How to enable Windows Installer logging

 

How to enable Windows Installer logging

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Article ID	:	223300
Last Review	:	October 16, 2007
Revision	:	5.3

This article was previously published under Q223300

For a Microsoft Windows XP version of this article, see 314852 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314852/).

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SUMMARY

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Windows includes a registry-activated logging service to help diagnose Windows Installer issues. This article describes how to enable this logging service.

Note The registry entry in this article is valid for all Windows operating systems.

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MORE INFORMATION

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Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

Windows Installer can use logging to help assist in troubleshooting issues with installing software packages. This logging is enabled by adding keys and values to the registry. After the entries have been added and enabled, you can retry the problem installation and Windows Installer will track the progress and post it to the Temp folder. The new log's file name is random, but begins with the letters "Msi" and end with a .log extension. To locate the Temp folder location, type the following line at a command prompt:

cd %temp%

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To enable Windows Installer logging

<script type=text/javascript>loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation');</script> Open the registry with Regedit.exe and create the following path and keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Policies/Microsoft/Windows/Installer
Reg_SZ: Logging
Value: voicewarmupx

The letters in the value field can be in any order. Each letter turns on a different logging mode. Each letter's actual function is as follows for MSI version 1.1:

v - Verbose output
o - Out-of-disk-space messages
i - Status messages
c - Initial UI parameters
e - All error messages
w - Non-fatal warnings
a - Start up of actions
r - Action-specific records
m - Out-of-memory or fatal exit information
u - User requests
p - Terminal properties
+ - Append to existing file
! - Flush each line to the log
x - Extra debugging information. The "x" flag is available only on Windows Server 2003 and later operating systems, and on the MSI redistributable version 3.0, and on later versions of the MSI redistributable.

"*" - Wildcard, log all information except for the v and the x option. To include the v and the x option, specify "/l*vx".

Note This should be used only for troubleshooting purposes and should not be left on because it will have adverse effects on system performance and disk space. Each time you use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel, a new Msi*.log file is created.

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Enable Windows Installer logging with Group Policies

<script type=text/javascript>loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation');</script> You can enable logging with Group Policies by editing the appropriate OU or Directory Group Policy. Under Group Policy, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then select Windows Installer.

Double-click Logging, and then click Enabled. In the Logging box, enter the options you want to log. The log file, Msi.log, appears in the Temp folder of the system volume.

For more information about MSI logging, please see Windows Help. To do so, search using the phrase "msi logging" and select "Managing options for computers through Group Policy".

Note The addition of the "x" flag is available natively on Windows Server 2003 and later operating systems, and on the MSI redistributable version 3.0, and on later versions of the MSI redistributable.

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