Can't install PostgreSQL: An error occurred executing the Microsoft VC++ runtime installer on Windows XP

Question

I downloaded installer postgresql-9.0.1-1-windows.exe from the official site, ran it, and then got an error:

An error occurred executing the Microsoft VC++ runtime installer

What is the reason for this error message?

Platform: Windows XP SP3, Dell Inspiron 1501. Processor: AMD Sempron 3500+

@bernie https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Running_%26_Installing_PostgreSQL_On_Native_Windows — Andrew Grimm, Dec 10 '18 at 05:42

score 273 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 16 '19 at 12:13

273

One of the reasons this can happen is because the installer attempts to install an older version of the VC++ runtime than what you are currently using.

See this installation log, found in your user's temporary directory (e.g. dd_vcredist_amd64_20190214193107.log):

[20C0:20E4][2019-02-14T19:31:07]e000: Error 0x80070666: Cannot install a product when a newer version is installed.

A workaround is to prevent the runtimes from installing with the --install_runtimes option:

postgresql-9.6.12-1-windows-x64.exe --install_runtimes 0

edited Feb 16 '19 at 12:13

Rob

45,296
24
122
150

answered Nov 27 '10 at 01:35

Milen A. Radev

60,241
22
105
110

Gives me `There has been an error. Error running XXX\getlocales.exe : Program ended with an err or exit code` on 9.6 and 10.6. – Grim Dec 05 '18 at 15:54
10

2019 and I encountered the same issue installing version postgresql-11.1-1-windows-x64.exe. Launching it with --install_runtimes 0 definitely solved the problem. – jakejgordon Jan 12 '19 at 02:16

score 72 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:34

72

Create a shortcut of the downloaded file:
Right click of the shortcut → Properties → Shortcut. Add --install_runtimes 0 to the end of the file path:

edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:34

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered Jan 01 '19 at 18:16

Mohammad Atiour Islam

5,380
3
43
48

3

Thank you! This solves it for me, I have every VC++ runtime from 08-17 installed and yet this install kept failing. – mr_than Jan 08 '19 at 05:38
2

Thanks for this brilliant solution! – Nirav Zaveri Jul 31 '19 at 11:41
3

Worked perfectly for win 10 – Igor Tiulkanov Sep 20 '19 at 14:01

score 16 · Answer 3 · edited Feb 10 '20 at 15:24

16

Create a shortcut of your EXE file;
right click on the shortcut → add --install_runtimes 0 at the end of the target path, e.g.:
```
postgresql-9.3.1-1-windows-x64.exe --install_runtimes 0
```
save and run it :)

edited Feb 10 '20 at 15:24

Peet Whittaker

750
6
31

answered Nov 28 '13 at 09:17

user2889858

161
1
3

score 4 · Answer 4 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:17

4

First download and install Microsoft Visual C++ from the Microsoft website. Then run the installation from command with --install_runtimes 0.

edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:17

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered Dec 14 '15 at 11:44

Thakhani Tharage

1,288
16
19

score 3 · Answer 5 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:29

3

In my case, when I was installing postgresql-11.0-1-windows-x64.exe on Windows 10, I had faced the same problem.

I just uninstalled the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (the latest one for both 32 and 64 bit) and then tried to install postgresql-11.0-1-windows-x64.exe again, and it worked for me.

edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:29

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered Oct 20 '18 at 14:40

aust_anik

29
4

score 3 · Answer 6 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

3

I was having a similar issue and found a fix that worked for me from Garrett_H in this forum post:

http://forums.enterprisedb.com/posts/list/1747.page#6180

Go to file %windir%\inf\wsh.inf, right click and select 'Install'

re-run postgresql installer

I'm running Windows XP Pro, and I was trying to install postgresql-8.3.17-1-windows.exe. I originally received the following error:

An error occurred executing the Microsoft C++ runtime installer.

edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

Community

1
1

answered Dec 05 '11 at 06:55

Bryan Downing

15,194
3
39
60

1

The link is (effectively) broken (it redirects to a generic place). – Peter Mortensen Oct 22 '19 at 07:12
Looks like that forum is long gone. Best I could find was this wayback machine link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160427090126/http://forums.enterprisedb.com/posts/list/1747.page – Bryan Downing Oct 28 '19 at 19:56

score 2 · Answer 7 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:13

Take special care that your Windows user's folder name does not contain spaces. PostgreSQL (as of version 9.2.2.1) handles that poorly. If I use this account on Windows XP, installation fails with the "An error occurred executing the Microsoft C++ runtime installer" message:

"C:\Documents and settings\Jimmy (admin)"

But it runs just fine with this:

"C:\Documents and settings\Jimmy-admin"

The spaces in "Documents and settings" don't seem to bother the installer. Go figure.

score 2 · Answer 8 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:14

2

Go to file %windir%\inf\wsh.inf, right click, and select 'Install'.

Then re-run the PostgreSQL installer.

This works on Windows XP with PostgreSQL 8.4.17-1.

edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:14

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered May 02 '13 at 13:00

Michal MANYAK Oravec

21
4

score 2 · Answer 9 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:08

2

Try installing as administrator (using Run as administrator).

In version 9.0. PostgreSQL can be installed as a Windows administrator :)

edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:08

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered Nov 26 '10 at 20:17

basarat

261,912
58
460
511

score 2 · Answer 10 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:09

2

Check if Windows Script Host (WSH) is enabled. If not enabled, details are here: PostgreSQL Installation Problem on Windows without WSH

edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:09

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered Jan 07 '11 at 02:42

Igor P

21
1

score 2 · Answer 11 · answered Nov 28 '18 at 17:49

I too faced the same issue. I fixed it in the following way:

I visited the below site: https://www.enterprisedb.com/downloads/postgres-postgresql-downloads
Choose the Download button under PostgreSQL Version 11.1 for Windows x86-64.

In one word, just try to install the latest version.

score 1 · Answer 12 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:33

Windows Script Host (WSH) is unable to execute VBScript scripts. This can occur if the scripting host is disabled (which is unusual), or if the installation is broken. A sign of this problem is a message like

CScript Error: Can't find script engine "VBScript" for script "C:....

It can often be resolved by re-registering the VBScript interpreter, click Start * → * Run and enter the following and click OK:

regsvr32 %systemroot%\system32\vbscript.dll

score 0 · Answer 13 · edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:30

0

I had the same problem while trying to install PostgreSQL version 11.1. I had to uninstall the Microsoft VC++ and run the installer again. It downloaded the required VC++ and the installation went successful.

edited Oct 22 '19 at 07:30

Peter Mortensen

30,738
21
105
131

answered Dec 08 '18 at 08:52

Tony Okoth

157
1
4

score 0 · Answer 14 · answered Sep 28 '20 at 09:31

I had these same problems and tried

manually installing MS VC++
bypassing VC++ installation on postgres
fixing windows update service

Still unsuccessful

Then I solved these problem by installing postgres manually:

extract the PostgreSQL installation contents to C:\PostgreSQL (you can copy from successful installation on other machines)
add C:\PostgreSQL\bin to PATH environment
run pg_ctl register -D D:\pgdata -N postgresql -U postgres -P <your postgres password>

Can't install PostgreSQL: An error occurred executing the Microsoft VC++ runtime installer on Windows XP

14 Answers14

Linked