Comments on: Error 1618 while installing Skype

By: SzG

SzG — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:54:09 +0000

You have update(s), which stucked in.

Control Panel->AdministrativeTools->Services->WindowsInstaller->
properties->set startup Type to [b]Disabled[/b].

**reboot**

after reboot there will be a message: The windows installer cant start, blah…blah… Click OK, and the stucked updates will finish.

Before reboot, Control Panel->AdministrativeTools->Services-> WindowsInstaller-> properties->set startup Type to [b]Manual[/b].

**reboot***
The updates will finish. Try install skype.
It worked for me under Vista.

By: Nabeel

Nabeel — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:01:20 +0000

it’s a pleasure to know that it worked for you atlast! :)

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:59:20 +0000

Thank you very much Nabeel!
I won’t pretend it worked first tim; I had to restart in safe mode, normal mode, safe mode, normal mode at least five times, removing the registry key values that kept getting put back over and over again. I encountered three different error messages but finally, it’s installed. I really appreciate your help. Many thanks.

To the developers of the Skype installer: it’s appalling. You’ve taken up no fewer than three and a half hours of my life. What were you thinking?

By: Nabeel

Nabeel — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:06:29 +0000

In reply to Ben.

oh wait ! :) you need to do the regedit stuff in the safe mode.

for the installation, restart again and goto normal windows mode :) windows installer don’t work in safe mode.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:29:18 +0000

Thanks very much for your help. I’m now running in “Safe Mode with networking” so that I can still look for help on the internet.

I managed to get the key to read (Default) REG_SZ (value not set). I suppose that’s the same as deleting them, because it won’t let me make it completely disappear.

This time I got to the end of the installation and it said “Error 1601: windows installer service could not be accessed. Contact support personnel to verify that the windows installer service is properly registered”.

Are you able to help with that too? I’m very grateful for your help so far. It’s an infuriating installer.

Best wishes

By: Nabeel

Nabeel — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:03:20 +0000

In reply to Ben.

please try :

1. changing the value / name of the key first. then try to delete

2. start computer in safe mode.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:01:13 +0000

Many thanks indeed.
It says “Unable to delete all specified values” when I try to clean this registry key in order to solve the annoying Skype installation error:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\InProgress (Default) REG_SZ c:\Windows\Installer\45b5a.ipi

Any idea why that would be?

By: Nabeel

Nabeel — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:47:35 +0000

yes, it means delete them.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:44:44 +0000

What does it mean to “clean” a registry value?
Do you mean delete it?