After investigating this particular issue thoroughly, it turns out that there are several different causes that might prompt the apparition of this error code during the installation of Google Earth. Here’s a shortlist of potential culprits that might be responsible for this issue: Now that you have your list of culprits, here are all the fixes that affected users have successfully used to fix the 1603 error when installing Google Earth:
Method 1: Grant Admin Access to the Installer
As it turns out, one of the most common causes that will cause the installation of Google Earth to fail with the 1603 error code is an instance in which the installer doesn’t have admin access to make the required changes. Other affected users are suspecting that the installer needs special permissions to complete the installation which might be denied by default on Windows 10 (this is only reported to occur with older Google Earth builds). In this case, you should be able to fix the problem swiftly by right-clicking on the installer executable and choosing Run as Administrator from the context menu. When you are prompted by the UAC (User Account Control), click Yes to grant admin access, then complete the installation normally and see if the operation is interrupted by the same 1603 error. In case the same problem is still persisting, move down to the next potential fix below.
Method 2: Removing Remnants of a Previous Installation
According to the official support team of Google, the 1603 error code when installing Google Earth is typically a sign that some version of Google Earth is already installed. Keep in mind that the Google Earth installers are silent and perfectly capable of installing or updating the current version of Google Earth without you realizing it. There are 2 scenarios that will cause this type of error if the problem is being caused by an existing installation:
Your computer contains an older build of Google Earth that cannot be updated by the installer.Your computer contains a remnant of a previous installation of Google Earth that was not removed properly.
Depending on the scenario that you find yourself in, the exact instructions on fixing this problem will be different. Start by following sub-guide A to see if your computer already has Google Earth installed and if you confirm that’s not the case, follow sub-guide B for instructions on removing remnants of a previous installation:
A. Uninstalling the older Google Earth Version
B. Using CCleaner to Remove Remnant Files from an Older Google Earth Installation
If the installation of Google Earth ends with the same 1603 error, move down to the next potential fix below.
Method 3: Installing using the Direct Installer
In case you see the 1603 error while trying to install Google Earth using the auto-update function, you might be able to circumvent the apparition of this error code by using the direct installer to manually update to the latest version available. Several affected users encountering the same problem have confirmed that they managed to install the latest version of Google Earth without seeing the same error code by using the direct installer. If you haven’t tried this yet, follow the instructions below to learn how to do it on your Windows computer:
Method 4: Running a Disk Cleanup Scan
If none of the fixes above have worked for you, it’s very likely that the error you are seeing is not actually caused by Google Earth – It’s likely that you’re actually dealing with a Windows installer error. This is even more likely if you’re also encountering similar issues with other installations that you’re trying to complete. If you’ve gotten to this point, there are really just 2 possibilities left:
The windows installer component is affected by a logical error or a different type of issue with your OS drive.Your OS drive is affected by some type of system file corruption that’s affecting the Windows installer component.
To troubleshoot the first potential cause of the issue, follow the instructions below: If the same issue is still persisting, move down to the next potential fix below.
Method 5: Running SFC and DISM Scans
If you’ve ruled out the possibility of the issue being caused by a disk error, you should switch focus towards resolving some type of System fIle corruption that is affecting the Windows installer component. In this case, you have two built-in utilities (DISM and SFC) that are known to be effective when dealing with system file corruption. If you want to go this route, you should start with a System File Checker scan. This tool uses a locally cached archive to replace corrupted instances with healthy equivalents, so it doesn’t require a stable Internet connection. Once the SFC scan is complete, restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed. If it isn’t, move forward with a DISM scan. Note: This type of system file scan will require a reliable Internet connection since this tool uses Windows Update to download healthy equivalents for the corrupted files that need to be replaced. Once the DISM scan is complete, restart your computer once again and see if you’re able to complete the installation of Google Earth without the same 1603 error once the next startup is complete.
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