Windows Installer Failure for 2000 SP4

[snyerch]

I am running Windows 2000 Server. I just reinstalled it on a Pentium 4 and finished putting in all my drivers. I then installed Service Pack 4. Now, I can't install anything. A couple programs including Symantec Endpoint Protection tell me "This installation package cannot be installed by the Windows Installer service. You must install a Windows service pack that contains a newer version of the Windows Installer service." I downloaded Windows Installer 3.1 V2 for x86 and tried to run it. It unpacks and then for a split second I see the "Welcome to blah blah blah, back/next/cancel" screen you normally see for an installation, then it vanishes, I see a DOS prompt screen for a split second and can't read the text on it before it's gone too. I tried reinstalling SP4, and the same thing happened with the SP4 install program. Split-second install screen, black DOS screen, gone. I go to Add/Remove Programs and Windows Installer isn't even in the list, so I can't remove it. I spent two hours searching the Microsoft Knowledge Database and doing everything I could find, like eight different methods including command-line strings, registry modification, changes to the Process Manager, and nothing worked. I tried to call for help and they wanted $99 just to answer an email, $350 for a phone call.

Really! I did everything right, installed their software the normal way, didn't do anything weird or fancy, it fails, and they want me to pay the price of the software again just to get help on why they failed to make it work in the first place?

I had a similar problem on another Windows 2000 system a few years ago and I can't for the life of me remember how I fixed it.

I suspect that Windows Installer (a) got messed up by Service Pack 4, (B) it's a common problem, and © Windows Installer won't install because paradoxically Windows Installer must be working in order to install Windows Installer. Anybody have any insight on this problem? Know any downloadable tools that fix the problem?

[PCWildGooseChase]

Lately I have been trying to manipulate files through DOS or some boot disk that runs DOS because the computer is boot looping. You could probably learn how from here : http://www.msfn.org/board/Registry-File-Fa...-e-t115464.html

I've used 2 different paid for boot disks which think I have an XP. Can't otherwise get a thing to work so far! However I can see the files. Flashing a Bios is another thing but supposedly if you simply keep your default settings in your Bios it should be OK. People change it to add more to thier computer limits. I think some type of Sasser worm/blaster is in this area; lsass.exe error 128 and thus can control your computer. Then when you try to boot the regular boot disk it gets the ntkrnlmp.exe error 7 so you can't just reinstall.