vCenter Server fails to install or upgrade with the error: This installation package is not supported by this processor type

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Installing vCenter Server 4.1 or 5.x fails on a Windows 32 bit operating system
• Upgrading from vCenter Server 4.0 to vCenter Server 4.1 fails
• This issue occurs if you are performing the installation or upgrade on a Windows 32 bit operating system
• You see the error:
  
  This installation package is not supported by this processor type. Contact your product vendor.
  
• The vCenter Server %tmp%\vminst.log contains entries similar to:
  
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:395]: Original package ==> W:\vpx\VMware vCenter Server.msi
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:395]: Package we're running from ==> C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\21cac1.msi
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:410]: APPCOMPAT: looking for appcompat database entry with ProductCode '{95058F90-23E0-4B60-BB27-084DF5809F79}'.
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:410]: APPCOMPAT: no matching ProductCode found in database.
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:410]: MSCOREE not loaded loading copy from system32
  This installation package is not supported by this processor type. Contact your product vendor.
  W:\vpx\VMware vCenter Server.msi
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:410]: Note: 1: 1708
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:410]: Note: 1: 2729
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:551]: Note: 1: 2729
  MSI (c) (EC:88) [17:13:47:551]: Product: VMware vCenter Server -- Installation failed.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

Resolution

vCenter Server 4.1 and 5.x are supported only on 64bit operating systems. You cannot install or upgrade vCenter Server 4.1 or 5.x on 32bit operating systems.

To resolve this issue, ensure to install vCenter Server 4.1 or 5.x on a supported 64bit operating system.

For a list of supported 64bit operating systems in vCenter Server 4.1, see Operating System Compatibility in the vSphere Compatibility Martix

For vCenter Server 5.x, see:

• Upgrading to vCenter Server 5.0 best practices
• Upgrading to vCenter Server 5.1 best practices
  

Additional Information

Upgrading to vCenter Server 5.1 best practices
Falha na instalação ou na atualização do vCenter Server com a seguinte mensagem de erro: este pacote de instalação não é compatível com este tipo de processador
No es posible instalar o actualizar vCenter Server con el error: Este paquete de instalación no es compatible con este tipo de procesador
vCenter Server 无法安装或升级并出现错误：该处理器类型不支持此安装软件包
vCenter Server のインストールまたはアップグレードがエラー「This installation package is not supported by this processor」で失敗する