the key is displayed for Microsoft Office in the registry: To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Click Start, click Run, type Regedit.exe, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office
3. In the left pane,there any old Microsoft Office register keys that do not have any product associated with them.
   Note The picture below is an example for deleting an Office 2007 registery key.
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
4. In the left pane, right click the folder that you located and then click Delete.
5. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

Note For those who failed to delete the register keys, try to right-click the key and click Permission. Make sure your user group (or you) have Full Control. It could be administrator or another account that has administrative privileges.