Why do I get "Window Installer, Preparing to install" each time I boot Windows?

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Open word and disable paperport add-in. Enjoy!

Hi dudes,

First of all thank u very much for helping me out of the situation. I tried to get rid of the problem "windows installer,preparing to install...." , which was started after RESTORING MY LAPTOP TO A PREVIOUS POINT, by many ways but all went in vain. Finally I got succeeded by downloading the "Windows Installer Cleanup Utility package" from microsoft. just run the package and remove MS Office from the list. It works.....trust me.

easy, delete the following registry keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel\add-ins
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Word\add-ins
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\PowerPoint\add-ins
and all other Office apps keys: word excel power point outlook etc etc, if the problem is related to an unsuccessfull acrobat installation, just delete all the add-ins keys, these are the links created by acrobat, it links itself many applications as Patrick said, that make this pop-ups to constantly come up. if none of these things works, just execute services.msc, disable the "Windows Installer" service, and then, open a command prompt, and type: net stop "windows installer", this will disable and stop the service, the pop up will never come up again.

After a long time searching for this problem, I found a combination of actions that have so far, solved my stupid Windows Installer popup problem. First off, I use a program called jv16 PowerTools. I think this is one of the most powerful, and not well known programs. But I suggest you be very careful with it. Anyway, after I got the popup, I went to event viewer to see the problem. I copied the key code that caused it (usually that silly thing that looks like F518D4AA-053A-4461-BE7F-65774BE75515 or something) and then searched for it in jv16 using the Reg Finder tool. I then selected all items it came upon, and chose to remove them. When prompted, I DID make a backup, and then completed the removal. So far, no more popups. I know it's a barbaric way to do it, but since Micro$oft is Micro$oft, it's only appropriate. I hope this helps somebody.

Symantic Corporate 10 wasted my fill day by starting configuration everytime at right clicking any file. Disabling Windows installer service removed problem but it is not a real solution. Sick of deleting registry entries and running MSI configuration tools.

Thanks God that this all such problems are resolved when I downloaded and installed a software from microsoft "Windows Install Clean Up". This software removes incomplete and corrupted installations. Goodluck!

Every time I opened Outlook I was always getting the annoying message "Window Installer, Preparing to install". In the registry I removed the add-ins of Outlook at the following registry key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins]. They were 3 and I removed all of them and It works. Thank you very much for the recipe.

Thanks so much for my help, now I have got rid of the problem "windows installer,preparing to install...." , which was started after installing Windows XP in my comptuer.I downloaded the "Windows Installer Cleanup Utility package" from microsoft. just run the package and remove from list. It works.....trust me.

I downloaded and installed a software from microsoft "Windows Install Clean Up". As others have written, this software removed in incomplete and corrupted installation I must have had. I removed all installers using the program and my "windows Installer" "Preparing to Install" error is gone. Finally!!! Thank you everyone for posting solutions.

I fixed this with
http://www.openoffice.org/

click this for the default when you install.

it is great. fast load. works really, really good

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