Cannot Update Office 2004-- help?

[Samanthaculp]

Hello,
I've searched around these forums and couldn't find any answers for
this issue, so my apologies if I'm posting in the wrong place...

I use a Mac Powerbook G4 currently running Tiger 10.4.9. I have been
using Microsoft Office 2004 for a while, and never even tried to
update until today. It's currently version 11.0, I really would like
to update to 11.3 or so, mainly so that I can sync Entourage with my
Blackberry.

So I first started with a more recent update (11.3.5), downloaded
successfully, but when I opened the installer and began the process, I
got the message "could not locate the correct software". I figured
maybe I needed to update a lower version first, so I went back through
updates for 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, but keep getting the same message
for all of these. Can anyone help? How can I update?

Thanks,
Samantha

 

[litttle.creature.inc]

Hello SAmantha,
have you had Test drive installed on your Mac? If so, have you run
remove office (test drive) prior to installing the full version of
office?

If you haven't remove the test drive properly then I would advise you
to run the Remove office utility twicw to remove both the test drive
and the proper version a and then install the full version again, then
go here and install the combo update 11.3.5:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx
and then all the subsequent as well. Also it is usually good idea to
RUn Disk Utility>verify and repair disk permittion after updating.

IF the test drive is not your problem then do not try to remove the
office it will not solve it and then I suspect something got wrong
with your MUD folder and we would need more information

 

[Diane Ross]

So I first started with a more recent update (11.3.5), downloaded
successfully, but when I opened the installer and began the process, I
got the message "could not locate the correct software". I figured
maybe I needed to update a lower version first, so I went back through
updates for 11.3.0, 11.2.1, 11.2.0, but keep getting the same message
for all of these. Can anyone help? How can I update?

There is no one solution for this problem.

* One user reported he discovered his hard drive was having significant
problems. Running a disk repair fixed those problems and now allows for the
install of update 11.3.6.
* You might need to download the latest combo updater from Apple and run it
again rather than using Software Update. Doing so overwrites potentially
problem-causing files. Several users have reported this fixed some odd
problems they were having. Combo updaters will install on the same version
as they¹re applying‹no need to roll back or do a clean install.
* Another option is to use ³Remove Office², then install from the CD and
update.
* Other users have found that an ³Archive & Install² of the OS was required.

As evidenced by the above options, this indicates underlying problems with
your files that are causing the update to fail.

Links for Tiger Combo Updaters:

Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (PPC)
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411comboupdateppc.html>

Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (Intel)

<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411updateintel.html>

 

[Samanthaculp]

Hi Little Creature and Diane,

Thanks for your ideas. A few responses:
1) I don't even know what Test Drive is, so I wasn't using that... 2)
I have been repairing disk permissions before and after each attempted
install, with no results... 3) Now there seems to be a bigger problem,
because I tried to install the Mac OSX update (from 10.4.9 to 10.4.10)
but cannot even update that-- it runs and then just says "update
failed."

So I don't know what the problem is. Any more ideas?
Thanks so much,
Samantha

 

[litttle.creature.inc]

Hi Samantha, then I think your OS might be touched or you might have
also some HW as Diane mentioned:
* One user reported he discovered his hard drive was having
significant
problems. Running a disk repair fixed those problems and now allows
for the
install of update 11.3.6.

Find your Mac OS CD, boot from it and run Verify and Repair Disk (this
is different than Verify and Repair Disk Permissions) see if any
problems found if so run (might require more than once) Repair Disk

Than try to update your system, if it's OK I would try to update the
office by 11.3.5 update, if the system is still touched I would go for
Archive and install, but wait what others will suggest.

 

[Diane Ross]

Than try to update your system, if it's OK I would try to update the
office by 11.3.5 update, if the system is still touched I would go for
Archive and install, but wait what others will suggest.

I agree it's time for an "Archive & Install".

How to: Archive and Install

Tip: Before starting the installation, you may wish to use Disk Utility to
verify and repair the volume.

1. Start up from your Mac OS X Install Disc 1 or Install DVD. If you have
different versions of Mac OS X Installer discs (for example, if your
computer came with version 10.3 and you later purchased and installed
version 10.4), start from the disc that most closely matches the installed
Mac OS X version. Usually, that's the latest (newer) version.
2. Select your language. The Welcome to the Mac OS X Installer window
appears.
3. Click Continue. The Important Information window appears.
4. After reading or printing the information, click Continue. The Software
License Agreement window appears.
5. After reading or printing the information, click Continue.
6. An agreement sheet appears. If you agree with the license agreement,
click Agree. The Select a Destination window appears.
7. Click the volume that you wish to install to.
8. Click Options. The installation options sheet appears.
9. Select Archive and Install.
10. Select the volume which already has Mac OS X installed.
11. You should also select Preserve Users and Network Settings, to preserve
network and Home directory settings. (See notes and Related documents
below.)
12. Click OK.
13. Click Continue to begin the installation.

Note: Because the "Preserve user and network settings" option moves, not
copies, existing users, Home directories, and network settings, from the
Previous Systems folder to the newly installed System, these items will not
exist in the Previous Systems folder after the Archive and Install is
complete.

Once the install has finished, your system will be at whatever level the
disk you have is. So if your Install DVD/CD disk is 10.3.3, that's what
version of OS will be on your Mac. You will need to download the appropriate
Combo Updater from Apple's site to restore the system to a higher version.
After you run the combo, allow Software Update to download and install any
additional updates.

You might need to download the combo updater from Apple and run it again
rather than using Software Update. Doing so overwrites potentially
problem-causing files. Several users have reported this fixed some odd
problems they were having with Entourage. Combo updaters will install on the
same version as they¹re applying‹no need to roll back or do a clean install.

Note there is no combo updater for Leopard yet. Tiger combo updaters:

Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (PPC)
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411comboupdateppc.html>

Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (Intel)

<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411updateintel.html>

 

[Diane Ross]

1) I don't even know what Test Drive is, so I wasn't using that.

The test drive is the name of the demo of Office 2004 that was automatically
installed on many computers. It will allow you to use Office for 30 days.
You much remove it before installing and using the retail version of Office.