Error 1605: This Action Is Only Valid for Installed Products

What causes Error 1605

• The product was already removed, and the entry or shortcut you used still points at it.
• The product is installed for another user only. Microsoft's documentation on installation context says per-user applications appear under Add/Remove Programs only for the users that installed them, while per-machine ones appear for all users.

How to fix Error 1605, safest step first

Microsoft publishes no fix article for this code; the message itself says the product is not installed. These steps confirm it before anything is changed.

1. 01

   Check whether the program is still installed

   Close and reopen Settings > Apps > Installed apps and look for it again, then run the check below: it lists the product codes found in the uninstall entries. If the program is in neither list, there is nothing left for Windows Installer to remove.

   To undo: Nothing to undo: you only looked.

2. 02

   If someone else installed it, remove it from that account

   Sign in with the Windows account that installed the program and uninstall it from Settings there. A per-user installation is registered under that user only.

   To undo: Install the program again from its setup.

3. 03

   Make a restore point before the steps that change something

   Select Start, type Create a restore point, open it, and on the System Protection tab choose Create. Microsoft notes that System Protection is not turned on by default; if Create is greyed out, choose Configure and turn it on for the system drive first.

   To undo: A restore point changes nothing by itself. To go back later, run System Restore and pick it: Microsoft says it reverts system files, the registry and installed programs, and leaves your personal files alone.

4. 04

   On Windows 10, run Microsoft's Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter

   Microsoft's page offers the download under its Windows 10 tab. Microsoft says it fixes corrupted registry keys on 64-bit systems, corrupted registry keys that control update data, and problems that prevent programs from being installed, completely uninstalled or updated, or that block uninstalling through Add or Remove Programs. On Windows 11 the same page gives the Settings steps instead.

   To undo: The troubleshooter has no undo of its own, which is why a restore point comes before it.

Check it yourself, without changing anything

1. 01

   List the Windows Installer programs Windows has registered, with their product codes (PowerShell)

   PSChildName is the product code in braces. This reads the uninstall entries in the registry; it does not use Win32_Product, so it starts no repair. Nothing is changed.

   Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*',
     'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*',
     'HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
     Where-Object UninstallString -match 'msiexec' |
     Sort-Object DisplayName | Format-Table DisplayName, DisplayVersion, PSChildName

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2. 02

   Read what Windows Installer logged (PowerShell)

   Microsoft documents event 1033 (installation completed with status) and 1034 (removal completed with status): each names the product, its version and the status number, which is 0 on success. Nothing is changed.

   Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{ LogName='Application'; ProviderName='MsiInstaller'; Id=1033,1034 } -MaxEvents 10 |
     Format-List TimeCreated, Id, Message

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