Problem
When running a policy to install or update software using an MSI (such as Zoom), the installation fails and the policy run result returns an error code of 1618.
Cause
The error code 1618 translates to ERROR_INSTALL_ALREADY_RUNNING. This means that another installation is already in progress on the device, and it must complete before a new installation can proceed.
A frequent cause of this conflict is when a software application is set to automatically update itself. If the application's native auto-updater runs at the exact same time Automox is trying to install or update it, Windows Installer will block one of the attempts.
Resolution
To resolve this error and prevent it from happening in the future, follow these steps:
1. Disable Native Auto-Updates
If you intend for Automox to fully manage the installation and updates for a specific application (like Zoom), it is highly recommended to disable the application's built-in auto-update feature. This prevents the application from conflicting with Automox policies.
2. Clear the Installer Lock
For immediate troubleshooting, you can restart the Windows Installer service.
Alternatively, reboot the device entirely to clear any stuck or in-progress installations.
3. Rerun the Policy
After clearing the in-progress installations, rerun your Automox policy.
4. Advanced Troubleshooting: Capture Verbose Logs
If you continue to see the
1618error after rebooting or restarting the service, the next step is to capture verbose MSI logs to determine exactly which process is holding the Windows Installer lock.You can capture these logs by modifying your installation script. For example:
exit (Start-Process -FilePath 'msiexec.exe' -ArgumentList ('/i', '"msiname.msi"', '/l*v c:\Logname.log', '/norestart', '/qn') -Wait -Passthru).ExitCode.