Windows Installer self-repair can cause problems for both developers, system administrators and end users. Finding the solution can be difficult if you have limited MSI experience.
This is a Q&A-style answer intended as a check list for solving self-repair problems. Here are a few common problem scenarios:
- Repeated Windows Installer self-repair might occur whenever you launch an application on your workstation. How can this be fixed, or how can components be disabled so it never occurs again?
- A WiX installer may be deployed and you see repeated Windows installer self-repair whenever you try to launch the application.
- When enabling or installing an MS Office addin, you experience continuous Windows Installer self-repair on application launch of one or more MS Office applications.
- When working on legacy solutions in VB6 or VBA, self-repair kicks in for an unrelated product when you launch the main developer IDE.
- When opening a form in Outlook, Excel or Word or similar applications, self-repair kicks off for an unrelated product from another vendor.
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