Microsoft Office

[krisd32]

Any body have any ideas about this i'm stumped and no longer have the will to think

I'm having an issue with ms office on quite a few machines where it works fine logged in as admin, but if your logged in as a user it comes up with the configuration/setup box and it can't find the file, so i put the cd in and it installs all its stuff but then when the machine is restarted and logged on again with the same user it doesn't work again. its been a right pain in the ass 8O .

seems only to be win xp machines on a win 2k3 domain!

[StewartKnight]

now this might sound strange, but bare with me!

Are you double clicking on a document that has already been created, or are you just trying to start Word etc?

[krisd32]

either way it still just wants to install files from the disk every time,

It wouldn't be so bad if it popped up and asked for the user information and actually let you in to word etc..

But at the mo it won't let you into anything when logged on as a member of staff or a pupil, but when you log in as administrator everything works perfectly!

This is a bit of a bodge but might help.

When logged in as admin export the MS Office reg entries. Then import them at the users login.

Might help in the short term.

[Ric_]

Do you not install it off a central install point? If you do, it should be looking here for the broken/missing files.

[Gatt]

We get this as well - but this is because of their profiles dont save settings when they log off - so office keeps finalising setup.
As we install it from our file server which the pupils can read (cant browse tho) theres no problem with the install unless the network connection goes down.

If you're installing O2k3 from CD - dont click the box at the end to delete setup files - this way they will remain on the PC so that office can find them - also do a full install for each app your installing so that everything is copied to the hard disk

[marco84]

re-install office from a network share, with all users given read access to that folder.

[Michael]

It definitely sounds like a profile issue (as already mentioned). Chances are the profile is read only NTUSER.DAT renamed to NTUSER.MAN forgets any user changes when they logoff.

If it isn't a profile issue, I would seriously recommend installing from a network share as already mentioned. This works for 2000/XP/2003 versions of Office (and maybe older versions, but I am unsure). Click Start, Run and type d:\setup.exe /a which'll begin the admin setup install.

The advantages are that the serial number has to be entered once during the admin install and never again (which is handy), but also service packs and hotfixes can be integrated. You can also install the whole of Office (even optional components) choosing the "Complete Install" which saves you running round with a CD.

Here's how to slipstream Office 2003 Professional with SP2. Insert your Office CD, type d:\setup.exe /a and create your admin setup in C:\Office\

The Office 2003 SP2 admin install can be downloaded here. Save the file within C:\Service\

Now click Start, Run and copy this line:
c:\service\Office2003SP2-KB887616-FullFile-ENU.exe /t:c:\service\ /c

This will extract the required admin files - MAINSP2ff.msp and OWC11SP2ff.msp into the C:\Service\ directory.

To Slipstream the two files, in turn click Start, Run and copy these lines:

msiexec /p c:\service\MAINSP2ff.msp /a c:\office\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

msiexec /p c:\service\OWC11SP2ff.msp /a c:\office\OWC11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

Now if you run Office 2003 Setup from this central installation, it'll automatically be at SP2 level when complete!

[daveyboy]

Here's how I do it: -

Do admin install, slipstream any service packs (as above)
Install as usuall (I install everything locally except Outlook and the Office assistant)
Login as a standard local user run each program changing toolbars, excel add-ins(yeah, Bl**dy RND function) etc etc

I have a Pen drive / cdrom with a selection of files (access databases with switchboards, spreadsheets with macros, etc etc) which I run to make sure all the bits and pieces work correctly.

Reebot, login as local administrator and copy (I do this manually - not the profile copier - remebering hidden files, and system files) from the local user into the default user profile.
That way whoever logs in gets these settings without needing access to the original installation.

Hope this is of some help

[john]

Thanks for that idiot proof Guide Michael, I tried following the MSFT one and it drove me round the twist! Does that cause any problems with exisitng clients re-installing or anything like that?

[krisd32]

thanks guy's i'm not at that school again till next week now, strange everything works at my main school where I set everything up!!!!

i'll let you know the outcome but thanks again, these forums are a godsend !!!!!

[alan-d]

We had this problem but by leaving the installation files on the image (you have the option of deleting them at install) sorted the problem out.

The only issue is when a new user uses office on that PC for the first time it goes through a minor setup, but this only takes a few seconds and works fine thereafter.