Windows Installer

Richard Bass · Post by **Richard Bass** » 15 Dec 2004 8:03 am

On my laptop a Dell latitude running Windows 2000 Pro, when I start up, the Windows Installer appears, I'm not installing anything and I haven't installed anything for several months, How do I stop this? Now I have to close it about 4-5 times before it goes away. After it is gone everything runs perfectly. How do I get rid of this? Thanks for any help.
Richard

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 15 Dec 2004 12:47 pm

Richard, is it trying to install an update? My Win2000 automatically looks for updates on the web and then prompts me for installiation. If you are on a cable or DSL internet connection that is "always on" it will search updates and you won't even know about it.

The other thing you can do, if you are using MSInternet Explorer is go to the "Tools" menu and go to "Windows Update." Run through that, download and install all the current stuff, especially any "critical updates" and that should make things run smoother.

MS has released several Win2000 updates in the last few months.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 18 Dec 2004 7:12 am

The Windows Installer popup may tell you the answer to your problem, if it asks for a named CD where a certain file is located. For instance, if it asks for the Microsoft Office CD your problem may be related to your having installed Office under the Admin account, but you are now logged in as a power user in a different account. If that's the case just pop in your MS Office CD and let it find what it wants and this will be the end of the Installer popups.

Most of the time these Installer popups occur because you cannot install major software that writes to the OS, unless you are running as Administrator, or as a member of the Administrators Group. Once you log off as Admin and login to a limited account the installer needs to run again, to assign run-rights to the limited account.

Here is a possible fix I found by Googling on the issue:
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>The reason you keep getting that Installer message is because you probably chose the Typical setup, and any features that didn't install will have to be run from the CD. Try reinstalling MSOffice2k and choosing Custom, click Next, then you will see a window w/a bunch of drives w/all the applications listed. click on the top drive: Microsoft Office2000, then click on Run all from My Computer.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
The forum with this topic offers many other fixes, and is located here: http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1010140153
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Wiz[This message was edited by Wiz Feinberg on 18 December 2004 at 07:21 AM.]