Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, Microsoft Visual Studio, Windows SDK, .NET Framework Installations.
By systematically going through these steps, you should be able to resolve the "setup cannot locate toolkit documentation-x86-en-us.msi" error and successfully complete the installation of your development tools.
The error message "setup cannot locate toolkit documentation-x86-en-us.msi" typically occurs during the installation of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) or the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT). This specific file contains the logic and data required to install the toolkit's documentation components. Common Causes for the Error
Connectivity Issues: The installer is often a "web downloader" that attempts to pull missing components from Microsoft's servers in real-time. If the connection is unstable or blocked, it fails to locate the necessary .msi file. setup cannot locate toolkit documentation-x86-en-us.msi
Antivirus/Firewall Interference: Security software can mistakenly flag the download or execution of these background installers as suspicious activity, causing the setup to halt.
Incomplete Offline Installer: If you are performing an offline installation, the error indicates that the Installers subfolder is missing the specific toolkit documentation-x86-en-us.msi package.
Installer Corruption: A partial or corrupted download of the primary adksetup.exe can lead to hash mismatches, preventing it from verifying or finding its sub-installers. Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server
Permission Restrictions: Lack of local administrator rights or specific domain policies (like "Back up files and directories") can prevent the installer from creating the necessary temporary folders for these components. Step-by-Step Solutions 1. Run with Administrative Privileges
Ensure the installer has full access to the system by right-clicking adksetup.exe and selecting Run as Administrator. 2. Create a Full Offline Layout
If the online setup continues to fail, you can force a full download of all components to a local folder first. Open an Administrative Command Prompt. Navigate to the folder containing your adksetup.exe. As a last resort, if the error is
Run the following command:adksetup /quiet /layout C:\ADKoffline
Once the download (roughly 1.6 GB to 3 GB) completes, navigate to C:\ADKoffline and run the adksetup.exe from there. 3. Disable Security Software Temporarily
If the error persists, temporarily disable your antivirus or web filter (e.g., Sophos, Windows Defender) during the installation process to ensure it isn't blocking the download of the .msi files.
As a last resort, if the error is preventing you from installing or uninstalling critical software and you have a recent restore point: