MSI - Error: Failed to Create AppData Cache Folder

Question

I'm trying to understand why a MSI file that was previously working perfectly has started failing.

The installer should write to %APPDATA% (which is on a network share), but it seems to fail when writing a cache of the install script to the Microsoft Installer directory also in %APPDATA%.

The log shows an error: Folder is not accessible: \\filesrv\home\mnuttall\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Installer\. However the current user during install definitely has permissions to create files and directories in this location, using eg. Windows Explorer.

MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:783]: Doing action: InstallFinalize
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:783]: Note: 1: 2205 2:  3: ActionText 
Action 14:04:53: InstallFinalize. 
Action start 14:04:53: InstallFinalize.
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:786]: Running Script: C:\Windows\Installer\MSI80CB.tmp
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:786]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding UpdateStarted property. Its value is '1'.
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:793]: Note: 1: 2265 2:  3: -2147287035 
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:793]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:795]: Note: 1: 2318 2:  
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:800]: Note: 1: 2318 2:  
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:800]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Rollback\Scripts 3: 2 
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:801]: Executing op: Header(Signature=1397708873,Version=500,Timestamp=1352102043,LangId=1033,Platform=0,ScriptType=1,ScriptMajorVersion=21,ScriptMinorVersion=4,ScriptAttributes=1)
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:804]: Executing op: ProductInfo(ProductKey={61728B55-2C51-401D-8CAD-791B201DE89A},ProductName=WidgetExcel Add-In,PackageName=WidgetInstaller-2.5.2.0.msi,Language=1033,Version=33882114,Assignment=0,ObsoleteArg=0,ProductIcon=ProductIcon,,PackageCode={C22C0F2F-54F0-491A-BDAE-7197DEC1A0C7},,,InstanceType=0,LUASetting=0,RemoteURTInstalls=0,ProductDeploymentFlags=1)
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:811]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: \\filesrv\home\mnuttall\AppData\Roaming
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:814]: SHELL32::SHGetFolderPath returned: \\filesrv\home\mnuttall\AppData\Roaming
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:841]: Folder is not accessible: \\filesrv\home\mnuttall\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Installer\
MSI (s) (78:B8) [14:04:53:841]: Error: Failed to Create AppData Cache Folder
Action ended 14:04:53: InstallFinalize. Return value 3.

Interestingly, the installer works as a MsiTrueAdminUser user, however fails with elevation of a regular user to admin (same error as above), and regular user.

I'd be very grateful for any ideas how to fix this - I'm completely stumped.

Answer 1

We are experiencing this same issue with a company add-in used for imaging. We are running Windows 10 1809. Uninstalling April's cumulative update KB4549949-x64 resolved the installation issue. In our scenario only desktop users with folder redirection are affected.

I hope this helps. I appreciate you posting your installation log because it help us identify that we aren't the only company experiencing a similar issue in the past few weeks. This helped us narrow down what has changed and pointed us to the cumulative update.