Error 1305: Error Reading from File: *.MSI
I was trying to install MySQL on a new server, and I kept getting Error 1305: Error Reading from File: <filename.MSI>. I searched for the error message and most entries pointed to CD problems or MDAC corruption. I was installing a downloaded file, so the CD access problems did not apply. I applied the latest MDAC upgrades (in this case 2.81), but that did not help either. I even used the CSREPAIR tool which cleans up MDAC and JET problems, but that did not help, nor did the Windows Installer Cleanup tool.
I re-downloaded the file, fearing corruption, but that did not help. When I tried to install Apache which was also an .MSI installer, and it too had the same problem, there was something else going on.
It turned out to be a permissions problem. I had created a shared folder with access only by users. I probably explicitly removed all other admin/system accounts, and therein lied the problem. By removing SYSTEM, when the installer tried to run from account which did have access to the file and started to run it, it turned the file over to a system account "Windows Installer" which did not.
To solve the problem, I gave the root folder SYSTEM read access, and then the install was able to complete successfully. The subfolders inherited the needed permission.
Edited: Oct, 2007
For a different twist, see Stasheg's comment below on copying the file to your Desktop. This method would write the file into a folder with your own permissions. However, if you do not have administrator access, or SYSTEM permissions in your Desktop folder, this may not work.
Edited: Mar, 2008
Another comment suggests "giving SYSTEM full access to the temp directory". Of course, there are often several, so try %WINDIR%\Temp and %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temp.
Edited: Mar, 2009
As Meiki has said, a SUBST drive can cause a similar problem. I too have run into a printer driver which fails to save to a SUBST drive because it cannot see it using SYSTEM credentials. So in that case, running it from the original location or copying to an accessible folder should help.
I re-downloaded the file, fearing corruption, but that did not help. When I tried to install Apache which was also an .MSI installer, and it too had the same problem, there was something else going on.
It turned out to be a permissions problem. I had created a shared folder with access only by users. I probably explicitly removed all other admin/system accounts, and therein lied the problem. By removing SYSTEM, when the installer tried to run from account which did have access to the file and started to run it, it turned the file over to a system account "Windows Installer" which did not.
To solve the problem, I gave the root folder SYSTEM read access, and then the install was able to complete successfully. The subfolders inherited the needed permission.
Edited: Oct, 2007
For a different twist, see Stasheg's comment below on copying the file to your Desktop. This method would write the file into a folder with your own permissions. However, if you do not have administrator access, or SYSTEM permissions in your Desktop folder, this may not work.
Edited: Mar, 2008
Another comment suggests "giving SYSTEM full access to the temp directory". Of course, there are often several, so try %WINDIR%\Temp and %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temp.
Edited: Mar, 2009
As Meiki has said, a SUBST drive can cause a similar problem. I too have run into a printer driver which fails to save to a SUBST drive because it cannot see it using SYSTEM credentials. So in that case, running it from the original location or copying to an accessible folder should help.
Labels: windows
posted by Richard Sleegers at 10:38 AM
71 Comments:
Glad to hear it helps someone! And sounds like it's not limited to certain installers.
Major gratitude to you for posting 'Error 1305' and subsequent resolution. Following your lead I was able to get my ext.HD functional after a week of head-butting.
Thanks again.
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience!
Dan
Thanx! Had this problem for a long time, now: solved :D
Saved my life - Thank you!!!
Thanks a ton dude... I was able to fix MySQL installer following your recommendation of adding SYSTEM account in Security Panel...
As others have said, THANKS SOOOOOOOO VERY MUCH!!! Like them, I've been fighting my system for QUITE awhile, and was about ready to drop it out a 50-story window! After reading your entry, I was able to "re-take" permissions I had lost (but didn't know) when a so-called computer expert tried to re-configure my laptop. You definitely were a Godsend and I am VERY grateful!
I would have thought that this error would be going away, but it's been over a year since I published it and I'm still hearing about people who had this problem. Well, keep the comments coming and I'll be sure to keep posting other odd errors I am able to correct.
Had this same error with Mapinfo Exponare and working through your steps, the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility fixed the problem!
Thank you so much, I was deploying a custom BizTalk interface, and this saved me.
Thank you!...I was pulling my hair out trying to figure this out on a Business Objects install, exact same scenario as you.
YOU ROCK!
I'm not incredibly tech savvy. I think your explanation is clear, but I just don't understand which "root folder" I am supposed to change the setting for. If you could clarify below, I would be very grateful.
To anonymous:
By root folder I meant the C:\ drive. Not everyone installs to C: so it could be any drive. Open up My Computer, then right-click the C: drive and choose Sharing and Security. The exact menu varies depending on your Windows version. This article is for the various Windows XP versions.
There in one more solution for this problem
Copy the installer files to the desktop, then install the application.
1. Click Start > My Computer.
2. Right click on your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive and select Open.
3. Right click on the product name you are trying to install and select Copy.
4. Close all open windows and applications.
5. Right click on a blank area of your desktop and select Paste.
6. After files finish copying, open up the copied folder and run setup.exe and follow the prompts.
"I gave the root folder SYSTEM read access"
that's it! oh my god.
Brilliant. Fixed my problem installing JDK. Nice blog! Thanks.
Wow, this worked for my problem! Thanks for the excellent blog!
Thank a lot its realy work for me.
I gave the file full access for "Everyone" and am still getting this error :(. I'll let know if I find the solution.
Probably it was some security-related problem, because I was able to install it from shared directory on install server, where my colleague downloaded it. But adding SYSTEM did not help (actually it was there)
Dude you are the MAN... I was ready to start a rebuild of the server, but got a chance to come across your solution and it in fact fixed my problem...
THANKS A LOT
the first solution didn't work on my computer, but the second one (with copying msi file to the desktop) works fine. that's unbeliveable I couldn't find any reasonable solution for this by couple of hours including microsoft support!!!
for me, giving SYSTEM full access to the temp directory (rather than the place I wanted the files to go...) solved the problem.
It solved my problem with .msi installer by adding SYSTEM access to the file.
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience!
wow...thanks sir for this great post! did help me solve the problem easier
thanks for the real fix!!!
It is very usefull for my system
By giving SYSTEM access the problem was fixed. Thanks!
Hello! Just adding my thanks! Microsoft's website was ineffectual in solving the problem...
Thank you very much. You saved my day. Now I got Nebula DigiTV viewer software installed.
THANKS A LOT!!! I spent two days trying to install Java SDK 1.5.0.16 before finding your solution. Cheers!
Thanks a million that fix my issue too. I am working in Symantec Software & support & My name is Javed Nawaz
Wow, thanks for this! Solved all .msi issues I've been having. :)
~Misty
None of that worked and I'm not sure if I understood "SYSTEM" access. Or whatever the heck it was. But, I did "extract here" using WinRar, and it
Works? weird.
Richard -thanks a lot !
I had the same symptoms - but the cause was something else : I started the install from a mapped drive (e.g. subst e: c:\drive_e). Running the install from E:\setup.msi did not work - but c:\drive_e\setup.msi works.
Thanks a lot - your hint moved me on the right trail.
Meiki
Thanks a lot. Giving the SYSTEM user access to the installation files solved my problem.
THNKS A LOT...QUICKTIME UNDER VIST X64 BITS...WORKS LIKE CHARM!
THANKS
No SYSTEM permissions was the key - thanks for this info!!!
definitely needed this post... I had the install file on my desktop, but I had partitioned my drive so that programs/system files were separate from my own files (music, documents, desktop, pictures, etc.)
so I just moved the install package (for adobe audition trial) into my system drive, and it worked like a charm.
thanks!
Thanks a lot. This helped me to install Business Objects Enterprise XI 3.1. Don't forget to click on "Advance setting permissions" and select "replace permission entries on all childs ..."
Thanks for the idea about SUBST drives, these were the problem.
Thank you so much! I'd been trying to install PhysX for the last 3 hours...
Thank you so much for giving me this valuable info...
Sree
THANK YOU -GENIUS.
Saved my day(s) !
Many thanks.
Couldn't install a Java update and nothing helped. Glad that I found this. A few clicks and life is good again. Thanks!
In my case, I was installing to a hard drive that was about to fail.
MapInfo 10.0 Prof Eval , thank you :)
thanks from Turkey
thank you for your help
Gracias for this post. Fixed the problem with msi install failing.
does giving it permission usually take this long (when i say "this long" i mean 10mins. and counting). well, i really hope it works. im trying to reinstall java. well, "thanks" in advance.
-Call Me Daddy
I did have the installer on my desktop, but it wouldn't work. Giving SYSTEM Read & Execute permission did the trick.
Thanks for the post!!!
Thank you from such simple way to make msi working aagain!
Thanks, Your suggestion worked on Windows 7 where I was tring to install Apache.
MaryM
Only READ permission on %user%/AppData didn't solve the problem. Gave it WRITE permission on %user%/AppData/ as well which did.
Thanks for the hint which ended a long time of fiddling with my system.
Thanks! That solved it for me too! I had previously horked up perms on my home directory.
Cheers for your help!!
Granting Full Control to SYSTEM account allowed Netbackup to install.
Thanks a million!
permitting SYSTEM user to read the directory in which the installer file resides, solved the problem.
Microsoft docs only mention CD issues!
Genius!
Fixed my Visual Studio 2010 problem
Thank you! Moving the .msi file to the desktop worked for me. You and everyone else who added helpful hints will hopefully get much good karma for sharing your knowledge with the world-at-large.
Thanks a lot!!
Thanks a lot you saved me from re-loading windows... I've been fighting this for a couple of days now..
Worked for me too. I had the installer in my "secured" folder and had no permissions for SYSTEM accounts. Your solution worked a charm. What a life saver. !!
you saved my day!
thanks so much for this article.
ive been wondering all this time why cant i install some applications on my computer. the installers just exit without giving any explanation.
thanks to your article, i add the SYSTEM to security setting of my folder, and tadaaaa... the installation process went smooth..
Nice! This solved my problem with installing MSSQL 2008 r2 on Win 2k3 Server completely. Thanks so much!!
- celia
Thanks, this worked for installing a symantec program update!
Thanks a lot!!! Finally I've installed MySQL and Visual SVN Server.
So happy now :D
Thanks a lot!!! Finally I've installed MySQL and Visual SVN Server...
So happy now :D
Thanks! That resolved my problem with jdk installation. ^_^
Well, thx a lot for sharing the solution.
Greets from another 1305 victim. ^^
Same problem, my msi package had two permission on System, one to allow all and the other to deny all, I removed the deny one and the problem was solved.
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