Office2003: Can't install or uninstall

[wj]

Office 2003 Professional won't let me install or un-install components,
doesn't matter if I try "detect & repair" or install from CD, the setup
progress keep qutting out at "installation ended prematurely" error message
and then says fatal error has occured.

I also have OneNote, Visio & Project 2003 installed and their installer are
working just fine. I suspect there is a corrupt dll or damaged registry
entries.

I'm on WinXP Pro w/ SP1 installed and is logged on as system administrator
with full rights.

My only solution to fully uninstall 2003 pro is to uninstall the WinXP
itself which I am really not looking forward to. Any suggestions would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, wj,

You might try logging the installation and see if that gives you any clues
as to what's going on:

See if this helps:

826511 - HOW TO: Use an Office 2003 Setup Log File to Troubleshoot Setup
Problems:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;826511&Product=ofw

 

[Corren]

I too am experiencing the error,except the action is different. I have installed the complete MS Office 2003 without a hitch except for MS Project.
At the beginning of the installation I get this message:
"...cannot be installed when another instance of .... is already present. ..... remove the previous instance using Add/Remove ... from the Control Panel."
The trouble is that it is not listed in the Control Panel, so I don't know what to remove and where.
The article 826511 was helpful only partially, for it pointed me to the log files, where I found a reference to errors in Notes, numbers 1708 and 1603. No MSKB article I found offered a solution.
Total removal of all Office 2003 programs and new installation did not resolve it, nor did a subsequent Repair.
How does the setup.exe know that there is another instance (Registry?) and what do I cleanup so that the setup continues?

Thank you.

Corren

Hi, wj,

You might try logging the installation and see if that gives you any clues
as to what's going on:

See if this helps:

826511 - HOW TO: Use an Office 2003 Setup Log File to Troubleshoot Setup
Problems:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;826511&Product=ofw