When you try to install a Microsoft game, you may receive the following error messages immediately after you start the installation:

This issue may occur if one of the following conditions is true:

• The user account that you use to install the game does not have administrative rights.
• You have programs running in the background that are interfering with the setup.
• .NET Framework is not installed on the computer.
• The Windows Installer program that helps you set up the game is not installed correctly.

Locate and then close the files

To resolve this issue, locate, and then close Idriver.exe and Msiexec.exe.

To do this in Microsoft Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Open the Task Manager. To do this, click Start, click Run, type taskmgr, and then click OK.
2. In the Processes tab, in the Image Name column, find idriver.exe and msiexec.exe.
3. Select each instance of both processes, and then click End Process.
4. Click Yes on each Task Manager Warning popup window that you receive.
5. Close the Task Manager.

To do this in Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Open the Task Manager. To do this, click Start
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   , type taskmgr in the Start Search box, and then click taskmgr.exe in the Programs list.
2. In the Processes tab, in the Image Name column, find idriver.exe and msiexec.exe.
3. Select each instance of both processes, and then click End Process.
4. Click End Process on each Windows Task Manager popup window that you receive.
5. Close the Task Manager.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, create a new user account that has administrative rights.

Create a new user account

Then, use this new user account to install the game.

To create a new user account, use one of the following methods, depending on your installation of Windows.

For Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional Edition when Windows XP is not connected to a domain

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2. In the Pick a task list, click Create a new account.
3. Type the name that you want to use for the account. Then, click Next.
4. Click Administrator to select the account type, and then click Create Account.

For Windows XP Professional Edition when Windows XP is connected to a domain

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2. On the Users tab, click Add.
3. Type a name for your user account, your full name, and a description for your account.
4. If your computer is set up as part of a client/server network, type the domain name, and then click Next.
   
   Note If your computer is set up as an individual computer (without a network) or is in a peer-to-peer network, you do not have to provide a domain name.
5. Type a user password. Then, type the user password again to confirm it.
   
   Important Passwords are case sensitive. For example, “MyPassword” and “mypassword” are treated as two different passwords.
6. Click Next.
7. Select Other… Administrators for the level of access. Then, click Finish.

Windows Vista

1. Click Start and click Control Panel.
2. Click User Accounts and Family Safety.
3. Under User Accounts, click Add or remove user accounts.
4. Click Create a new account.
5. Type in the account name.
6. Select the account type: Standard or Administrator.
7. Click Create Account. Select the account you just created.
8. Click Create a password.
9. Type in a password for the user account and an option password hint.
10. Click Create password.
11. Log off your current account, log back in using your new account.
12. Start the installation.

Perform a clean boot procedure

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Install the latest Windows Installer package

For more information about where you can download and install the Windows Installer package, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If the issue continues to occur, go to the next method.

Download and install the latest version of .NET Framework

To do this, visit the following MSDN Web site: Click the latest version of .NET Framework.

If none of these methods has worked, continue to troubleshoot the issue. For more information about how to continue to troubleshoot the issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: