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Error message when you start the Windows Modules Installer service (TrustedInstaller): "System Error 126: The specific module could not be found"

Article ID: 959077 - View products that this article applies to.

Source: Microsoft Support

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Symptoms

When you start the Windows Modules Installer service, you receive the following error message:

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You also receive an error message at the command prompt:

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Cause

This issue occurs if the following registry subkey was changed:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Version

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Resolution

To resolve this issue, you have to re-create the expandable string value of the registry subkey that is mentioned in the "Cause" section.

First, you have to check whether the registry subkey exists. To do this, start Registry Editor, and then browse to the subkey that is mentioned in the "Cause" section. If the subkey does not exist, you must create it. To do this, follow these steps:

Locate the C:\Windows\Servicing\Version directory, and note the name of the subfolder in this directory. It will be named something like "6.1.7600.16385." This is your TrustedInstaller ID.
Copy the subfolder name to the clipboard, and then paste it into Notepad for safekeeping.

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Note In this example, the TrustedInstaller ID is 6.1.7601.17592.
In the C:\Windows\WinSxS directory, find a subfolder whose name begins with one of the following strings. (In the following subfolder names, the placeholderTrustedInstaller ID represents your TrustedInstaller ID.)

For 32-bit Windows
x86_microsoft-windows-servicingstack_31bf3856ad364e35_TrustedInstaller ID_none

For 64-bit Windows
amd64_microsoft-windows-servicingstack_31bf3856ad364e35_TrustedInstaller ID_none
Copy the subfolder name to the clipboard, and then paste it into Notepad for safekeeping.

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Create the following registry subkey:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Version

Note To create this key, you have to be an owner of the "Component Based Servicing" key. Then, you have to then give yourself full access permissions.
On the Version key that you created in step 5, create an expandable string value (or edit it if it already exists). To do this, use the TrustedInstaller ID as your name, and use the full path of the folder that you identified in step 3 as the value.

Note In the full path, you must use %SystemRoot%\WinSxS\folder_name instead of C:\Windows\WinSxS\ folder_name.

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Click OK, and then exit Registry Editor.

You can now start the Windows Modules Installer (TrustedInstaller) service as usual.

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