Spurious feature "Advertised" state results in uninstall error 1316 - wix

Question

Symptoms
Users sometimes get one of the following error messages during uninstall through add/remove programs (or "Apps & Features" settings app):
Error 1316. The specified account already exists.
Error 1316. A network error occurred while attempting to read from the
file: C:\WINDOWS\Installer\NameOfOriginalSetup.msi
Actually these two are the exact same error, the first message only shows up when KB2918614 (aka "Secure Repair" patch) is installed and the product is not white-listed. It's just that the error code gets misinterpreted as a general system error instead of the actual MSI error in this case. Otherwise, KB2918614 doesn't matter.
Error 1406. Could not write value to key . Verify that you have sufficient access to that key, or contact your support personnel.
Seems to be less common. As the message box contains an "Ignore" button, which allows the uninstall to continue anyway, users are propably less inclined to report this error.
Log File
Obtained uninstall log file through msiexec -x {ProductCode} -l*vx LogFile.txt. Searching for "value 3" yields the part around the error location:
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:427]: Executing op: FeatureUnpublish(Feature=ProductFeature,,Absent=2,Component=iJm4+0tc4#uTvD')YKUXZ{NA8`o569(2MdBLg[rJ)
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Note: 1: 1402 2: UNKNOWN\Installer\Features\AFCEC7274CC7C0441A85705C47554DD5 3: 2
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=InstallFiles,Description=Copying new files,Template=File: [1], Directory: [9], Size: [6])
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Executing op: ProgressTotal(Total=5,Type=0,ByteEquivalent=1)
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=C:\Program Files\zett42\SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1\)
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Executing op: SetSourceFolder(Folder=1\zett42\xipmcfby\|zett42\SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1\)
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Executing op: ChangeMedia(,MediaPrompt=Please insert the disk: ,MediaCabinet=1\cab1.cab,BytesPerTick=65536,CopierType=1,,,SignatureRequired=0,,,IsFirstPhysicalMedia=1)
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Executing op: RegisterSharedComponentProvider(,,File=File2.txt,Component={3F28EEDB-866D-4201-8173-12532C657B6C},,ProductCode={727CECFA-7CC4-440C-A158-07C57455D45D},ProductVersion=1.0.0,PatchSize=0,PatchAttributes=0,PatchSequence=0,SharedComponent=0,IsFullFile=0)
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Executing op: FileCopy(SourceName=File2.txt,SourceCabKey=File2.txt,DestName=File2.txt,Attributes=512,FileSize=5,PerTick=65536,,VerifyMedia=1,,,,,CheckCRC=0,,,InstallMode=58982400,HashOptions=0,HashPart1=1397189395,HashPart2=108432067,HashPart3=-1009892414,HashPart4=374579663,,)
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: File: C:\Program Files\zett42\SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1\File2.txt; To be installed; Won't patch; No existing file
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Resolving source.
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Using cached product context: machine assigned for product: AFCEC7274CC7C0441A85705C47554DD5
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:428]: Using cached product context: machine assigned for product: AFCEC7274CC7C0441A85705C47554DD5
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: Resolving source to launched-from source.
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: Setting launched-from source as last-used.
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SourceDir property. Its value is 'C:\WINDOWS\Installer\'.
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SOURCEDIR property. Its value is 'C:\WINDOWS\Installer\'.
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SourcedirProduct property. Its value is '{727CECFA-7CC4-440C-A158-07C57455D45D}'.
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: SOURCEDIR ==> C:\WINDOWS\Installer\
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: SOURCEDIR product ==> {727CECFA-7CC4-440C-A158-07C57455D45D}
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: Using cached product context: machine assigned for product: AFCEC7274CC7C0441A85705C47554DD5
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: Determining source type
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: Note: 1: 2203 2: C:\WINDOWS\Installer\SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1.msi 3: -2147287038
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: Note: 1: 1316 2: C:\WINDOWS\Installer\SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1.msi
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: SECREPAIR: Error determining package source type
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:429]: SECUREREPAIR: SecureRepair Failed. Error code: 524FD15800
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:11:146]: Note: 1: 2205 2: 3: Error
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:11:146]: Note: 1: 2228 2: 3: Error 4: SELECT `Message` FROM `Error` WHERE `Error` = 1709
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:11:146]: Product: zett42 SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1 -- Error 1316. Das angegebene Konto ist bereits vorhanden.
MSI (c) (C4:38) [15:18:10:436]: Font created. Charset: Req=0, Ret=0, Font: Req=MS Shell Dlg, Ret=MS Shell Dlg
Error 1316. Das angegebene Konto ist bereits vorhanden.
(The last log line is "The specified account already exists." in German.)
As can be seen from the log, the uninstallation tries to actually copy the file "File2.txt" to the hard drive (look for the FileCopy entry). This doesn't seem to make sense and of course it fails when the source is not available.
Also interesting are the feature and component states which are revealed further up in the log:
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:387]: Feature: ProductFeature; Installed: Advertise; Request: Absent; Action: Absent
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:387]: Component: File1; Installed: Absent; Request: Null; Action: Null; Client State: Unknown
MSI (s) (B0:9C) [15:18:10:387]: Component: File2; Installed: Local; Request: Null; Action: Local; Client State: Absent
Note that feature "ProductFeature" has "Installed: Advertise" state, though the feature was installed locally. The "Action: Local" for component "File2" matches what we saw in the log, that is Windows Installer wants the file installed locally during uninstall! Again, this doesn't make any sense to me.
Registry Defects
I've found out that on problem machines, random component registry keys of the product that could not be uninstalled, are missing:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Components\<ComponentKey>
After manually adding the missing registry key, including all values from a clean installation state, the product could be successfully uninstalled.
It turns out that when any of the component registry keys are missing, Windows Installer determines the state of the feature that contains these components, as being "advertised". This is still not sufficient to cause error 1316 on uninstall. In fact, only when component files are physically missing on disk, an attempt for local copy is triggered by Windows Installer.
Minimal Example and Repro Steps
I have not yet been able to reproduce the problem "naturally", i. e. in the same way as it happens on customers machines. Only by manually deleting one of the above mentioned component registry keys, I can artificially reproduce the problem.
Build a minimal WiX setup that installs two files, "File1.txt" and "File2.txt":
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
<?define ProductName = "SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1"?>
<?define Manufacturer = "zett42"?>
<?if $(var.Platform) = x64 ?>
<?define PlatformProgramFilesFolder = "ProgramFiles64Folder" ?>
<?else ?>
<?define PlatformProgramFilesFolder = "ProgramFilesFolder" ?>
<?endif ?>
<Product Id="*" Name="$(var.Manufacturer) $(var.ProductName)" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0" Manufacturer="$(var.Manufacturer)" UpgradeCode="{65CEA630-EFC0-4199-86EE-88867AABEDEF}">
<Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine" />
<MajorUpgrade DowngradeErrorMessage="A newer version of $(var.ProductName) is already installed." />
<MediaTemplate />
<Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="$(var.ProductName)" Level="1" AllowAdvertise="no" >
<ComponentGroupRef Id="ProductComponents" />
</Feature>
<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="$(var.PlatformProgramFilesFolder)">
<Directory Id="MANUFACTURERFOLDER" Name="$(var.Manufacturer)">
<Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="$(var.ProductName)" />
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Directory>
<ComponentGroup Id="ProductComponents" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">
<Component Id="File1" Guid="{19819F06-DD45-4B48-BD00-810DEF7C0297}">
<File Source="File1.txt"/>
</Component>
<Component Id="File2" Guid="{3F28EEDB-866D-4201-8173-12532C657B6C}">
<File Source="File2.txt"/>
</Component>
</ComponentGroup>
</Product>
</Wix>
Install the MSI file.
Delete the following registry key that belongs to component "File1":
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Components\60F9189154DD84B4DB0018D0FEC72079
Delete a key file that belongs to any of the other components of the same feature, in this case "File2":
c:\Program Files\zett42\SpuriousFeatureAdvTest1\File2.txt
Try to uninstall the product via "Add/Remove Programs" or "Apps & Features".
Uninstallation fails with "Error 1316" message.
Attempted solutions / workarounds
For support: The Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter successfully removes the problematic product.
I have tried to disable advertising of the feature (<Feature AllowAdvertise="no"/>), but it doesn't change anything.
Question
What could be possible causes of the problem and how to actually solve it?
Violation of component rules in the setup. Although I cannot exclude this cause, it seems unlikely as the missing component registry key(s) are random and only a small percentage of users is affected.
Interference of 3rd party software, like AV or registry cleanup utilities.
Disk or memory failures.
Bug in Windows Installer.
Anything else?
Searching for the error message shows that the problem is quite common. In some cases the error is caused by changing the file name of the MSI during a minor upgrade. This is definitely not the case here, because we don't do minor upgrades and the MSI files of the problematic setups were not renamed. As explained above it is very clear that there is a registry defect. A possibly similar case is described here, but the answer doesn't explain anything, it just points to the MS troubleshooting tool.

Answer 1

I have been able to reproduce the problem using a registry cleaner.
Repro Steps:
Install a program using Windows Installer.
Delete one or more files that are keyfiles of their components from the program folder.
Run the registry cleaner. The cleaner mistakenly determined that the Windows Installer component registry keys, who's keyfiles don't exist, are no longer needed. The cleaner deletes the registry keys.
Delete more files that are keyfiles of their components from the program folder.
Try to uninstall the program. It fails with error 1316.
Even without step 4, this uninstall will be broken, because any other resources installed by components of the same feature that contains the deleted components, won't be uninstalled. Delete one component registry key and the whole feature won't be uninstalled anymore!
With step 4, the issue turns into a problem, as the whole uninstall will rollback. It may also turn into an install problem, when the uninstall runs as part of a major upgrade that requires the older version to be removed first.
While the steps appear somewhat artificial, it is certainly not unlikely that users manually delete files from a programs installation folder. This could also happen accidentally when programs are installed on removable disks and the cleaner runs after the disk has been removed. Other reasons could be thought of.
Solution:
Don't use registry cleaners. While some may actually work, there is always the risk that they break something.
If error 1316 or 1406 occur during uninstall of any program (possibly also during major upgrade, when the older version gets removed), use Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter in "uninstall" mode. In some cases you may also succeed by rerunning the original setup package used to install the program.