Windows Installer "This action is only valid for products that are currently installed" - "MSI_DBG: Provided descriptor less than minimum size"

Question

I've encountered a strange issue running a WiX installer on a windows 8 machine. When I click the msi I get the message "This action is only valid for products that are currently installed". Running the msi with logging shows the following:

=== Verbose logging started: 3/11/2014  9:46:49  Build type: SHIP UNICODE 5.00.9600.00  Calling process: C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe ===
MSI (c) (20:C4) [09:46:49:933]: Font created.  Charset: Req=0, Ret=0, Font: Req=MS Shell Dlg, Ret=MS Shell Dlg

MSI (c) (20:C4) [09:46:49:934]: Font created.  Charset: Req=0, Ret=0, Font: Req=MS Shell Dlg, Ret=MS Shell Dlg

MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:49:956]: Resetting cached policy values
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:49:956]: Machine policy value 'Debug' is 0
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:49:956]: ******* RunEngine:
           ******* Product: myinstaller.msi
           ******* Action: 
           ******* CommandLine: **********
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:49:976]: Machine policy value 'DisableUserInstalls' is 0
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:014]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer 3: 2 
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:766]: SOFTWARE RESTRICTION POLICY: Verifying package --> 'E:\myinstaller.msi' against software restriction policy
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:766]: Note: 1: 2262 2: DigitalSignature 3: -2147287038 
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:766]: SOFTWARE RESTRICTION POLICY: E:\myinstaller.msi is not digitally signed
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:778]: SOFTWARE RESTRICTION POLICY: E:\myinstaller.msi is permitted to run at the 'unrestricted' authorization level.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:793]: Cloaking enabled.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:793]: Attempting to enable all disabled privileges before calling Install on Server
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:799]: End dialog not enabled
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:799]: Original package ==> E:\myinstaller.msi
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:799]: Package we're running from ==> C:\Users\PATRI_~1\AppData\Local\Temp\50d229a.msi
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:804]: MSI_DBG: Provided descriptor less than minimum size
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:807]: APPCOMPAT: Compatibility mode property overrides found.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:808]: APPCOMPAT: looking for appcompat database entry with ProductCode ''.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:808]: APPCOMPAT: no matching ProductCode found in database.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:849]: MSCOREE not loaded loading copy from system32
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:859]: Machine policy value 'TransformsSecure' is 0
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:859]: User policy value 'TransformsAtSource' is 0
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:860]: APPCOMPAT: looking for appcompat database entry with ProductCode ''.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:860]: APPCOMPAT: no matching ProductCode found in database.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:860]: Transforms are not secure.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:860]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding MsiLogFileLocation property. Its value is 'E:\installlog.txt'.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:860]: Command Line: CURRENTDIRECTORY=E:\ CLIENTUILEVEL=0 CLIENTPROCESSID=800 CURRENTMEDIAVOLUMELABEL=? 
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:860]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding PackageCode property. Its value is '{9C098FBE-3C8F-452D-A0C4-B543717B6E3D}'.
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:861]: Product Code passed to Engine.Initialize:           ''
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:861]: Product Code from property table before transforms: ''
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:861]: Product Code from property table after transforms:  ''
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:861]: Failing install, missing product code
This action is only valid for products that are currently installed.
E:\myinstaller.msi
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:862]: Note: 1: 1708 
MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:863]: Product:  -- Installation failed.

MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:865]: Windows Installer installed the product. Product Name: . Product Version: . Product Language: . Manufacturer: . Installation success or error status: 1605.

MSI (c) (20:40) [09:46:50:871]: MainEngineThread is returning 1605
=== Verbose logging stopped: 3/11/2014  9:46:50 ===`

The odd thing is the same installer works fine on a win7 machine and a slightly older version of the installer works on the win8 machine. I am not sure why the product code is empty since it has a valid guid on win7.

Does anyone have any insight as to why I'm getting this error?

EDIT: Using Orca I can see that the ProductCode Property of the MSI is set to a valid GUID

EDIT2: By swapping out the GUID in the Product code using Orca with a Guid from another version of the installer, I can get it to work, but when building from WiX with ProductCode='*', it's not working even though the guid that gets put in the product code seems valid.

Answer 1

Just happened to me. Turns out our build script generates a unique Product UID on every build (to enforce major upgrades), and a recent change to the build script caused the UID to be empty.

Answer 2

I have finally figured out that this was caused in the process of transferring the installer from my win7 machine to the win8 machine via flash drive. I transferred the same file via a network drive and of course it worked fine. Apparently the guid in the product code, or perhaps the entire installer, got corrupted on the flash drive some how causing the error.

Thank you to all that looked into this for me, I appreciate your time and apologize for the strange error!

Answer 3

When searching the internet for "Failing install, missing product code" there are several other entries for this, all have return code 1605.

Unfortunately, I could not read a definite solution or reason out of this. The only thing in common, is that all deal with .msm files. We remember: .msm files (merge modules) have no own ProductCode and are not alone installable. Only .msi files are installable.

My guess: Either in the process something tries to install a merge module directly, or there are build errors while merging the merge moduls, which lead to ths problem.

Answer 4

Other possibilities, not mutually exclusive:

1. Your MSI is bizarre in some way that is not obvious. For example, you get bizarre errors if you install an MSI file that has no Component table. If there are no files or other components in the MSI it won't work right and the error will be strange. If it works on W7 this seems unlikely.

2. The system is broken in some way. The registry entries about the product may be honked up. Windows might be looking on the system for other versions of the package code or product code and discovering erroneous data. This is more likely to happen if you've already installed a setup with the same package or product code. If that's the case, changing both product and package guids to new values may fix it. If you are doing repeated tests of the same MSI and it's failing badly, that may also cause a problem. Use VMs for MSI testing so you don't damage a hardware machine.

Answer 5

Did you log in with different users and work on or install the package on the Windows 8 machine? If so, the first thing I would do is to try the setup on a fresh Windows 8 machine. If it works, uninstall immediately, and let us know the result.

You should also check the existing Windows 8 machine and look in Add/Remove Programs to determine if your package is listed there. There could be numerous copies or nothing at all - your package does not contain ALLUSERS=1, which means it could be installed per-user by default. Try to uninstall any entries there.

See here for a per-user issue occuring in SCCM: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/b0ff996e-9235-4682-8b28-71011e84fe7e/uninstall-program-using-msi-error-exit-code-is-1605-the-execution-status-is-failurenonretry?forum=configmgrswdist

Answer 6

I will try my answer kind of inverse:

First, I can give you a simple example when you get the first part of the error ("This action is only valid for.."). Try on command line the dummy uninstall of an not existing MSI:

msiexec /x {12345678-F0B2-36AF-8DF4-1DF6B63FC7B4}

(Acknowledge the question with yes, and see.)

So:

More information would be necessary, what (you think :-) your setup is doing.

The logfile excerpt is not enough. At least I am not sure, what the setup is doing here: Uninstalling, updating, repairing, patching ?

MSI is definitely called with an outdated MSI file or productcode in one of these scenarios. With a simple first install you don't get this message.

Answer 7

Just a couple of suggestions: 1. Valid guid includes it being all uppercase, so in case Windows 8 has tightened the rules, check that. 2. The appcompat overrides imply that there is some app compatibility thing going on, such as pretending that the system is (for example) Windows 7 or XP to have it install because otherwise it won't install on 8. Or Windows is faking that internally. See if the MSI file has some compatibility settings in Properties->Compatibility. That may be honking things up somewhere.