TechTips - IIS 7 Error 0x8007643 when Installing on Windows 2008 Server 64bit

I just upgraded one of my servers to Microsoft Server 2008 R2 64-bit and everything was looking great and going smoothly. That is until I went to install IIS 7 on the server and got the error 0x8007643 which basically says that IIS 7 can't install due to the Windows Activation Services. I did some research and found this is a common problem and there are many possible solutions. I will explain how to perform the most common and which one fixed the problem for me.

First thing I did was to use the sfc /scannow tool and see if I had any problems with missing or corrupt files. This is a very good place to start, so to run the scan, do the following:

Click Start

Click Run

Type CMD

Hit Enter

Type sfc /scannow

Hit Enter

After the scan view results (allow Windows to fix problems)

After my scan there was only one file that had a problem and Windows was able to repair it and it didn't fix my problem with the IIS 7 installation error. So I fixed a corrupt file which was nice but didn't repair my real issue with the IIS 7 installation failing so on to the next fix.

Next you can try the install from the command line, sometimes the GUI (Graphical User Interface) just doesn't work as it should. To try the install from the command line follow these steps:

Click Start

Click the Start Search Bar

Type CMD

Hit Enter

Type start /w pkgmgr.exe /uu:IIS-WebServerRole;WAS-WindowsActivationService

After the command completes go back through the installation steps for IIS 7 and it should complete without the error. This fix also didn't work for me. I still got the error code and it references the Windows Activation Service having problems and IIS 7 failing to install. So let's go to the final fix that actually did work for me.

Another simple fix is to install/reinstall all of the .net framework pieces (1.1, 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5) when you install these they also install parts of the Windows Activation Services. It's surprising that this might work but it can be possible. .NET Framework can be a pain to uninstall so if you need it there is a great free tool called .NET Framework cleanup tool, which you can get here. Simple uninstall all .NET framework and then reinstall the pieces one at a time starting with 1.1 to 3.5.

The fix that finally worked for me was to disable the Windows Activation Service and rename the inetsrv folder and run my IIS 7 installation. To do this, complete these steps:

Click Start

Type services.msc

Find the Windows Activation Service and right click it

Choose Properties

Choose Startup Disabled

Click Stop Button

Once the service is stopped navigate to the inetsrv folder (usually in C:\Windows\system32)

Right click and choose Rename

Name inetsrvOLD (really your choice just change the name)

Reinstall IIS 7

If it works then go back and set the Windows Activation Services to Automatic and restart the service. Test your websites and make sure they are working as expected. This was the fix that finally resolved my error with the IIS 7 installation failing with error 0x8007643. I hope one of the fixes works to help you to get IIS 7 installed on your Windows 2008 Server.