Error 1601 windows installer service could not be accessed

When you try to install a program in Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you receive the following error message:. This can occur if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed.

Contact your support personnel for assistance. To resolve this issue, use Method 1. If Method 1 does not resolve the issue, use the next method that is listed until you resolve the issue. 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: How to back up and restore the registry in Windows To reset the Windows Installer Service settings in the registry, create a registry file by using Notepad.

Then, run the file to update the registry key. To do this, follow these steps:. Click Start , and then type Notepad in the Search box. On the File menu, click Close to close the Search dialog box.

In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK. In the right pane of the Registry Editor window, double-click ImagePath.

In the Edit String dialog box that appears, make sure that the string in the Value data box contains the correct path for the Msiexec. Note The following is an example of the correct path, where drive is the drive where Windows is installed:.

If the Value data box does not contain the correct path, make changes to correct the path, and then click OK to close the Edit String dialog box. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor. Start your computer in Safe mode, and then register the Msiexec. To do this, follow these steps:.

Restart your computer and press the F8 key on your keyboard. On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, press the F8 key when you see the Boot menu. If the Boot menu appears again, and the words "Safe Mode" appear in blue at the bottom, select the installation that you want to start, and then press ENTER.

If you still cannot install Microsoft Office successfully and you receive an error message that is similar to the message listed in the "Symptoms" section, go to Method 3. Thank you!

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