Summary

The error message occurs at run time usually when you are trying to uninstall, repair, or update an installation.

Symptoms

Following error message occurs at run time:

Error 1628: Failed to complete script based install.

Cause

The error message occurs at run time usually when you are trying to uninstall, repair, or update an installation. This error message is caused by the Windows Installer Service and is often caused by the installation itself. Another reason your installation may not run is changes to your computer caused by recent updates. For example, updates to your operating system may cause installations created prior to the update to fail. You may want to uninstall any recent updates, install your application, and reinstall the update. WARNING: You should check with the software vendor who created the update to ensure no adverse affects will result from uninstalling the update

Resolution

1. This error message is often caused when the uninstallation log file becomes corrupt. This can happen if the installation is corrupt or an issue on the computer has caused this. To fix this, end the process that is running IDriver.exe via the Task Manager. Follow these steps to do this:
   1. Refer to the article Detect and End Previously Running Installation Processes to end the IDriver.exe process.
   2. Run the installation again to see if the error still occurs.
2. This error can also occur if the Windows Installer Service is not properly configured on your computer. It can also happen if the installation is created with a newer version of the Windows Installer Service, and your computer has an older version. To fix this issue, install the latest Windows Installer Service on your computer using these steps:
   1. Refer to the article to How Do I Install the Windows Installer Engine on My Computer? to download and install the latest Windows Installer Service.
   2. Reboot your computer.
   3. Run the installation again to see if the error continues to occur.
3. This error message may also occur if a file in the Temp directory is conflicting with the files being used by the installation while it is being run. To fix this, delete the entire contents of the Temp directory using these steps:
   1. Refer to the article Clean the Temp Directory to clean the Temp directory.
   2. Run the installation again to see if the issue is resolved.

Does Your Issue Still Exist?

If after following these instructions your product failed to install, you'll need to contact your vendor. See the Who to Contact page for more information.

Related KB Articles

IDriver.exe
Task Manager
What is a Temp directory?
What is the uninstallation log file?
What Is the Windows Installer Engine? Why Do I Need It?
Close Applications Running in the Background