# Windows Installer Problem & Ms Office 2007



## Martin222 (Sep 23, 2007)

I am running Vista (32bit) and MS Office 2007 on a new Dell. Office has always been a problem since I got the machine, and finally I chose to reload the factory image to get over the problems I was "enjoying", i.e. that Office won't open.

The problems remain as follows:

Whenever I try to open an application direct, e.g. Excel or Word - or - whenever I click on an Excel file or Word doc, I get a Configuration screen. After a short while, I then get the following message, and the Configuration process rolls back:

"Error 2203. An internal error has occurred. C:/Windows/Installer/57b38b.msi - 2147287008"...and suggesting I contact Microsoft PSS.

Sometimes, I get an Installation screen instead, with much the same message as above except that the reference is 673fe.msi - not 57b38b as above.

I tried to use Microsoft's "msiccu2" but got the message Internal error 2203...with the reference fb942f.msi.

Any thoughts anyone - before I throw the machine out of the window


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi Martin


A few Microsoft Knowledge Base articles exist for this sort of error (though for previous Office versions). Have a quick look, and see if the fixes might apply to your Office 2007 errors.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296056/en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324852/en-us

All the indications point to permissions trouble: if it's the ".msi" files mentioned in your post, you can try right-clicking them, checking their "Properties", and seeing if they are set to "read only" (if so, remove the checkmark from "read only").

Best of luck
. . . Gary


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## Martin222 (Sep 23, 2007)

Hi Gary,

Many thanks for the help and suggestions - but sadly nothing has changed. To be honest, I am even struggling to find msi files - or pick up the path to Installer.

Life seemed easier under XP :sigh:


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi again


If you have a separate disk (CD/DVD) to install Office from, you could try completely removing Office & starting over with it. You could call on the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility to help with troublesome leftovers. Your steps might be:
1) Uninstall Office using Vista's version of Add-Remove Programs in the Control Panel (in Vista, it's called "Programs & Features").
2) Try the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility to help fix any messes left behind --- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
3) [this step is optional] There's only one Registry Cleaner I currently recommend using (there's a sticky note warning about how poor cleaners cause more harm than good) --- the best I've come across is CCleaner. It's won awards from MaximumPC, PC World, & PC Magazine and is recommended by all three -- for good reason: it's a fine cleaner. It might help with your Office problem. You'd run the Cleaning function to clear up temp files that might be contributing to the problem, and you'd run the "Issues" function to clear up tangles in the Registry. Run the Issues function a few times, until CCleaner reports "no issues found" --- http://www.download.com/CCleaner/3000-2144_4-10315544.html 
4) Manually visit Windows Update, and install any Critical Updates available (in case you've skipped or delayed any).
5) Re-install Office, making sure to be logged in as an Administrator.
6) Vist Microsoft Update, and grab any patches released for Office 2007.

I was going to have you refresh your Windows Installer, but Microsoft hasn't made the Windows Installer version 4.0 available for download (that is the version that ships with Vista). Vista's Service Pack 1 will include a 4.5 version of the Windows Installer, and it should be released reasonably soon. I'm hoping a separate download will be made available for the 4.5 version of the Installer, too (for repairs such as yours).
_____

If you haven't a separate CD/DVD for Office, see if it's on your Dell "Applications" CD/DVD. If yes, you should be able to use that for this procedure.

Best of luck
. . . Gary


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## Martin222 (Sep 23, 2007)

Greetings and thanks again for your thoughts.

Well - I tried it and it would not take a fresh install from the CD. The only thing I did not use was the Installer Cleanup util as there was a suggestion that it should not be used for MSOff 2007. As to why, that's anyone's guess.

So - for the 3rd time - I have formatted and reloaded the original factory image and - yes you guessed it - it still behaves as it used to, i.e. throwing up the Installation/Configuration screens as before.

Yes - I saw that V 4.0 was not available - but your news about 4.5 and the Service Pack brings hope!!!!

It's either that - or we go back to XP

Again - many thanks.


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi again


If your Office 2007 is a Dell-branded CD/DVD, try visiting their support pages for your model (at dell.com - go to the support section) -- they may have botched a Registry setting or made an error when creating the CD/DVD (wouldn't be the first time!). They may have a patch on their site that will fix things, or might send you a newer version of your Recovery/Restore set that has Office 2007 behaving better. You should also be able to call them without any fees, since your PC is well within its warranty period.

Usually, you would only expect a configuration screen to appear for an Office program the first time you run it (so it can customize your user settings -- and to "activate" your license). If you have a trial version of Office on your Dell Recovery/Restore disk, and yet you've since purchased a full retail disk, you'll want to remove the trial version completely before going up to the full retail. 

Was the note about not using the Cleanup Utility for Office 2007 on the MS download site? Sorry if I missed that - it surprises me a little, since MS usually keeps that utility updated for it's bread-and-butter Office. 

Never a dull moment!
. . . Gary


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## Martin222 (Sep 23, 2007)

Hi....again,

The Office 2007 is a kosher MS copy - sealed etc - and not a Dell.

Incidentally, the activation process was completed the first time I used Excel. It is only since then that we continue to go into the Configuration/Installation routines.

On the other matter - if you follow the link you gave me earlier for the Install Cleanup software - and scroll down to "Contents of the Readme.txt file", you will see that the cleanup software is not to be used for Office 2007. About 5 lines in to the detail.

Well - just for the record, it has taken me some 12 attempts today to reload Google Earth. It - like Office 07 - kept falling over and rolling back.

It did, however, fianlly make it!!!!!

Cheers again.
(PS: Know anyone who wants to buy a Dell - going cheap)


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi again


MS has been updating the Cleanup Utility fairly often - so I hadn't read the latest ReadMe yet. [Reading all of MS's fix-it notices might be a full-time job right there  ].

Next time the install/configure for Office 2007 starts giving you trouble, see if you can spot the name of the .msi file that's going bonkers. [You can look in on the EventViewer logs in the Administrative Tools in Control Panel -- both informational, warning, and error messages are listed there, and you'll probably find the Office modules mentioned]. Just for the sake of curiousity, use Windows Explorer to find the files (you may have to set the "view" in Explorer to "show hidden files", and if the .msi files are 'protected' files, you might also temporarily un-hide the protected files as well -- just remember to change them back to hidden when you're done). Check to see if the files somehow are 'read-only', and if so, remove the checkmark from the read-only box. Of course, you'll want to be logged on as an Adminstrator to have any chance at all getting Office to calm down. I wouldn't be surprised if your installation's UAC (User Account Control) is a little mixed up. Permissions can cause big trouble for program installs. Sometimes it helps to right-click the installer & choose "run as administrator" - just to be extra-sure.

If you figure a cure: I'm all ears.
. . . Gary


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## Martin222 (Sep 23, 2007)

Hi,

By way of an update.

I guess when all else fails, the thing to do is reload the originalfactory settings. Pain in the ....! but not sure what else I could do.
Problem partly solved, in that MS Office stills goes into Configuration mode when I run the application, but now it completes and opens up whichever aspect of Office I am using. Takes about 50 secs to complete. 

At least - no more error messages and app's falling over.

I guess this is 'half way' house so to speak, so I will live with it.

Thanks again!


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## jro (Sep 2, 2006)

I had the same problem and just found the solution.

The Fix

First go into Services by typing services.msc into the Search box in the Start Menu and hit Enter.

servicesMSC

Scroll down to Windows Installer and Stop the service…



Then restart it and close out of the Services window.

Now navigate to the Temp folder by typing %temp% into the Search box in the Start Menu and hit Enter.


The Temp folder will open…right-click an empty area in the folder and select Properties.


Select the Security tab and under the Group or user names box click on Edit.

The Permissions for Temp window appears…click the Add button.

Now type Everyone in the Objects Names box and click Check Names which will underline it as shown here then click OK.

Now under Permissions for Everyone click the box to give it Full control and click OK.

Now restart the Office application installation…

After suffering with this problem for more than a year, I finally got this resolved using the method above. Good luck!

Jason


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