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can't remove office 2003 and installer is a proble. please help.


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#1
graham harper

graham harper

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Hi.

I would be very grateful if somebody could please give me some advice. My problem is two-fold, and the two may or may not be connected!

Problem 1.

I initially had a copied version of Office 2003 on this PC. I now have an official version, unfortunately it won't repair the copied (old) one, and I have tried to delete this several times to no avail. I have also tried to delete the service pack add-ons that relate to office.

The reason I have troubles with office is that, everytime I try to open an office application, or use it to open an office file - the windows installer pop-up comes up. I have tried adjusting the Macro's, I have even done used CCcleaner. Neither of which have worked.

I basically want to remove the office 2003 completely and install my offical version, complete with 25 digit code from fresh. The trouble is that control panel will not let me do this, ind i', not awfully au fait with removing programs via alternative means.
so...

Problem 2. As I mention problems 1 and 2 may, or may not be related.

A while ago, I had a nasty infection from 'My_Heart.exe'. I though I had managed to remove this quite well, however...
When I run the 'system configuration utility' i notice that in the 'start-up' are:

C:\WINDOWS\ShellNew\bronstab.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\YOUR-1A8B284513\My_Heart.exe (The only one visible as a file, albeit hidden)
C:\WINDOWS\My_Heart.exe

These do not show in the locations they correlate to, apart from the second one, which shows as an empty hidden file, which I have deleted and removed from the recycle bin. yet they still show in the start-up (unticked/unchecked of course)

If anybody has had edxperience of similar difficulties, or know how to remove files other than through control panel, or could offer advice in any other way I would be very grateful.

I have used Hijackthis! and Got the following results (it may as well be an alien language to me though!)

Edited by graham harper, 30 June 2008 - 11:37 AM.

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#2
graham harper

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I might add, I use a Wi-Fi network, the laptop is vista (which annoyingly opens and closes everything you hover over. grr, but seperate issue completely), but I also have another PC with the same version of XP, the original (copied) version of Office 2003, and that has none of these issues. Although it does get an annoying opo-up for 'yes loans' everytime i use the internet, but that I can handle, it just needs a good clean.

It's just this one PC. It also is a problem with both of the user profiles, the one I am set to is the administrator.
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#3
Mr Freeze

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remove your hijackthis log
its not sopposed to be posted in this forum
with office 2003 try using windows installer cleanup utility
download it from here

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

once you installed the program
it opens add/remove programs
scroll to office 2003
highlight it by clicking on it
press remove....
hope that helps
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#4
graham harper

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I did that, and managed to remove the Old Outlook 2003 successfully.

Restarted, and all was well. Untill, that is...

I tried to install the new Office (The official one). It starts and then says that it needs a file called:

E2561410.CAB

Duly, I selected the Office CD as the location, but it 'could not be found'.

On the microsoft support forum, a quick browse revealed that it's quite a common problem. The trouble is that there were about 3 different solutions given.

1. Was to rename the cache ? (I don't even know what cache is or does, other than the sort i carry in a wallet)

2. To download the file from Torrentz ? (seems a tad unsafe, maybe ?)

3. To unistall the Service Pack 2 (Not really sure how that would effect things overall)
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#5
Mr Freeze

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the cache exsist in system32
but you should check event viewer first for event id 156

Start/Run/ eventvwr /click ok
application...look for event error or id 156

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/250268

ive never had this problem with office 2003
so if your not sure see if others will post more before you start messing with system32 folder

make backup of any folder you rename
there is also open office found here

http://filehippo.com...oad_openoffice/

Edited by Mr Freeze, 30 June 2008 - 02:38 PM.

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#6
graham harper

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well, I tried the event viewer and didn't get that error anywhere. It was a long long list though!

So far:
1. I've managed to use the Installer clean-up utility to remove the old office 2003 (the copied one)
2. I've re-installed XP Home Edition, in case there were any problems with files (like a repair)
3. I've made sure I have Internet Explorer 7 (Office 2003 requires 6 or above for the infopath)
4. I have re-installed installer, so I can now start the set-up.
5. I've made sure I'm installing Office to the same location as the old one.

I appreciate your help so far, but am now at a bit of a loss. I use Office at work and they don't like any files that are not MS, the Spreadsheets I often bring home, so I can't use open office sadly, but the first link seemed to be of use. I shall try to rename the cache.dns file, to see if that helps.

The Office 2003 Professional Edition 2003 (authentic disk) seems to start fine, I have entered the correct product key, but I still get the:

'E2561410.CAB could not be found' error message. When I downloaded the .cab file from a website and used that instead, it moved on to
'A2561410.CAB could not be found'. It does give me an option to browse for the missing file, so if anybody knows where I would find the .cab files on the Office 2003 CD that would be of enormous help. I have browsed the CD, yet to no avail.
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#7
graham harper

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In the end I used the copied version. re-installed it, it works just fine. Thank you for all you help though.

I think the initial problem was more due to the windows installer. Seems okay now. Now I'm going to the malware section to see if anybosy knows how to remove traces of a virus/worm that appear in the msconfig start-up, but are not at the location they say they are at!
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#8
Mr Freeze

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well remember you only have 5 installs from office 2003
i used up all mine due to reformatting
so i asked microsoft about and they override the product key
allowing me to install it again
however there is open office
its a free download you can try it from here if you want


http://filehippo.com...oad_openoffice/

just to let you about other alternatives to microsoft office
i use open office on my computer at work
its works well for my projects

Edited by Mr Freeze, 03 July 2008 - 12:20 PM.

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