Ever run across these 'error' messages? Error 1605:This action is only valid for products that are currently installed. OR Error 1612: The installation source for this product is not available. Verify that the source exists and that you can access it.

These can occur by partly installed programs or because the installation files are corrupt so you can't perform an uninstall.

With the Windows Install Clean Up utility you can remove installation information for programs that were installed by using Windows Installer, so that after the clean up, you'll be able to install or uninstall your program without a problem.

Note that the Windows Install Clean Up utility will not remove the program! It removes the installation files so that you can start the installation, upgrade, or uninstall again. This utility uses MSIZAP.exe. More about MSIZAP.exe in Step 4.

Download the Windows Install Clean Up utility here:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/9/d/e9d80...

Save the file to a location on your computer and run the executable.

You'll find a shortcut in your Start Menu | Programs folder.

Step 1.

Launch the Windows Installer Clean Up.

Click to view.

Step 2.

Select the program(s) you want to remove from the Windows Installer database.

Click to view.

Step 3.

Click to view.

Now you can remove or install the program successfully.

You can uninstall the Windows Clean Up Utility by running the executable or by going to Add/Remove Programs.

MSIZAP.EXE

If you don't want to install this utility on the clients computer and then uninstall, you can use MSIZAP.exe.

The MsiZap.exe can be found in the Windows Installer Clean Up folder.

C:\Program Files\Windows Installer Clean Up.

MSIZAP.exe can also be found in the Windows Installer SDK 4.5 or in your Windows Installer Editor folder located in your Wise Package Studio installation folder. MsiZap does require admin privileges to run correctly. Use the run as command.

Step 4.

Open a command prompt, go to the folder where the MsiZap.exe resides.

For convenience I copied it to the C:\drive and type: msizap.exe /? to get all the parameters/switches.

Click to view.

Step 5.

I chose to remove Orca from the Windows Installer database by using it's Product Code and using the TP! parameters

• msizap TP! {4F34C602-4D6D-470D-A2A0-59E4F25DDBF2}
• T = remove all info for given product code
• P = remove In-Progress key
• ! = force 'yes' response to any prompt.
  
  

  Click to view.

Other parameters are:

• * = remove all Windows Installer foldersand regkeys; adjust shared DLL counts; stop Windows Installer service.
• S = remove Rollback Information.
• A = for any specified removal, just change ACLs to Admin Full Control.
• W = for all users (by default, only for the curent user).
• M = remove a managed patch registration info.
• G = remove orphaned cached Windows Installer data files (for all users).
• ? = verbose help.

Check the program(s) with care, you don't want to remove a program from the Windows Installer Database that is working fine.

There are other ways to solve the above mentioned errors, those are already described in articles or comments on articles in this community.

This solution focuses only on Windows Installer Clean Up Utility and MsiZap.