Fix: The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable

The error “The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable.” usually occurs during software installation or uninstallation, stopping the process. This error means the required files are missing, moved, or corrupted.

The main cause is often that the Windows Installer service is not running or that the registry entries needed to find the installation files are incorrect or corrupt. These entries might point to a file that has been moved, no longer exists, or is leftover from an incomplete installation.

Here are effective solutions to fix this problem:

1. Apply Correct Configuration of Windows Installer Service

Configure the Windows Installer Service to start automatically and make sure it is running. This allows the installation process to access necessary files and resources, resolving the error message about unavailable network resources.

  1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
  2. Find the Windows Installer service, right-click it, and select Properties.
  3. Set Startup type to Automatic.
  4. If Service status is Stopped, click Start. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
  5. Click Apply and OK.
  6. Close the Services manager and restart your computer.

After rebooting, try installing or uninstalling the program to see if the process completes successfully.

2. Download the Installer to a Different Location

Your installation issue might be due to a damaged or corrupted installer, or a directory communications problem. Download a fresh copy of the installer to another location on your computer and use that for installation or uninstallation.

3. Run the Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter

This Microsoft tool detects and repairs common issues with program installations and uninstallations. It identifies and fixes corrupted registry values and keys, resolving the error about unavailable network resources.

  1. Download the Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter by clicking here.
  2. Navigate to where the file was saved and double-click to run it.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the troubleshooter.
  4. Allow the troubleshooter to detect and repair issues like corrupted registry values and keys.

After running the troubleshooter, restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

4. Delete a Specific Registry Key

Deleting a specific registry key can remove corrupt or incorrect entries that block the installation or uninstallation process. This can clear obstructions related to the affected program.

Note: Proceed with caution, as incorrect changes can lead to system instability. Always back up the registry before making changes.

  1. Press the Windows Logo key + R to open a Run dialog.
  2. Type regedit in the Run dialog and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to the following registry directory in the left pane:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Classes > Installer
  4. Double-click on the Products sub-key under the Installer key to expand it. Look at the Product Name registry string (REG_SZ) for each sub-key to identify the one related to the program you are troubleshooting.
  5. Upon locating the sub-key for the affected program, right-click it and select Delete.
  6. Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes in the confirmation popup.
  7. After deleting the relevant sub-key, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Once your computer reboots, attempt to install or uninstall the program again and check if the issue is resolved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Comments

42
    PU
    Punk May 1, 2019

    Thanks. The last one deleting the key worked for me.

    MC
    Mordakhi Cha Sep 1, 2019

    Last one worked for me aswell thanks

    RG
    Raphael Gorzym Sep 7, 2019

    Great! Solution 3 worked for me! Microsoft support couldn’t help me, but you had the solution! Many thanks!!

    WR
    Wira Ramadhana Sep 16, 2019

    Unable to select Startup type “Automatic”. It’s locked to “Manual”. How to fix it? Help please https://uploads.disquscdn.c

      —L
      —Gacha Love— Dec 25, 2019

      same

        SW
        Shane Warren Author Dec 29, 2019

        Give administrative privileges to your account or create a new account.

    SW
    Shane Warren Author Sep 18, 2019

    Apparently, Microsoft is making it harder to change these settings in the later updates and you can no longer change some of these options for certain services in the list.

    LG
    Luis Armando Gonzalez Oct 17, 2019

    Solution 3 works for me. When it is beginning to scan for programs is slow, but works ok when go to uninstall the problematic program.

    ZO
    Zoubeir Oueslati Oct 27, 2019

    Thank’s Solution 3 works

    GG
    Gambhir Gurung Jan 10, 2020

    I have done with solution 3. Thank you so much for your information,

    SR
    Shivaprasad Rao Feb 17, 2020

    Solution 3 is awesome..thanks a ton!

    SP
    Sir Phil Jul 28, 2020

    Thanks men! I strongly believe that one of these methods is surely gonna work for me. Shalom!

    KV
    Kai Valdes Sep 4, 2020

    When i click on the link on solution 3 it’ll bring me to a page that says “404 – File or directory not found.
    The resource you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.” Help?

      KA
      K. Arrows Author Sep 5, 2020

      The file is hosted with Microsoft and they appear to be having issues. Please try using this link: https://sudo.to/26n

    RE
    RexPlayer137 Sep 10, 2020

    OMG THANK YOU SO MUch solution 3 helped the most you are a life saver ive been trying to delete something for 2 days now thank you

    HA
    hasu Sep 16, 2020

    Solution 4 worked thanks king

    MM
    Minh Mao Oct 30, 2020

    Help!!! Solution 4 didn’t work for me with Google Update, GSync64.msi. Now after I’ve deleted the registry key, I can’t uninstall a Google program!

      MZ
      Muhammad Zubyan Author Nov 2, 2020

      Warning: Please make a backup of your Userdata before. We won’t be responsible if anything goes wrong. Also, Be careful while making any changes to your registry.Try uninstalling it manually and for doing that you will have to follow the following steps:-1. Open Task Manager and end all the instances running of Google Chrome.
      2. Search for “Folder options” in the search bar and enable the option named “Show hidden files and folders”
      3. Head over to C:Program Files (x86) and delete the folder named “Google”.( Deleting Chrome’s Settings and Userdata)Now Press and Hold the Win + R key to open run and then type this “%localappdata%” Press enter. This command will open a folder in this folder find “Google” and delete it.Restart your computer and then reinstall Google Chrome it will appear in the Uninstalling section now. Hope this helps! Keep me updated.

      Reply
    BJ
    Bhaskar Jagadeesh Feb 3, 2021

    Go to Registry where MSI information is available.
    HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall{GUID}
    Check for ‘InstallSource’ path. Create this path with correct folders.
    Copy the installed relevant MSI file in the ‘InstallSource’ path with file name same as ‘DisplayName’ in registry.
    Go to add/remove programs and uninstall – this should work.

    Reply
    A0
    ANALOGPUNK-077 Feb 14, 2021

    Step 3 worked. Thanks bud!

    MI
    Miguelito Apr 8, 2021

    Step 4 worked for me! Thanks so much! I hate dealing with the reg because I’m worried I’ll screw something up lol. Glad it worked though!

    SU
    SuichyFlex May 7, 2021

    Solution 4 works for me! rlly rlly Thanks so much! I spent about 1 month looking for the solution to this problem and this solved it in less than 2 minute

    HH
    Haizeel Hashnan Jul 14, 2021

    Solution 3 really did the job! thank you so much!

    R2
    Recordable 2000 Jul 15, 2021

    Hello, I’ve got this problem on my Windows XP Computer. The programm actually works, but the thing is popping up because I have no internet on my Windows XP. Is there any way I could just turn off the warning?

      MZ
      Muhammad Zubyan Author Aug 11, 2021

      Are you sure that the problem you are having is exactly the same as this one? Because I think you are talking about a pop-up that tells you that you aren’t connected to the internet. Can you please elaborate further and send me a photo of that exact pop-up?

    SO
    sonofmojo Jul 23, 2021

    Solution 4 was the answer. Thanks! I attempted to install SSMS (using chocolatey) *BEFORE* installing SQL itself. Then it was stuck on registry keys for ODBC 17 and Native Client. Deleted those keys, rebooted, and SQL install was a success! Thanks again.

    Reply
    TM
    Tiemen Meijberg Dec 6, 2021

    nothing worked for me anything else i can try

      MZ
      Muhammad Zubyan Author Dec 6, 2021

      What are you trying to do exactly? maybe we can try an alternate method of achieving the same thing.

        TM
        Tiemen Meijberg Dec 6, 2021

        All my games on steam have this message but with most of them I can just hit cancel and it will start up like normal. But now I bought another game that requires microsoft visual c++ to run so it wont start up.

          MZ
          Muhammad Zubyan Author Dec 7, 2021

          Hey, Try the method 8 from this article: https://appuals.com/fix-mic

          ID
          Infected Dro Jan 15, 2022

          did u ever fix it? my friend has the same issue with all his games

    ZS
    Zaid Shaikh Feb 4, 2022

    For me 3rd Solution was helpful sir thanks a lot………

    YM
    Yahia Mostafa Oct 2, 2022

    Thank you, solution 3 works and removes the program from programs list, but files of the program remain.
    I installed the new version of the program successfully and it replaced the old files of the program.

    BL
    B.Lara Oct 13, 2022

    Solution 4 worked for me! Not sure why this error occurred. I have my suspicions. Either way, this worked. Got rid of the key and boom, was able to install the updated program just fine.

    MT
    Maxim Tzipori Nov 11, 2022

    Solution 4 worked like magic, thanks a lot!

    IG
    Igor Dec 8, 2022

    The third option works, thank you so much

    TM
    Tal Malka Dec 12, 2022

    Solution 4 worked for me! Thanks!

    BI
    biplabdansena Dec 22, 2022

    trick 4 works like acharm thank u

    MI
    Miguel Feb 20, 2023

    muchas gracias me funciono la soluciono 03

    JO
    Jotham Oct 6, 2023

    Solution 4 works like a charm! Thank you!

    DA
    David Nov 30, 2023

    Solution 4 worked for me!
    thanks

    XN
    Xii-Nyth Feb 27, 2024

    really wish it just said where the regkey is on the error, have to come here everytime to remember since I dont leave behind 1gb installers in programdata as a hobby lol