I am trying to install Access Database Engine 2007 32-bit. The splash screen comes up, you click "Next", then it fails with the error:

Installation ended prematurely because of an error

You click "OK" and another error window says:

The installation of the package failed.

The exact same situation happens when I try this with Access Database Engine 2010 32-bit.

This production server is running Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 64-bit.

Before I tried installing Access Database Engine 32-bit, I first needed to install Microsoft Office 2010 Pro (Excel and Office Tools only). I tried the 32-bit version on the production server since that is how I set it up in our Dev environment. No luck. The 32-bit version would not install. I did NOT get the error "You have 64-bit components of Office installed". I simply received the exact same two errors listed above. So, I knew that 32-bit/64-bit did not really matter for the Office install for my project, so I installed 64-bit of Office Pro 2010 (Excel and Office Tools only) with no problems.

I have a requirement that I need to have the 32-bit version of the Access Database Engine installed. 2007 or 2010, doesn't matter. I cannot use the 64-bit version of Access Database Engine 2010 because my SSIS package will not work with it. I require the 32-bit version.

I've tried several steps to try to get it installed. I seriously think that the production server has some aversion to installing 32-bit applications. Here's what I've tried:

• Tried installing via command line with the "/passive" switch....no luck.
• Tried numerous iterations to copy the install file to the server (downloaded a fresh copy directly to the server, downloaded a fresh copy to my local machine then copied it over, copied it over zipped up) (http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqldataaccess/thread/efd3c1f0-07cd-45ca-a626-2dd0c7ac3e9f).

• Tried Method 1 from this link.

  Could not try Method 2 because it requires a server reboot and in my environment that requires a long change management process.

• I've verified that I am a local administrator on the server. (Evidence, I am able to install other applications (office 64-bit per above)).
• Verified that there are no other office products that should be blocking the installation. The fore-mentioned install of Excel 2010 64-bit was the first Office product installed on the server.
• VERY ODD: To test my theory that the production server does not like 32-bit applications, I installed something lightweight. I installed 7-Zip 32-bit on the production server with no problems whatsoever.

Here are some things that I have not tried (i will follow-up once I do):

• Method 2 (as mentioned above). Requires a server reboot.
• Have not verified that the Dev and Production environments are 100% identical. I've done a cursory check and on the surface they appear to be the same (same OS and SP version). I need to do a deeper dive to be 100% certain.

I had no problems in my Dev environment. In Dev, I installed Office 2010 Pro 64-bit (Excel & Office Tools only) then via command line w/ the "/passive" switch, installed Access Database Engine 2010 32-bit.

I don't know what else to try. Any suggestions or comments?