Installation errors are rare, and in most cases, the process goes through rather smoothly. But many users reported Error 1603 during installation. And it’s not just limited to a particular program but can be encountered in many.

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  • You can get a fatal Error 1603 during the installation of a software, which subsequently blocks the process.

  • Before you begin troubleshooting, make sure that the program is not already installed.

  • To fix things, disable the antivirus, free up disk space, or remove conflicting apps, amongst other solutions.

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The error message doesn’t reveal much about the underlying cause, but you could go through the error log to find out more about the situation. Before you do, we have solutions that work in most cases, and have helped several users fix Error 1603.

Why am I receiving Error 1603?

Here are a few reasons why you may be getting Error 1603 in Windows:

  • The program already exists on the PC – If the program that you are trying to install is already there on the PC, you may receive this error.
  • Missing permissions – Oftentimes, the folder where the program is to be saved is missing access permissions, and the files can’t be installed.
  • The target folder is encrypted – In some cases, users later realized that the folder where the program files were to be saved was encrypted, which triggered Error 1603.
  • Security software blocking the installation – Your third-party antivirus or other similar security software may be preventing the installation of the program.

Where can I find error code 1603, and what does it look like?

The error message may differ depending on the situation, along with how it appears, which depends on the application throwing it. Here are a few programs that are likely to throw Error 1603:

  • Error 1603 Adobe – Several users installing Adobe applications reported the error, and it’s usually caused due to incorrect permissions.
  • FortiClient Error 1603 – The FortiClient installer, too, throws the error and rolls back any changes made.
  • Error 1603 AMD – A common issue encountered by users trying the install AMD drivers.
  • Error 1603 QuickBooks – The QuickBook Tools Hub usually comes to the rescue of users.
  • Altiris Error 1603 – Here, users receive the message, Error 1603: A fatal error occurred during installation, and our solutions would fix things.
  • Error 1603 Revit – It’s a particularly tricky situation, and users had to go through a great deal of effort to get things working.

How do I fix error code 1603?

Before we head to the slightly complex solutions, here are a few quick ones for you to try:

  • Verify if the program is already installed on the computer. Sometimes, the desktop launcher may not be available after an upgrade, so you must check the list of installed programs and confirm the same.
  • Restart the computer.
  • Launch the installer with administrative privileges. To do that, right-click on it, and select Run as administrator.
  • Check for Windows updates and install the latest available version.
  • Disable any third-party antivirus or firewall installed on the computer. If that works, we recommend uninstalling the program and switching to a more reliable antivirus and a conflict-free firewall.
  • Clear storage space on the computer. For that, you could run Disk Cleanup, a built-in utility, enable Storage Sense, a feature that automatically clears space, or try the other methods to free storage.

In case none of these works, try the solutions listed next.

1. Clear contents of the temp folder

  • Press Windows + R to open Run, type %temp% in the text field, and hit Enter.
  • Press Ctrl + A to select all the files here and hit Delete.
  • Choose the appropriate response in case a confirmation prompt pops up.

This is the simplest fix if you encounter Error 1603 in Windows 10 while installing any application. Sometimes, the Temp folder may be running full, and as a result, installers encounter an issue while executing critical processes, leading to the error.

2. Uninstall conflicting apps

  • Press Windows + R to open the Run, type appwiz.cpl in the text field, and click OK.
  • Locate any application that controls the aspect related to the program that you are trying to install, select it, and click on Uninstall.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Conflicts triggered by third-party apps are a common reason behind Error 1603, and the best solution here is to uninstall the problematic app. For instance, Adobe reports that Google Desktop may affect the installation of its application.

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Also, you could use a software uninstaller tool to completely remove any traces of the concerned app.

One of the best tools available is CCleaner. It removes all junk files on your PC and removes all programs including all associated files.

3. Run the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter

When faced with issues in Windows, the ideal course is to always look for a dedicated troubleshooter. And you have one, in this case, the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter, which is easily downloadable.

Once downloaded, run it, choose the appropriate responses, follow the on-screen instructions, and make the recommended changes to fix Error 1603 in Windows 10.

4. Reconfigure the Windows Installer service

  • Press Windows + R to open Run, type services.msc, and click OK.
  • Locate the Windows Installer service, right-click on it and select, Properties.
  • Now, click on the Start button, and then on OK to save the changes.
  • Again, press Windows + R, paste the following command and hit Enter:msiexec /unregister
  • Similarly, execute the following command in Run:msiexec /regserver

5. Grant Full Control Permission to Installation Drive

  • Press Windows + E to open File Explorer, right-click on the installation drive for the software (usually C:), and select Properties.
  • Navigate to the Security tab, and click the Edit button.
  • Select SYSTEM, tick the checkbox for Full Control, and click OK.
  • Now, click on Advanced.
  • Click the Change Permissions option.
  • Select SYSTEM from the list, and then click the Edit button.
  • Choose This folder, sub-folders, and files from the Applies to the drop-down menu, and click on OK to save the changes.
  • Click OK on all opened windows as well.

That’s it! If the previous methods didn’t work, modifying the permissions certainty would have, and the Error 1603 fixed. You can now seamlessly install the application that earlier threw the error.

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Also, find out what to do if you can’t install anything in Windows 10.

If you know of other possible solutions, do drop them in the comments section below.

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