The msi extension should be associated with "windows installer" and the association sometimes gets lost.

You can download a fix for that here

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

It may be that your whole windows installer is corrupted, I recall there is a way to repair that, let me know if you need that and I'll have a dig around.

Thank you very much for your reply, but I opened the registry file as required and I came upon the following message...

Cannot import C:\MSI1.REG: The specified file is not a registry script. You can import only registry files.

I am unsure whether my windows installer is corrupt - because when I try and run the windows installer exe (from the Microsoft Database), I get told that "this service is already installed" or something along those lines.

Edit: I think the reason my computer doesn't recognise the registry file is because I run 98SE rather than XP. I should have checked this, but do you know if there are similar versions for 98?

[This message has been edited by Wu Su Zheng (edited 07-06-2005 @ 12:21 PM).]

Yes, the reg fix fails because it is an XP file.

Maybe simplest to just install an update for the Windows Installer, that should put everything right.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=CEBBACD8-C094-4255-B702-DE3BB76 8148F

(you may have to copy this address to the browser address bar as links to microsoft tend not to work from these forums)

[This message has been edited by War (edited 07-06-2005 @ 05:21 PM).]

I copied the whole thing and it says the requested download is unavailable. Could it be the forum formatting?

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=CEBBACD8-C094-4255-B702-DE3BB768148F

Maybe I mis-pasted

Ah yes - this is the file that I tried running before. It tells me that the service is already installed and I can't find a way to reinstall it (what would it be called in the add/remove software panel)?

Thanks for the help so far. If I can get windows installer running it should be the end of this problem.

try running it directly

Start/Run... then enter

"C:\WINDOWS\System32\msiexec.exe" /i "D:\redist\MSXMLENU.MSI"

(or is it system32 for Win98? can't recall, assumes D: is your CD)

You could also try adding the .msi as a file type yourself manually in explorter>>tools>>options

Add a file type for msi extensions and use the following to associate it with an install action

"C:\WINDOWS\System\msiexec.exe" /i "%1" %*

(or system32 depending where it lives on 98)

And check use DDE

In 98, Windows Installer is located in the 'System' folder. I tried setting up the file associations in explorer using

Quote:

I was unsure about the following " /i "%1" %*" so I didn't include them - I imagine this is why I still cannot run the MSI files.

Instead, when I click on them, it will open a small window with the title "Windows Installer" with the copyright information and "Incorrect command line parameters". Would this be why it hasn't installed the file?

[This message has been edited by Wu Su Zheng (edited 07-08-2005 @ 11:28 AM).]

yes

/i is the command line parameter to install. You could use /package iirc

The %1 is the parameter list so you can pass filenames to it for the association to work.

The MSI soon associated itself as a Windows Installer Package . However, when I attempt to install I am told...

"This advertised application will not be installed because it might be unsafe. Contact your administrator to change the installation user-interface option of the package to basic."

Cheers for the help so far. Do you know anything about this?

[This message has been edited by Wu Su Zheng (edited 07-08-2005 @ 02:58 PM).]

Ah, closer, seems that you have an incomplete deployment of to package.

Here are a few things to try.

1) Go to control panel and add/remove programs. If you see the MSXML 4.0 parser listed, try to remove it and try the install again.

2) May not be applicable but right-click properties on the msi package and click teh deployment tab if there is one (there may not be), set it to basic there.

3) Try this command line to access basic interface:
"C:\WINDOWS\System\msiexec.exe" /qb /i "D:\redist\MSXMLENU.MSI"

(not sure if you need the /i as well as the /qb)

4) Try repairing the package:
"C:\WINDOWS\System\msiexec.exe" /fa "D:\redist\MSXMLENU.MSI"

[This message has been edited by War (edited 07-08-2005 @ 05:06 PM).]

The command line you suggested installed the package without any problems. Thank you very much for your help and patience.

Glad I could help