Fixed: Can't Install Office 2007. Arrgghh

Update Nov. 14: Double Arrgghh! I discovered I had the Office PDF converter add-on on the machine. No idea why, since I hadn't installed the Office 2007 beta. The component's name didn't start with "Microsoft" like other entries, so watch out. Also, turn on Show Updates to catch everything. Thanks to everyone for suggestions!

I eagerly downloaded the Office 2007 release from MSDN Subscriptions yesterday with great hopes of getting into the new VSTO stuff.

I tried to install it today and (Arrgghh!), the installer complains that it can't proceed because there's some prelease (beta) software on the machine.

The stupid installer error message doesn't specify what it doesn't like (it must know) so I started doing a cleanup in the dark. I did have Expression betas on this machine - but not the Office beta. Uninstalling Expression stuff through the normal process wasn't enough - no luck.

Fellow MVP Patrick Schmid has a page here of manual cleanup steps for the Office 2007 beta. Sure wish this could be automated! Aaron Stebner did a great job on one of those cleanup scripts with a previous VStudio release. (Hint, hint)

Granted, prerelease corruption of a machine is an avocational hazard for bleeding edge risk-takers like me so I don't expect sympathy or product support. That said, in an age of betas, CTPs, and sundry other trial versions, it seems that a prerequisite for any RTM product is a thorough cleanup script that scours the GAC, Registry, file system, and anywhere else that beta debris hides.

10 Comments

  • I can't even see it in msdn download :(


  • Always install pre-release software on a virtual machine. I learned the hard way ;-)

    Raj

  • Make sure you have also uninstalled Expression Web Designer Beta. This was what caused the Office 2007 installer to fail on my machine.

    HTH ;)

  • LOL, LMAO, So Funny! :D XD

  • Hey there i cant install 2007 on my machine gets so far then it comes up and says "setup cannot find enterprise, WW\enterWW.cab". Browse to a valid installation source. Where do i go now??

  • While trying to install Office Standard 2007, I get the following message and it stops the installation

    A required Standardr.ww\osetup.dll cannot be loaded. this may indicate that the file is missing or damaged.

    How do I fix this problem so I can install the software?

    thanks

  • i'm having the same damned problem. i had some trialware installed on a laptop i'd bought last year, and wanted to uninstall office 2007 (home/student version), and i got an error whilst trying to run its setup program from the control panel. i tried manually deleting the program files and registry references to it, to no real avail.

    i tried downloading another trial version of it, and somehow i cannot run the install for it. it just gives the same error everyone else is getting.

    i've tried searching around and around for an answer but so far, all i find are users with the same problem, with no apparent fix...

  • Hi I'm karthikeyan
    office 2007 not installing and showing unable to find file office.en\DW20.exe

    How can I rectify thi problem.......

  • OK, but I'm trying to intsall on XP...still same headache.

    I unistalled office 2003. Reboot, tried the custom install of just word, just outlook, just exce...nada...

  • it works only on vista/xp

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