Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML

While building a new Exchange 2003 server I was installing Service Pack 2 and came across an interesting issue:

Setup failed while installing sub-component Exchange ActiveSync with error code 0xC0070643 (please consult the installatoin logs for a detailed description). You may cancel the installation or try the failed setup again.

Digging into the installation logs I see it's trying to install MSXML:

[18:52:22] Calling MSXML installer with command line: "msiexec /i msxml3.msi /q reboot="ReallySuppress""
[18:52:22] Process created ... waiting (-1)
[18:52:23] Process has exited with 0x000643
[18:52:23] The command

msiexec /i msxml3.msi /q reboot="ReallySuppress"

failed, returning error code 1603 (Fatal error during installation.). -- ID:31136 -- ScCreateProcess (f:\tisp2\admin\src\libs\exsetup\hiddenw1.cxx:1821)
Error code 0XC0070643 (1603): Fatal error during installation.

The event logs subsequently tell me:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MsiInstaller
Event ID: 1013
Description:
Product: Microsoft XML Parser -- Your system has newer version of MSXML3 SP5 than the version you are attempting to install. Setup will quit.

Well, duh! I have MSXML3 SP7 installed. It appears that someone didn't quite figure out that yes in fact new versions of dependent component do in fact come out and that it's nothing to error out over. I wish all the product groups would expose a service like the MSDN Product Feedback center. I can't be bothered to open up a PSS case just to report this. So here's my workaround for anyone else that comes across this:

Get a copy of the Windows Installer package for the version of MSXML 3 you have installed.
Place a copy inside Exchsrvr\bin
Rename the existing msxml3.msi to msxml3.msi.backup
Make a copy of the latest version MSXML Windows Installer file and rename it to msxml3.msi. This will leave you with msxml3.msi and msxml3sp?.msi (in my case msxml3sp7.msi).
Click Retry on the error and it should continue as planned.

Hope that helps. One of these days we'll get these things right.

posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 9:11 PM

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# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 2/22/2006 12:21 PM Scott Bills

Thanks for the post - worked perfectly!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 3/1/2006 8:50 AM Dean Moncaster

This is the answer and it works, you would have thought that after at least 7 versions and numerous service packs microsoft could get their act together and sort out their software. Even the updates are buggy, please sort this stuff out MS!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 3/8/2006 5:33 PM Manny

Thanks for showing me where to look. What I did was download the latest msxml3.msi file from MS and palced it in both the exchange\bin and the E3SP2ENG\setup\i386\exchange\bin of SP2 extracted folder.

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 6/6/2006 5:51 PM Nathan Richards

Thank EHLO for you. I was banging my head on the wall about this one all day long until I finally did a yahoo search and came across this. Google has nothing helpfull when you need it.

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 6/12/2006 9:05 PM Chatou

Thanks a whole lot !

this saved my life :-)

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 7/8/2006 11:17 AM Kingsley

Thanks for this informative posting!! It saved me allot of time in resolving this issue. I did the same and downloaded SP7 msxml3.msi from the MS site and copied it to the exchsrvr\bin and the SP2\bin source files. This got rid of the error and allowed me to continue with the SP2 upgrade. Cheers

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 8/23/2006 9:27 AM G-Unit

I ran into this same issue recently but I had MSXML4sp2 installed on my SBS 2003 server. I took the same steps above (mid installation) but couldnt get past this error. None the less it finished the installation and now my server says that I have sp2 installed...
Am I in trouble here? Should I attempt to re-install ExsSp2? thanks

-G

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 11/19/2006 12:16 PM Sahid

GOD ALMIGHT! Thank you soo much for finding this solution, it was driving up the wall, thank you soo much!

Push Email, here we come!

Regards

Sahid

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 1/15/2007 7:15 PM PaulD

Thank you !

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 1/22/2007 7:59 PM Dave

I copied the msiexec.ex_ files from CD1 of the original server CD and expanded it to windows\system32 after renaming the old one. I noticed they were different. The sp2 install ran ok next time I tried it.

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 2/28/2007 10:19 PM PA

Thanks man. great post.

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 3/3/2007 8:04 PM Walt

Thanks! I'm glad there are smarter people than I, out there. This was a real time saver.

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 3/14/2007 7:31 PM Michael

Manny's post resolved the issue perfectly! Thanks for this post--quite the lifesaver!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 3/26/2007 7:18 PM Additional Info Man

In my case, the system was looking for msxml3[1].msi. I renamed the existing MSI to include the [1] in the file name. Perfect!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 4/11/2007 1:08 PM John F

FYI, I just ran into the same problem. I had BackupExec 11d installed, and it had installed MSXML6. I found the file MSXML6.MSI from the B.E. CDRom, copied it into the \Exchsrvr\bin folder as was originally suggested, and hit Retry... Wha-La! It went right past the error and finished up the SP2 install. Thanks for a great tip!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 5/16/2007 3:54 AM Stefan

Mine also wanted msxml3[1].msi
It didn't say anywhere, but it tried manually running msxml3.msi which made the error pop up that mentioned msxml3[1].msi

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 1/5/2009 9:36 AM FlyingHuman

Hi! I work perfectly! Thanks a lot!!!!! Many Many Thanks! Keep on posting such useful stuff :)

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 2/6/2009 10:12 AM Mike Daskalakis

Thank you very much. You saved me a lot of trouble.

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 4/29/2009 7:18 PM tbomb

You are the man!!!!!!!!!!!!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 6/24/2009 7:40 PM Chris Lehr

Worked with MS XML 4.0 SP2!!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 7/19/2009 10:45 PM Campbell

Thanks heaps, this has helped to sort aout a long and painfull OWA implementation

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 9/10/2009 4:24 AM MH

thanks so much this saved me some time!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 10/13/2009 5:57 PM Muli|CTGR

Great save. Thanks a bunch!
Found the following that lists the links for the needed msxml.mxi files:
http://am.net/lib/TOOLS/Microsoft/xml/Downloads.txt

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 10/15/2009 1:59 PM Felix Vicente

you can also leave the SP2 install on the Retry or cancel dialog box, install the latest msxml, copy the .msi to the exchsrvr\bin, and then click on retry...worked like a champ for me.

THANK YOU!!!!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 10/17/2009 7:15 AM Ian

You are a STAR!!!!!

# re: Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML 11/2/2009 10:33 AM Ray

I was upgrading from standard to enterprise exchange 2003. I copied the file from the upgrade files to the local drive in the bin folder and it continued ok.

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