How to Update Windows Installer
By Lucosi Fuller
If your Microsoft Windows Installer is outdated or functioning incorrectly, the programs you download to protect or enhance your computer may not be installed or repaired, causing vulnerabilities and performance problems. If your downloads are not installing, you may need to get a new version of Windows Installer.
Type www.microsoft.com in your address bar or "Microsoft Windows Installer" in the search bar.(Typing in the search bar is a shortcut, but doesn't guarantee that you are downloading an authentic Microsoft version of the program you need).
At Microsoft's home page, run your mouse over "Downloads & Trials"; a drop-down menu will appear. Click on "Download Center."
Click on "Windows" in the list titled "Product Families."
On the "Windows" page, click on the arrow inside the box that is marked "Show downloads for:"; a drop-down menu will appear. Find "Microsoft Windows Installer" and click on it, then click on "Go."
On the "Microsoft Windows Installer" page, click on "Release Date" to display the most recent version of Microsoft Windows Installer, which is Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable.
On the download page, click on the hypertext phrase "Download files below." The page will automatically scroll to a spot where you will see three downloads: Redist.txt (you may copy and paste this text to a text file in the folder where you install Windows Installer); Windows Installer 3.1 EULA.doc; and WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe. Click on each download and save them to your computer.
Once you have downloaded the files, wait for the Install Wizard to take over and automatically update Microsoft Windows Installer or repair the version you already have.