The most common Windows Live services installation problems

Symptoms:

When you try to install one or more of the Windows Live services, the installation does not start or the installation program stops responding (hangs) and does not finish the installation. You receive an error message that states that the installation was not completed. That message generally lists an error code number.

Cause:

When an installation is not successfully completed, it is usually because of one of the following reasons:

• The system does not meet the minimum requirements for the Windows Live service.
• You are trying to install the selected Windows Live service while you are logged on to the computer as a user who does not have administrator permissions.
• You have an earlier version of the Windows Live service installed.
• A file that must be overwritten is being used by another program.
• Another software application blocked the installation of the Windows Live service.
• Your installation files are missing required components.

Resolution:

This article contains steps to verify and fix these problem conditions. Follow these steps in the order that they appear. To check for the most common causes of installation issues, follow these steps:

1. Verify that your system meets the system requirements for the Windows Live service that you want to install.
   1. To view the system requirements, visit the following Web site:
      http://get.live.com/betas/home
   2. Select the service that you want to install.
   3. Click the System Requirements link.
   4. Verify that the system meets the requirements.
      Note If your system does not meet the requirements, you will be unable to install the service until you upgrade the system.
   For example, to verify that your system has sufficient disk space, follow these steps:
   • For Windows Vista:
     1. Click Start
        
        , type windows explorer in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
     2. Right-click drive C in the navigation pane, and then click Properties.
     3. Make sure that your system has at least the minimum hard disk space that is required for installation available on drive C.
   • For Windows XP:
     1. Right-click Start, and then click Explore.
     2. In the Start Menu window, right-click drive C in the navigation pane, and then click Properties.
     3. Make sure that the system has at least the minimum hard disk space that is required for installation available on drive C.
2. Verify that you are logged on as a user who has administrator permissions.
   1. For Windows Vista, click Start
      
      , type windows explorer in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
      
      For Windows XP, right-click Start, and then click Explore.
   2. If you are using Windows Vista, scroll down to the Computer folder in the navigation pane.
      
      If you are using Windows XP, scroll down to the My Computer folder.
   3. Right-click the Computer folder or the My Computer folder, and then select Manage.
      
      
      
       Windows Vista users, if you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, clickContinue.
   4. In the navigation pane of the Computer Management panel, expand the Local Users and Groups folder, and then select Groups.
   5. Right-click Administrators, and then select Properties.
   6. Verify that your user name is on the member list.
      • If your name is not on the list, close all programs, save your data, and then log off the computer. Log on as a user who has administrator permissions, and then go to step 4.
      • If your user name is on the list, go to step 3.
3. Verify that you do not have an older version of the Windows Live service installed on your computer. To do this, follow these steps:
   • For Windows Vista:
     1. Click Start
        
        , type programs and features in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
     2. In the list of programs, select the name of the Windows Live service, and then click Uninstall.
     3. If you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the program, click Yes. 
        
         If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, click Continue.
   • For Windows XP:
     1. Click Start, click Run, type control appwiz.cpl, and then click OK.
     2. In the Add or Remove Programs window, click the name of the Windows Live service, and then clickRemove.
     3. If you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the program, click Yes.
4. Remove all previous Windows Live service installations. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Verify that you are logged on as a user who has administrator permissions.
   2. Make sure that the following programs are closed before you continue:
      • Microsoft Outlook
      • Windows Live Messenger
      • Windows Live Mail
      • Windows Live Writer
   3. Open a browser window.
   4. Enter the following URL into the browser's address bar:
      http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/3/0/23036331-516d-4c7e-b9ac-31554a2fec06/WL-Beta-remove.zip
   5. In the Download File window that opens, click Open to open the compressed (.zip) file.
      Note

      

       Windows Vista users, if you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, click Continue.
   6. Select the WL-Beta-Remove.zip file, right-click the file, and then click Copy.
   7. Paste the copied file on your desktop.
   8. Unzip the file that is named WL-Beta-Remove.zip.
   9. Right-click the WL-Beta-Remove.cmd file on your desktop.
      • If your operating system is Windows XP, select Open.
      • If your operating system is Windows Vista, select Run as administrator.
   10. If a security warning is displayed, select Run.
       Note

       

        Windows Vista users, if you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, click Continue.
       A Command Prompt window will be displayed while the program is running and will automatically close when the program is finished.
   11. If you want to remove the WL-Beta-Remove.zip file, drag the file to the Recycle Bin.
   12. Restart your computer to prepare to reinstall the Windows Live service.
5. Reinstall the Windows Live service.
   1. Visit the following Windows Live services download Web site:
      http://get.live.com/betas/home
   2. Click the link to install the Windows Live service that you want to install.
      Note The installer files for Windows Live services are large. The installation process usually takes 5 to 15 minutes per interval. This depends on the speed of your Internet connection and your available disk space. You may notice that the installation window disappears occasionally. This is ordinary behavior. Rest assured that the installation process is still running in the background.
      
      
      Author: Microsoft.com