| Author |
Message |
    
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 2
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 11:01 am: | 
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I recently went to Microsoft's online support area to see if there were any upgrades available for Microsoft Office. The search function turned up several updates and I ran the download, but it failed during the installation phase. As expected, during the process it prompted me to insert my Office CD. However, it couldn't find what it was looking for on the CD.
My Office version was an upgrade. Originally I used it on my old computer and was upgrading from MS Office 97 at that time. When I went to a new computer, I was able to install the software from the upgrade CD ... probably based on the fact that MS Works/Word was included on the computer. I don't know if the fact of being an upgrade version would have caused a problem, but it is certainly a legal copy.
I tried using the Microsoft Online support but my product ID code indicates that it is an OEM version so they won't accept the inquiry into their system.
I did not obtain Office with the computer, so I don't think that the store where I got it would have the right CD (?) and they wouldn't have an obligation in any case. I don't remember for sure where I bought the upgrade, but I purchased it as an end consumer, probably from CompUSA or Best Buys. It didn't come with a computer or from my employer.
Any suggestions on how I should proceed? |
#9Dream
Citizen
Username: 9dream
Post Number: 425
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 11:33 am: |
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If it's an OEM, that might explain why you can't apply the updates. Some OEMs are pesky that way. It's possible that an OEM disk was packed into a retail package by mistake, but that might be hard to prove should you try to get Microsoft to replace it with a retail disk. |
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1613
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 11:38 am: |
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What you downloaded were probably security patches and bug fixes, and with Office these always require access to the installation files, typically the CD. If you really want to upgrade Office you'll need to buy an upgrade. That seems to be about $200. |
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1614
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 11:41 am: |
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I should add that if you're actually running Office 97 now (not clear from your message) you realy ought to upgrade. Nobody should be using Office 97, especially Outlook 97. It's completely insecure and can't be fixed. |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 4
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 12:06 pm: |
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No - I'm currently running Office 2000. (SR-1)
I've never had Office 97 on this computer. It came with MS Works and MS Word 2000 and then I installed Office Pro from the Upgrade disks. (the ones that are now not being recognized correctly)
The particular update that I was trying to install was for Office 2000 Service Pack 3. There were also some other updates recommended by the MS site, but that was the first one I tried - and I think it may have been a prerequisite for the rest. |
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1615
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 1:19 pm: |
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Is there a particular file it says it's looking for when it fails? |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 5
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 2:09 pm: |
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It seems to be looking for something called 'DATA1.MSI'.
The complete error message (after inserting the CD when prompted and clicking OK) is:
"The file 'Microsoft Office 2000 Professional' is not a valid installation package for the product Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1 professional. Try to find the installation package 'DATA1.MSI' in a folder from which you can install Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1 Professional." |
Dave Ross
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4787
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 2:52 pm: |
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Could this help? |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 6
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 3:41 pm: |
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The message board exchange in Dave's link sounds very much like what I'm experiencing. I probably do have the Works/Word disks somewhere (I think they came with the computer), so I wonder if I could insert one of them when it asks the question, rather than taking the more drastic step of uninstalling and reinstalling.
I'm also not sure that a reinstall would work if Word was removed, because then the Upgrade disk wouldn't find the "qualifying" application files that allow the upgrade to proceed. Grrrrr!
I agree with the poster in that message board discussion - "Why can't Microsoft make this easier?" But I think I know the answer - they are trying so hard to prevent software piracy that they make things miserable for those of us trying to do it "the right way" ... meanwhile, those who really want to pirate the software will find a way to do so anyway, I'm sure.
Fortunately, nothing is really behaving that badly with my old SR-1 install, so maybe I should just leave well enough alone. |
#9Dream
Citizen
Username: 9dream
Post Number: 428
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 4:30 pm: |
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You don't need to have the prior version installed in order to upgrade it. You just have to have the original installation media. There is a utility (sorry, can't remember the name) that you can download from Microsoft that will completely remove all traces of Office, allowing you to do a clean reinstall. |
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