IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SYMPTOMS
When you install a Windows Installer (MSI) package from removable media, such as a CD-ROM or DVD, and the MSI file doesn't reside on the root folder of the media, the following error message may appear:
Error 1706, "No valid source could be found."
This occurs if the Installer needs to query the source. Browsing to the MSI package does not resolve this error.
RESOLUTION
Setting the
MEDIAPACKAGEPATH property to the correct relative path to the MSI package resolves the issue. The
MEDIAPACKAGEPATH property can be set on the command line or in the registry.
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve
problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own
risk.
The registry location for setting this property is dependant on the type of installation that was preformed.
Per-user unmanaged installations:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Installer\Products\<Compressed ProductCode>\SourceList\Media
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Managed\<User SID>\Installer\Products\<Compressed ProductCode>\SourceList\Media
HKLM\Software\Classes\Installer\Products\<Compressed ProductCode>\SourceList\Media
For all cases, the value is a string named
MediaPackage.
The data value is the relative path to your application on the media that you want to use for future install operations. For example, if the path to the MSI package on the media is E:\MyPath\My.msi, then use
\MyPath\ as the data value.
For setting the property on the command line you would use:
MEDIAPACKAGEPATH="\MyPath\"
The path should begin and end with a backslash character (\) and should NOT contain the package name or drive letter.
In version 2.0 of the Windows Installer, the media from which you installed will always work. But if you did not use the original product media for that installation but then later use that product media instead of the media from which you installed, you may receive the error if the MSI file is in different locations on the different media. The resolutions described in this article will resolve this problem as well.
Administrative images moved to removable media can also exhibit this problem if the location of the root of the installation has changed on the new media. The
MEDIAPACKAGEPATH property must be set to the new path of the installation location on the media.