error code:0x80070643 When installing MSE

As you may have read, I am a fan of Microsoft Security Essentials.  Prior to MSE, I had been using Microsoft OneCare on almost all of my machines, and in case you didn’t know; Microsoft is no longer supporting the product.  Instead, they released MSE to replace it.  With that said, my subscription was about to expire.  I figured it was time to uninstall OneCare on my HTPC and install MSE in its place.  In the immortal words of Biz Markie “I didn’t realize I was in for such an event”.  The event was an error… error code: 0x80070643 to be exact.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find much help on the net but I did find a solution that worked for me.

A little background on the error:

This problem occurs when Windows Installer encounters an error. Error code 0x80070643 and error code 0x643 are provided by Windows Installer. These error codes are generic errors that basically state that an error was encountered by Windows Installer.

Luckily, Microsoft has a LONG page about how to figure out what the actual error is instead of the generic error as listed.  I still can’t figure out why they just don’t tell you what the problem actually is instead of having you run through flaming hoops of blue fire wearing a flammable cotton tutu. Luckily, if the problem is like mine, you won’t have to do any of this.  It is useful to keep in your bookmarks in case my fix doesn’t work for you—> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958052 (CLICK THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM)

  1. Download the OneCare Clean Up Tool and save it to your Desktop: http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/c/b/4cb845e7-1076-437b-852a-7842a8ab13c8/OneCareCleanup.exe
    0x80070643-01
  2. After the download finishes, locate the file and execute it.  If you are on Windows Vista or Windows 7, you will have to right click on the file and select “Run As Administrator” or you will be prompted with an error stating “You must have Administrator Privileges to run this tool
  3. If you have done this correctly, You will get a much friendlier greeting that states “This program will clean Windows Live OneCare from your computer. After running this tool, you will be required to reboot your computer.
  4. When prompted to Accept or Decline the terms of the End-User license agreement, you much choose to accept or you will not be able to continue.
  5. Once you hit the button to continue, you  may stare blankly at a progress bar wondering why it isn’t moving.  It is not that obvious but in order to make that sucker do something, you have to press “Clean”
  6. When that is finished, you will be required to reboot.

Now you should be able to install Microsoft Security Essentials.

1.      Download the OneCare Utility clean up tool Copy the following web address, open your Internet browser, paste the address in the address box of your browser, and then press ENTER.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/c/b/4cb845e7-1076-437b-852a-7842a8ab13c8/OneCareCleanup.exe

2.      Click Save.

3.      Select a location where you want to save the file, and then click Save.

4.      Go to the location where you saved the file.
In Windows XP, double-click the file.–or– In Windows Vista, right-click the file, and then click Run as administrator.

5.      Click Run, and then click Continue.

6.      Read the licensing agreement. If you agree to it, click I accept the terms of the End?User Licensing Agreement, and then click Continue.

7.      Click Clean.

8.      After the clean-up tool finishes, click Restart Now.

9.      After booting up the PC machine, install Microsoft Security Essentials

About Joe D

I have always had a passion for everything computing. In early 2000, I decided to take my passion to the web. Thus, C.O.D. was born. Through the years we have made many great friends at C.O.D. and hope to continue our journey for years to come.

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3 comments

  1. thanks bro. This info was really helpful.

  2. Hi Joe,

    MS abandoning one care totally made them abandon thinking about its potential conflicts with MSE. Thanks to Bunch of MVPs who always catch bugs.

    But i don't understand why don't they let their uninstallers do the job that a clean up program does! Or a warning like "Warning! Completely remove One care before running the installer" during the installation of MSE might have helped, instead of people figuring it out.

    One takeaway though, if its an installer error, it has to do with the conflicts of their similar product's incomplete removal!

    Cheers!

    Sam

    • The Microsoft community has saved my butt a bunch of times! This is an example of different departments or groups handling different products. Much like OOP, one hand has no clue about what the others are doing. It would make sense that they would have an intimate knowledge of what has been developed, but that is a dream world and not reality.

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