Office doesn't want to update even after reinstalling

[lifepoke]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I downloaded the 12.2.1 update and tried to install it, but I got the version not found error message.

After looking around on the internet for a solution, I decided to reinstall Office by using the Remove Office tool and then installing from the DVD. The DVD I have already has the SP1 update, so I downloaded the 12.2.0 update, but that gave me the same error when I tried to update it, so now I'm stuck at 12.1.0 instead of at 12.2.0.

Even after I tried to uninstall again and remove all the preferences and every other trace of Office I could find and reinstalling, the 12.2.0 update still gave me errors.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this to work?

 

[TinaD]

I am having the same issue, and have had this going on snce I first installed office on my MAC. If anyone can help it would br greatly appreciated. I called apple support and was told to contact Microsoft, since it is there product.

 

[Diane Ross]

After looking around on the internet for a solution, I decided to reinstall
Office by using the Remove Office tool and then installing from the DVD.

"Remove Office" does not remove everything. See this page for what is not
removed.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/remove_office.html>

Restarting several times might be necessary to unlock the temp folder that
allows for the update to continue.

Restarting your computer after an update is important!

<http://tinyurl.com/rchpyh>

 

[smugpaul]

I downloaded the 12.2.1 update and tried to install it, but I got the version not found error message.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this to work?

Interesting, I got this error under Mac OS X 10.5.7. Immediately after installing the update to OS X 10.5.8 I tried the Office update again and it worked just fine. Looks like a bug in the installer script.

 

[lifepoke]

"Remove Office" does not remove everything. See this page for what is not removed.

I am already aware of this. That's why I stated that I tried removing the preferences and other traces of Office.

Restarting several times might be necessary to unlock the temp folder that allows for the update to continue.

Around how many times would you say would I need to restart before I can tell that this isn't the problem?

Interesting, I got this error under Mac OS X 10.5.7. Immediately after installing the update to OS X 10.5.8 I tried the Office update again and it worked just fine. Looks like a bug in the installer script.

Hmm.... My system was already at 10.5.8 when I tried updating to 12.2.1

 

[CyberTaz]

If you applied 10.5.8 by way of Software Update you might consider fetching
the Combo version from the Apple Downloads site & applying it. The Combos
are much more thorough in what they do. Then try again.

FWIW, I never use SU for version updates to OS X for either Tiger or
Leopard... When I get the SU notification I go & get Combo when it's
available. I don't know that it makes the difference, but I've never had an
update issue with Office 2004 or 2008, on G5 or Intel, from the instant they
were released... Including the Beta versions of 2008.

<http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/macosx_updates/macosx1058combou
pdate.html>

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Diane Ross]

FWIW, I never use SU for version updates to OS X for either Tiger or
Leopard... When I get the SU notification I go & get Combo when it's
available.

I second and third this suggestion. This has been widely discussed on
general Mac help lists and the combo is always the suggested method of
updating.

 

[lifepoke]

The combo update didn't work. Unless I was supposed to downgrade to 10.5.7 first.

I still can't install 12.2.0

 

[Diane Ross]

The combo update didn't work. Unless I was supposed to downgrade to 10.5.7
first.

No! The Apple combo updaters will install on the same version as they¹re
applying‹no need to roll back or do a clean install.

Leopard:

Mac OS X 10.5.8 Combo Update (For both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs )
<http://support.apple.com/downloads/Mac_OS_X_10_5_8_Combo_Update>

When you are saying the combo didn't work, are you referring to the Apple
10.5.8 combo or the Microsoft 12.2.0 combo? The Microsoft combo does have
requirements and the combo is simply previous updaters rolled into a combo.

If you can't run the Apple combo then it's not surprising that the 12.2.0
(SP2) updater will not run.

I still can't install 12.2.0

Let's look at your re-install. You mentioned your DVD comes with 12.1.0. Did
you restart after installing from the DVD? Did you restart after download
and running the 12.2.0 (SP2) updater?

Dos and Don'ts for a good install

<http://tinyurl.com/6cmyyc>

Check List to troubleshoot your install

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/install_08.html#checklist>

Hope this helps!

 

[lifepoke]

When you are saying the combo didn't work, are you referring to the Apple

10.5.8 combo or the Microsoft 12.2.0 combo? The Microsoft combo does have
requirements and the combo is simply previous updaters rolled into a combo.

If you can't run the Apple combo then it's not surprising that the 12.2.0
(SP2) updater will not run.

Sorry about the confusion. The 10.5.8 combo ran fine, but I still couldn't run the 12.2.0 update.

Let's look at your re-install. You mentioned your DVD comes with 12.1.0. Did
you restart after installing from the DVD? Did you restart after download
and running the 12.2.0 (SP2) updater?

I've reinstalled Office too many times to remember. Although, as far as I can recall, after the OS X update (and the mandatory restart), I tried applying the patch, but it didn't work, so I removed office again. Then, without restarting, I reinstalled, and then I restarted. Afterwards, I tried the Office update again. It still didn't work.

Dos and Don'ts for a good install

There are a few options here that I haven't tried doing yet, such as the disk repair suggestion. I'll try those and see how it turns out.

 

[Diane Ross]

Everyone that is having this issue, please contact me off list. I can
forward your email to the tester that is trying to solve this issue.

Send an email to dianeross at mvps dot org <fix before sending

You can also use the email used in this post.

Please use the subject "Newsgroup feedback" (without the quotes)

 

[duggram]

The only solution I could find for this was to do an erase and install of
10.5, install office and 12.2.0 & 12.2.1 updates, then upgrade to 10.6. I
tried all the advice that I was given for installing on my original 10.6
upgrade at least 12 times. In the end I gained about 30 GB from not
reinstalling software I tried but wasn't using.

 

[Diane Ross]

Please vote in the Poll: Install MS Office 2008 on Snow Leopard (The
Entourage Help Blog) <http://tinyurl.com/mkbeb9>

This will show Microsoft and others what users are experiencing.

BTW, was the test drive ever installed for Office 2008?
Did you ever run monolingual or xslimmer?

 

[duggram]

No I did not install any of the apps you listed. I wander if something got a
little corrupted in my OS when I installed a lot of apps last Spring. Among
them database apps and IDEs.

 

[lifepoke]

The only solution I could find for this was to do an erase and install of

10.5, install office and 12.2.0 & 12.2.1 updates, then upgrade to 10.6. I
tried all the advice that I was given for installing on my original 10.6
upgrade at least 12 times. In the end I gained about 30 GB from not
reinstalling software I tried but wasn't using.

Will I be able to erase and install if I don't have a previous version of OS X or is it the same as reinstalling the OS?