Windows MSI Logging

In an msi log file, we can go through some of the information as below.

An actions starts at Action start and ends at Action end with return value in log file.

Action Return Value    Description
-----------------    ----------
0            Function could not be executed
1            Success
2            User cancelled installation
3            Fatal error
4            Installation suspended


MSI (s/c) (14:44) -- s is server and c is client.

c -- where install ui will be executing
s -- where system changes are happenning
14:44 -- last 2 digits of process ID and thread ID of execution in hex values.

ANd after this text, there is below type of text appended.
Note: 1: 2205 2: 3: MsiAssembly
Note: 1: 2205 2: 3: Registry
Note: 1: 1402 2: HKCU\....\Explorer 3: 2

here, 1:1402 (part 1: 1402 is the windows installer error code)
windows installer error codes: http://bit.ly/msi-error-codes
windows error codes: http://bit.ly/windows-error-codes   or with net helpmsg

Let's decode a log line.
Note: 1: 2262 2: Error 3: -2147287038

Note:
1: 2262
2: Error
3: -2147287038


2262 resolves to this text from above url of msi error codes:
Stream does not exist:[2].System error [3].

When we replace with the remaining note items in this :
Stream does not exist:Error.System error -2147287038

Convert the last number from decimal to Hex.
-2147287038
change it in calcualtor with Hex and Dword combination.
80030002

these are COM error codes: http://bit.ly/com-error-codes

so now , the fully decoded error text:
Stream does not exist:Error.System error: could not be found

We can see feature and components states also:
Feature: MainFeature; Installed: Absent; Request: Local; Action: Local

http://bit.ly/msi-installstates

search with filecopy( to see which files are copied.

Property values are shown at end, with two separate opies of server and client processes.

To enable logging: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223300