How to Install Windows Live Wave 3 Beta Programs (include Messenger) on Unsupported x86 and x64 of Windows Server 2003 or 2008

For Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 users who download and try to install any of the Windows Live Wave 3 beta programs such as Windows Live (MSN) Messenger, Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Movie Maker, etc. would have been disappointed and frustrated.

The integrated and unified installer for Windows Live Wave 3 beta programs, namely wlsetup-web.exe or wlsetup-all.exe, does not allow nor permit installation on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 or other server based operating system, affecting both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) platform, which is unsupported operating system.

And it’s also (almost) impossible to uncompress and extract the individual standalone installer for the programs contained inside the package (as there is trick to retrieve the standalone individual silent setup installer for each Windows Live programs), which does not contain check on operating system and can be used to install on non-supported OS such as Windows Server.

In order to make the Windows Live Installer works to install on unsupported operating system (only Windows XP SP2/SP3 and Windows Vista is supported), use the hack below to remove the OS check from the unified Windows Live Installer executable so that it will “support” installation on unsupported OS:

Download Resource Hacker or XN Resource Editor
.
Run the Resource Hacker or XN Resource Editor.
Open the Windows Live Installer executable (WLSetup-All.exe or WLSetup-Web.exe).
Locate CONFIG -> CONFIG0 -> 0.
Delete and remove the following XML code, and leaving the rest of the text intact:
<rule name=”IsValidOs” logic=”or”><group logic=”and” name=”vista+”><os version=”vista” condition=”greaterthanorequal” /><os productType=”workstation” /></group><group logic=”and” name=”xpsp2″><os version=”xp” servicePack=”2″ condition=”greaterthanorequal” /><os version=”vista” condition=”lessthan” /><os productType=”workstation” /><os cpu=”i386″ /><fileVersion path=”CSIDL_SYSTEM” file=”msi.dll” version=”3.1.0.0″ condition=”greaterthanorequal” /></group></rule>
Compile the script and save the modified executable.
Run the modified executable, and the Windows Live beta wave 3 software applications can be installed anywhere on any OS and operating system check is now removed.

For user who no need to install the app in workstation environment, there is another hack. The hack is similar to the trick above, using exactly the same steps, except that on the OS validity check XML code above, don’t remove the text. Instead, change and replace the workstation value of the “os productType” to server. After saving the binary, voila, the full or web installer can now works on a server OS.

22 Comments

Rickymon December 30, 2010 at 3:23 pm

Hey

I am almost there, I am using XP 64 bits, and I am trying to isntall the latest Live Mesh on my system (Since live sync is being shutting down)

I have followed all steps provided here, even from later posts, but no success….

any help? or can anybody just upload the fixed latest installer for us?

Thanks a lot.

Reply
JMan August 2, 2010 at 6:54 pm

Change "greaterthanorequal " to "lessthanorequal" it works on my Win2003 server.

Reply
Mauricio March 20, 2010 at 11:07 pm

Windows Live Movie Maker doesn't works for me. I have W2k3

Reply
Simmessa August 11, 2009 at 11:23 pm

Great article, it saved my day on XP64, you're the Best there is!

Keep doing this!

Simmessa.com

Reply
amf July 5, 2009 at 11:26 pm

i have edit, but still can't install windows live in win 2003

Reply
jusdurian June 7, 2009 at 10:32 pm

you're rock mate

thanks for the great tips

Reply
fN May 31, 2009 at 9:30 pm

U are simply

T H E B E S T !!!

;o) GREATINGS

Reply
Kurt May 25, 2009 at 2:47 pm

Got it working just by subbing in the x64 for the i386 for the info.

Reply
Kurt May 25, 2009 at 2:21 pm

Been trying to do it.. downloaded every editor i can find an it won't seem to work..

in a few cases i get an invalid file or id just won't do anything.

Reply
om February 28, 2009 at 6:28 am

this works on win server 2008

group logic=”or” name=”vista+”

os version=”vista” condition=”greaterthanorequal”

os productType=”server”

group

Reply
om February 28, 2009 at 6:26 am

thanks for the tip.

i got it working by changing the first group logic to.

Reply
kure February 22, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Aff thx mbx, I didnt understand at first but ye, for live 2009 replacing os cpu= i386 for x64 works

Reply
Kure February 22, 2009 at 12:16 pm

Doesnt seem to work on new version, also the code I get there is

I get corrupted file after editing one or both of those rules

Reply
mbx January 29, 2009 at 9:44 am

os cpu= i386 with x64

guess it doesn't like slashes in code tags…

Reply
mbx January 29, 2009 at 9:42 am

For messenger 2009, I got it to work by replacing with on windows xp pro x64.

Reply
mascix January 13, 2009 at 11:02 pm

looks nice. I have tried it for live 9 it did not work can you test it ?

thanks

Reply
keith December 25, 2008 at 8:25 am

Awesome – thanks for the info! This works great.

Reply
How to setup Live Services on Server Machines « Paris Polyzo’s Weblog December 3, 2008 at 4:33 pm

[...] to setup Live Services on Server Machines Check this article is very [...]

Reply
devalian October 31, 2008 at 9:07 am

bro, how to use XN resource editor to change the name from workstation to server??

i cant do anything on the name ther 1?? pls help..

Reply
bjnews October 31, 2008 at 7:19 am

it works on my server 2008, great!

thx buddy:)

Reply
akay October 22, 2008 at 5:32 pm

This works! Remember, if you own a Windows Server 2008, you have to follow the latter trick!

Reply
Umar October 22, 2008 at 10:55 am

This looks awesome…Im gona try it when i get home

Reply