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Resolving Windows Installer Error code: 1603

SOLVED•by Intuit•1•Updated November 22, 2023

This article will assist you with resolving the following errors:

  • “Error installing Intuit Entitlement Client. Error code 1603”
  • “Error: Fatal Error During Installation (1603)”
  • “Error: General Windows Installer engine error. Increase disk space requirement in Setup.ini and try again.”

These errors occur when installing Document Management System (DMS), Lacerte, ProSeries Professional, or ProSeries Basic. If one of these errors occur, the product won't be licensed after the installation completes.

How do I resolve this error?

There are a two common reasons that one of these errors may occur:

  1. There may be a corrupt user profile on the computer.
  2. There’s a missing or corrupt version of .NET Framework on the computer.
    • Different versions of .NET Framework are used depending on the program year and the version of Windows. This is why one year of your program may install without problems, but another year may have these errors.

See the troubleshooting steps below for instructions on resolving the error.

 

We strongly recommend contacting a local IT professional before using any of the information provided in this article. The information in this section is intended to help IT professionals troubleshoot and resolve the Microsoft Windows Error 1603 that prevents MSI installers from completing their installation process. The Intuit technical support team can't assist with repairing these Microsoft components.

First, we recommend using the Component Repair Tool to resolve the error.

This issue can commonly be resolved by running the Component Repair Tool available in the ProSeries Tool Hub or Lacerte Tool Hub.

Using the tool in the Lacerte Tool Hub

  1. Open the Tool Hub.
  2. Select Program on the left.
  3. Click on Run Component Repair.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to run the tool.

If the issue persists after using the Component Repair Tool, proceed with the next set of instructions.

  1. Close the error.
  2. Right-click the install file and choose Run as administrator.
  3. If the install fails again, sign in to the computer as another user that has administrator privileges.
  4. Try to install again.
    • If the install is successful, we recommend working with local IT professional to create a new Windows user profile.
  5. If the install fails again, turn off Microsoft .NET Framework using the instructions in this Microsoft support article.
  6. Restart the computer. 
  7. Once the computer restarts, turn Microsoft .NET Framework back on.
  8. Try to install again.

This error occurs when the Intuit Entitlement Client, the components used by many Intuit products to facilitate product licensing, are unable to install. Usually, the Entitlement Client isn't able to install due to a missing or damaged Microsoft .NET Framework component. 

This section applies to ProSeries and ProSeries DMS only:

  1. Click OK to close the error.
  2. Allow the install to complete.
  3. Close the program if it opens after the install has completed.
  4. In the Windows search box in the taskbar, type in Control Panel and press Enter.
  5. In Control Panel, locate Programs and select Uninstall a program.
  6. From the left panel in the Programs and Features window, click Turn Windows features on or off.
  7. Mark the checkbox next to .NET 4.6 Advanced Services and click OK.
  8. Close Control Panel.
  9. Hold down the Windows key + E on your keyboard to open the File Explorer.
  10. Browse to the C:\ProWinYY folder.
    • YY represents the two-digit tax year.
  11. Open the msiupdates folder.
  12. Double-click the EntlClnt.msi file to install.
  13. Open ProSeries.
  14. From the Tools menu, select License Products.

This requires modification of the Windows Registry. Serious problems may occur if the registry is modified incorrectly. Intuit strongly recommends having an IT professional make these changes if you are not comfortable with editing the registry. It's also strongly recommended to make a backup of the registry before proceeding. See here for further instruction.

  1. Open the Registry Editor.
  2. Go to the following Registry path:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
    • If you don't have this key currently, you can create it.
  3. Create a new 32-bit DWORD value named VerboseStatus and set the value data to 1.
    • You need to use the 32-bit DWORD value even if you're running 64-bit Windows 10.
  4. Try signing out of the user account or restarting the operating system.
    • You'll see verbose logon messages.
  1. Run the Setup again.
  2. Hold down the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run command.
  3. Enter %temp% and click OK.
  4. Search for msi*.log. Look for the log based on the timestamp.
  5. Open the log with Notepad.
  6. Search the log for "return value 3".
    • The cause of the error will be in the lines above "return value 3".

This error may occur when the computer can't locate the drive. This is likely due to the admin account not having the drive mapped. You can use the SUBST command to map the drive.

  1. Click the Start button.
  2. Click Programs or All Programs.
  3. Click Accessories.
  4. Click Command Prompt.
  5. When the Command Prompt window opens, type the following command:
    • SUBST X: \serverfolder
      • X: is the invalid Drive
      • \serverfolder is the path the drive is mapped to.
  6. Press the Enter key to run the command.
  7. Run the installer again.

The SUBST command is a temporary drive mapping solution. The command will reset when the computer is restarted.

This error occurs when the MSI isn't signed, and you're using policies that are preventing it from running. You'll want to contact your IT consultant to add an exception for this program in the computer Group Policy Editor.

  1. Open the Registry Editor.
  2. Go to the following Registry path:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
    • If you don't have this key currently, you can create it.
  3. Create a new 32-bit DWORD value named VerboseStatus and set the value data to 0.
    • You need to use the 32-bit DWORD value even if you're running 64-bit Windows 10.
  4. Try signing out of the user account or restarting the operating system.
    • You'll see verbose logon messages.

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