Exchange 2003 SP2 Install Fails because of MSXML

January 27, 2006 · 1 min read

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:

  1. Get a copy of the Windows Installer package for the version of MSXML 3 you have installed.
  2. Place a copy inside Exchsrvr\bin
  3. Rename the existing msxml3.msi to msxml3.msi.backup
  4. 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).
  5. Click Retry on the error and it should continue as planned.

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

This article is part of the GWB Archives. Original Author: Colin Bowern

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