You Must Wait for Windows Installer to Complete Before You Continue

Note: MOS 2007 Exams & the iQsystem 7 Exam Delivery System are being retired on the 30th of January 2016.

If this message appears during the Exam Instructions or during the exam when clicking the Next button: "You must wait for the windows installer to complete before you continue. If this problem persists, please contact a test administrator."

The Windows Installer Service is called upon to install/uninstall programs or updates. The Installer Service cannot be in an active or running state while you are iQsystem/Certiport Console/Console 8 to deliver Exams. If the Exam System detects that the Windows Installer Service is running, to prevent any harm befalling the Exam or PC, the Exam System will cease running and display the above notification message.  

LIST OF POSSIBLE CAUSES AND RESOLUTIONS:
 

1. Microsoft Office must be installed and configured so it will not attempt further installations during exam. During an exam if the system calls upon a program, feature or component of Microsoft Office it will attempt to install it which starts the Windows Installer Service. Refer to How To: Update to a "Full, Custom or Complete" Microsoft Office configuration for more information.

 

2. A recently installed program or update (which may have nothing to do with iQsystem or Office) was installed and did not complete the installation for some reason. Typically restarting the computer will solve this issue.

 

3. A pending software update is calling upon the Windows Installer Service for action. In some cases an update will prime the Windows Installer Service and those updates need to be killed or completed to resolve. Restarting the computer after this action will ensure the Service gets closed.

 

4. If the above steps do not resolve this, you can try to manually stop the Windows Installer Service (provided that you have sufficient Admin Rights for this and that it is not controlled by a Group Policy):

 

• click on the Start/Windows Button,
• right click on “Computer” or “My Computer” (depending on your Operating System)
• click on “Manage”.
• In the main body of the “Computer Management” window, double click on “Services and Applications”
• then double click “Services”
• scroll down until you come to the “Windows Installer” Service
• right click on it and then select “Stop”. (Note: To Restart the Service, once the Exam is complete, right click on it and click "Start")

 

5. If the Windows Installer Service is controlled by a Group Policy or similar, you may find that even though you manually stopped the Service, you encounter the error again later on. This could be due to a scheduled refresh of the Policy and if this is the case, consider asking your Network Team to temporarily suspend or schedule the Policy to refresh outside of when you intend to deliver iQsystem/Console Exams. Alternatively, schedule Exams outside of when systems are being updated.