When upgrading from v7.6.33 to v7.8.3 the boinc installer can't find the .msi file to continue the installation. After the installation starts a popup box says the file can't be found and allows browse to the file. The file exists but the installer won't recognize it as valid and I have to cancel the install at that point.

I tried installing with virtual box and without, same results. I tried installing the earlier version again with same results. I first tried the upgrade when first released a week or so ago and have redownloaded the files several times since in case a bug was corrected, last attempt was today just prior to sending this help request.

I am running Win10 and have been running boinc and virtual box for about a dozen years without any problems.
Win Program manager can't uninstall the older version as boinc started that process and didn't finish so that win function is now in limbo.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

It is more likely that Windows is trying to find and use the boinc.msi file associated with v7.6.33, which it will use to un-install the previous version.

The simplest work-round, if that file has been removed from the Windows installer cache by a clean-up operation, is to re-install the old version and then try the upgrade again.

If you don't have your original downloaded installer file, you can still download a fresh copy from http://boinc.berkeley.edu/download_all.php. Make sure you choose the correct (64-bit or 32-bit) version for both installations.

thanks Richard for the reply, As noted in my original help request I had tried to load the earlier version with the same missing MSI error and can't uninstall with windows manager as the install attempt of the new version of Boinc corrupted the uninstaller, probably files missing to identify it.

Any other ideas before I start editing my Registry file to remove all instances of the program?

Could this tool from Microsoft fix that kind of situation:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17588/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed
I've never used that, but maybe you could test and report.

I had the same problem. I d/l the suggested fix. It worked. In less that 10 minutes I was able to install the newest BOINC version.

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thanks Richie, that did the trick as John Lewis HIghsmith noted worked for him too.

When running the tool you get a choice to fix the uninstaller by one of two methods. I first tried the "other methods" link with no success so I then used the "uninstall the program" link. You then select your program from a list, and after a minute or so it said completed. I looked a my installed programs in the windows uninstaller and Boinc had been removed.

I then installed the boinc+vbox v7.8.3 (x64) with no problems, all my projects were saved and went right back to work from were they were when I had this problem a few weeks ago. I had backed up the account files from the boinc folder but didn't need them and don't know if that would have worked as I didn't see the work files which I guess are hidden elsewhere.

Thank you both for the assistance.