Summary

Symptoms

When running an installation, error 2738 may occur in the following format:

Could not access VBScript runtime for custom action [CUSTOMACTIONNAME]

[CUSTOMACTIONNAME] resolves to the name of a VBScript custom action in your installation.

Cause

In order for a VBScript file (.vbs) to run, the Windows Scripting Host (WSH) must be installed on the target machine. Error 2738 occurs if a VBScript custom action is being called at some point in the installation and the WSH is not installed on the target machine.

Resolution

Follow these steps to include the Windows Scripting Host 5.6 merge module into your project. This installs Windows Scripting Host 5.6 onto the target machine at the beginning of the installation.

1. Select the Redistributables view.
2. Select the WSH 5.6 merge module.
3. Rebuild your installation.

Additional Information

The Windows Scripting Host 5.6 merge module is included with InstallShield Express, but if you wish to download the redistributable from Microsoft's site, you can do so from the Microsoft Windows Script Downloads page.

This error message is briefly documented in the Windows Installer Help Library topic Windows Installer Error Messages.