A hotfix for Windows Installer is available for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008

This article describes a hotfix for Windows Installer for computers that are running Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008.

This hotfix fixes the following four issues:

Issue 1

Consider the following scenario:

• You perform a product upgrade by using a Windows Installer package.
• In the Windows Installer package, you sequence the RemoveExistingProducts action in either of the following three locations:
  • Between the InstallValidate action and the InstallInitialize action.
  • After the InstallInitialize action and before any actions that generate execution script.
  • Between the InstallExecute action and the InstallFinalize action, or between the InstallExecuteAgain action and the InstallFinalize action.

In this scenario, the assembly is removed prematurely from the global assembly cache. Therefore, the product upgrade fails.

Issue 2

You perform an installation of a product by using the transforms that contains custom actions. When you remove Windows Installer patch (.msp) files from the product, you receive the following error message:

Issue 3

Consider the following scenario:

• You install Windows Installer 4.5 on a client computer.
• You deploy a product using any supported method and the ProductCode property of the product is lowercase.

In this scenario, the product deployment fails. Additionally, the following items are shown in the Windows Installer log:

Sample log:

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing the problem described in this article. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Important Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 hotfixes are included in the same packages. However, only one of these products may be listed on the Hotfix Request page. To request the hotfix package that applies to both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, just select the product that is listed on the page.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, your computer must be running one of the following operating systems:

• Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Vista
• Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1)
• Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2)

For more information about how to install the latest Windows XP service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about how to install the latest Windows Server 2003 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about how to install the latest Windows Vista service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about how to install the latest Windows Server 2008 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Restart requirement

You have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Registry information

To use one of the hotfixes in this package, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 file information notes

• The files that apply to a specific milestone (RTM, SPn) are noted in the “SP requirement” column.
• In addition to the files that are listed in these tables, this software update also installs an associated security catalog file (KBnumber.cat) that is signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows XP Service Pack 3

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

For all supported Itanium-based versions of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 file information notes

• The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed separately . MUM and MANIFEST files, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are critical to maintaining the state of the updated component. The security catalog files (attributes not listed) are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

For all supported Itanium-based versions of Windows Server 2008

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information on an additional hotfix that might be required to address failing MSI installations visit the following operating specific hotfix knowledge based articles (not available for Windows XP operating system):

For more information, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web sites:

For more information about how to enable Windows Installer logging, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Additional file information for Windows Server 2008 and for Windows Vista

Additional files for all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

Additional files for all supported Itanium-based versions of Windows Server 2008