Windows Installer flickers on and off when trying to use Explore.exe

When you say it flickers, do you meant that it opens and then closes again?

right, flickers on and off and on and off

http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/9/d/e9d80355-7ab4-45b8-80e8-983a48d5e1bd/msicuu2.exe Try running the Microsoft Cleanup Utility for the Windows Installer. The issue may be with Windows Installer not properly cleaning itself up.

under installed products - i dont see anything about windows installer except Windows Installer Clean Up -

you have to catch the name of what's trying to install itself, when it's flashing as you say... once you catch the name, kill it in the windows installer cleanup

In case of virus/malware related issue:

Run Combofix>follow its running instructions
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

Run Hitmanpro
http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro

Run Malwarebytes
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam-download.php

Post logfiles afterwards

Are we talking about exploreR.exe?

ShellExView - Shell Extension Manager For Windows
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

I would sort by Company Name, and disable all NON Microsoft extensions, and see if it stops....

Also, the Installer should be leaving a logfile in the Event Viewer>Application Log, under the source "Windows Installer"....

here are can be many alternative to solve this problem
first up try removing junk from this system by using ccleaner

reboot yours pc does it still comes up?


also try to download new version of windows installer

does it still creates problem?

you can disable it as windows installer is only needed when we ty to install/uninstall any application that need windows installer service.

goto run type services.msc and select windows installer their stop and set its start-up type to Disabled

glad its resolved :)

the installation source for what had to be installed, was on the external drive.  once the source was there, the windows installer routine could finish properly

yeah, but nothing was being installed