Delete the InProgress key and run msiexec /z on each cached NVIDIA MSI to force cleanup.
NVIDIA’s installer deliberately gives a generic error because revealing the true cause (e.g., “Windows Defender blocked write to nvlddmkm.sys” or “MSI installer thinks a reboot is pending from 3 months ago” ) would require deep system knowledge most users don’t have, and would open support nightmares.
Each Game Ready driver expects a specific minor version of the VC++ 2015-2022 redistributable (e.g., 14.38.33130). If a game or another app installed a newer or older version, the NVIDIA installer’s custom action DLL fails to load. The symptom: installer extracts, runs system check, then immediately rolls back. The log shows "Failed to load VC++ runtime" but the actual problem is (look in C:\Windows\WinSxS\ManifestCache ).
This write-up explores the common causes behind this installation failure and provides a structured approach to resolving it.
NVIDIA’s installer is a wrapper around (one for audio, one for USB, one for Display driver). Each MSI has its own return code. If a previous installation was interrupted (power loss, BSOD), an MSI flag like PENDINGFILE RENAME OPERATION stays in the registry at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\InProgress . The new installer sees this flag and immediately fails with a generic "Already installing" or "System pending reboot" —even if no reboot is needed.
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