Error code
Fatal error 1603 occurs during Acrobat installation
The 1603 error is an MSI error code indicating a failure that is generic, but computer-specific. This document lists possible suggestions to solve this error. The following table lists known causes of 1603 errors when installing Adobe software.
- [DATE] [TIME] | [INFO] | | ASU | MSIInvoker | MSIInvoker | | | 6016 | utilLaunchApplicationDeelevated : The return Code from Create Process (1603).
 - [TIME] -(Adobe)- #_AdobeError_# 1603 [TIME] -(Adobe)- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- END - Adobe_OEMFilesSetAttribute -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Action ended [TIME]: EMSupportBlindCopyCommit.E35C3ECB_5FDA_49E1_AB1F_D472B7CB90171. Return value 3. Action ended [TIME]: INSTALL. Return value 3.
 
| 
                    
     | 
            
                
                
                    
     Details  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Solution  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     Error 1603. Fatal error during installation. (AdobeColorCommonSetRGB)  | 
            
                
                
                    
     The installer is trying to install the "sRGB Color Space Profile.icm" on top of an existing copy, which is locked.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Proceed to Solution 1a and 1b  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     Error 1603. Fatal error during installation. (Double Byte folder)  | 
            
                
                
                    
     You have a double-byte folder on a single-byte Windows operating system.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Proceed to Solution 2  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     All other 1603 errors ("#_AdobeError_# 1603")  | 
            
                
                
                    
     The above solutions aren't applicable, or haven't worked.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Proceed to Solution 3 and lower  | 
            
        
Solution 1a: Disable startup items and non-Microsoft services
Solution 1b: Fix permissions on the Windows Color Profiles folder
- 
    
Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers.
 - 
    
Right-click the Color folder and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
 - 
    
Click the Security tab.
 - 
    
Click Advanced.
 - 
    
Click the Owner tab.
 - 
    
If the current owner is not the Administrators group, choose the Administrators group from the list of names in the Change Owner To field.
 - 
    
Select Replace Owner on Subcontainers and Objects.
 - 
    
Click OK.
 - 
    
If you get a message indicating that it's necessary to reopen the object's properties dialog box before you can view or change permissions, click OK and continue. If not, skip to step 14.
 - 
    
Click OK to all remaining dialog boxes until you have exited the Color Properties dialog box.
 - 
    
Right-click the Color folder and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
 - 
    
Click the Security tab.
 - 
    
Click Advanced.
 - 
    
On the Permissions tab click Edit.
 - 
    
Select the Administrators group in the list of permission entries.
 - 
    
Click Edit.
 - 
    
Change the Apply to option to "This folder, subfolders, and files."
 - 
    
Select the Full Control option under the Allow column.
 - 
    
Select the options labeled "Replace permission entries on all child objects."
 - 
    
Click OK to exit the Color Properties dialog box.
 - 
    
Try reinstalling your Adobe application.
 
Note: If you are prompted with a Security dialog box about removing explicitly defined permissions, click Yes.
- 
    
Launch the Adobe installer.
 - 
    
Follow the onscreen instructions until you get to the Installation Location dialog box.
 - 
    
Click Browse and select a folder without double-byte characters.
Note: Double-byte or high ASCII characters are any character that requires more than 1 byte to describe. Most glyph-based languages use double-byte characters to display the language, such as Japanese.
Example: On an English Windows OS you cannot install into a folder named
. - 
    
Try reinstalling your Adobe application.
 
- 
    
Navigate to C:\Windows\Temp\, select all the files, and then press Delete. Confirm the file deletion.
 - 
    
Delete the contents of the users Temp directory as follows:
- Windows XP: Choose Start > Run.
 - Windows 7/Vista: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run.
 
 - 
    
In the Open box, type %temp% and then click OK. The contents of the Temp folder appear on the computer.
 - 
    
Select all the files in the Temp folder, then press Delete. Confirm the file deletion.
 - 
    
Try reinstalling your Adobe application.
 
Solution 4: Verify that the Windows Installer Service is started
- 
    
Do one of the following:
- Windows XP: Choose Start > Run and type services.msc.
 - Windows Vista: Click Start and type services.msc in the Start Search box.
 
 - 
    
Double-click the service named Windows Installer.
 - 
    
Ensure that the value of the Startup Type field is set to Manual.
 - 
    
Click OK to confirm the setting.
 - 
    
Try reinstalling your Adobe application.
 
Solution 5: Reregister the Windows Installer service
- 
    
Do one of the following:
- Windows XP: Choose Start > Run.
 - Windows Vista: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run.
 
 - 
    
In the Open box, type "msiexec /unreg" and then press Enter.
 - 
    
Do one of the following:
- Windows XP: Choose Start > Run.
 - Windows Vista: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run.
 
 - 
    
In the Open box, type "msiexec /regserver" and then press Enter.
 - 
    
Try reinstalling your Adobe application.
 
Solution 6: Install to a folder that is not encrypted
Encrypted folders are protected against further changes, which includes adding files or installing applications. Either remove the encryption or install to a different folder.
NOTE: The Program Files and Program Files (x86) folders cannot be encrypted even if you are installing to a different directory. Some components of Adobe applications install to the OS Program Files folder regardless of what your settings are.
- 
    
Launch the Adobe installer.
 - 
    
Follow the onscreen instructions until you get to the Installation Location dialog box.
 - 
    
Click Browse and select a folder without encryption.
 - 
    
Try reinstalling your Adobe application.
 
Solution 7: Run the Adobe Cleaner Tool
To obtain the Cleaner Tool and information on how to run it, see Use the CC Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems.
Solution 8: Troubleshoot using install logs
To troubleshoot using install logs, see Troubleshoot installation with install logs | CS3, CS4 and Troubleshoot install issues with log files | CS.
If the issue is still not resolved, contact Adobe Support.