Windows Installer 3.1 v2 (3.1.4000.2435) is available

For information about how to troubleshoot issues with Windows Installer, please see the Troubleshooting section.

Microsoft Windows Installer is a component of your Windows operating system that provides a standard foundation for installing and uninstalling software. Software manufacturers can create their product setup to use the Windows Installer to make software installation, maintenance, and uninstallation straightforward and easy.

Windows Installer 3.1 is now available as a redistributable system component for the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4)
• Windows XP
• Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1)
• Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Server 2003

Windows Installer 3.1 v2 was included with Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Windows Installer 3.1 is a minor update to Windows Installer 3.0 that was released in September 2004. Windows Installer 3.1 contains new and improved functionality. Additionally, Windows Installer 3.1 addresses some issues that were found in Windows Installer 3.0.

Windows Installer 4.0 is included with Windows Vista.

Before you can download this redistributable component, you must determine whether you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003 or of Windows XP.

Determine the type of operating system in Windows XP

To determine the type of operating system that you are running in Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.
2. Click the General tab. The operating system appears as follows:
   • For a 64-bit operating system version: Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Version < Year> appears under System.
   • For a 32-bit operating system version: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version< Year> appears under System.

Note <year> is a placeholder for a year.

Determine the type of operating system in Windows Server 2003

To determine the type of operating system that you are running in Windows Server 2003, use one of these methods.

Method 1

1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.
2. Click the General tab. The operating system appears as follows:
   • For a 64-bit operating system version: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition appears under System.
   • For a 32-bit operating system version: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition appears under System.

Method 2

1. Click Start, click Run, type winmsd.exe, and then click OK.
2. In the details pane, locate Processor under Item. Note the value.
   • If the value that corresponds to Processor starts with x86, the computer is running a 32-bit version of the Windows operating system.
   • If the value that corresponds to Processor starts with EM64T or ia64, the computer is running a 64-bit version of the Windows operating system.

Download the installer for all versions of Windows except 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 or 64-bit versions of Windows XP

Download the installer for 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 or 64-bit versions of Windows XP

This redistributable component is only for 32-bit operating systems. You cannot install this component on a computer that is running the 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 or of Windows XP.

You can install Windows Installer 3.0 redistributable on Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3) and on the release version of Windows Server 2003. Windows Installer 3.1 was included with Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

You cannot install this redistributable on the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 SP1. To update the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 SP1, or to update the 64-bit versions of Windows XP, download the hotfix that is described in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 898715 instead of the 893803 (v2) package. For more information about Windows Installer 3.1 (v2) GDR, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Release history:

• Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1: KB893803 version 1.0 (April 11, 2005)
• Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1: KB893803 version 2.0 (May 12, 2005)
  Windows Installer 3.1 (v2) addresses the issue that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
  898628  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898628/ ) Windows Installer fails silently after you upgrade to Windows Installer 3.1

The version number is 3.1.4000.2435. All other binaries of the Windows Installer 3.1 (v2) package remained unchanged and are version 3.1.4000.1823.

New features in Windows Installer 3.1

• New minor UpdateTargetRTMProperty property: Patch files can now target both the original release baseline and the latest service-pack-level baseline that is on the system.
• New MsiSetExternalUIRecord API: Packages that use an external user interface can now receive messages as records instead of receiving the messages as strings.
• New x64 and Msix64 properties: Packages can now use the x64 and Msix64 properties to indicate x64 processor-based operating system support.
• New MsiNotifySidChange API: You can use this API to upgrade the Windows Installer configuration if the security identifier (SID) of a user changes.
• Flyweight patching is now an opt-in behavior: Windows Installer 3.0 introduced new "flyweight patching" functionality. By default, this functionality was enabled for all patches. Windows Installer 3.1 now disables this functionality unless you specifically enable the functionality by setting the OptimizedInstallMode property in the MsiPatchMetaData table.

Issues that are addressed in Windows Installer 3.1

• Windows Installer now logs null characters ("[~]") correctly when the characters are used in a registry value marker or in a service dependency.
• The MsiGetFileHash function now works correctly for very large unversioned files. These files may be about 2 GB.
• The MediaSrcProp property of a patch is now set to the original launched-from location when the patch is installed. The MediaSrcProp property is set to the cached patch location for subsequent transactions.
• Progress bar now works correctly even if the package installs more than 2GB of files.
• Patching of isolated components now works.
• Target information for a custom action is no longer logged when the custom action fails if the custom action is marked to hide the target.
• Error 1642 (ERROR_PATCH_TARGET_NOT_FOUND) is returned even if only one Windows Installer 2.0-style inapplicable patch is being applied.
• Applying a full-file Windows Installer 2.0-style patch that contains companion files no longer requires access to the source media.
• Windows Installer 3.1 now correctly handles the scenario where a minor update package is installed when an obsolete or superseded patch also exists.
• Windows Installer 3.1 now supports application of patches for packages that have large numbers of files. (Sequence column of File table includes values larger than 32767.)
• Windows Installer 3.1 now sends INSTALLSTART_ACTIONSTART messages for all actions.
• In Windows Installer 3.0 and earlier versions, if you applied several major upgrade patches, subsequent installations occasionally failed. This issue is now fixed.
• The patch sequencer no longer incorrectly rejects a valid patch during administrative image patching.
• Windows Installer 3.1 no longer skips script custom actions that are marked as asynchronous.

Issue that is addressed in Windows Installer 3.1 (v2)

• Windows Installer no longer fails silently when the installer tries to update a file that is protected by the Windows File Protection feature.

For help in troubleshooting Windows installer issues, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:If you have problems installing a particular application, whether it is a Microsoft application or a third-party application, look in the application's readme file for known installation issues. You can also search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for articles that are specific to your application.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

Note This is a "FAST PUBLISH" article created directly from within the Microsoft support organization. The information contained herein is provided as-is in response to emerging issues. As a result of the speed in making it available, the materials may include typographical errors and may be revised at any time without notice. See Terms of Use (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=151500) for other considerations.