MS Office problem on new hard drive

**MadDoctor** · 09-12-07, 08:21 PM

The lady down the street had a 12GB hard drive. She got a 40GB hard drive and I made a C:\ for the OS and a E:\ for documents. I used the software “TrueImage 10" to ghost the drive and moved all her documents to the E:\. I would have used Norton Ghost… but that’s another story.

When she goes to open a Word, Excel, PowerPoint file, she gets the error: “Error: -1601 The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed.”

Should I un-install MS Office (delete the MS folder after the un-install) and re-install Office 2003? It seems like the thing to do so obviously… it probably not.

Any advice is welcomed.

**MadDoctor** · 09-12-07, 08:34 PM

I think I have an answer for you MD. The service "windows installer" is probably not running. Why that thing can be set to "automatic" and not start... I have no idea.

Hope that helps

**MadDoctor** · 09-12-07, 08:35 PM

Thanks. When I get to her house this weekend, I'll take a look.

**CableDude** · 09-12-07, 08:39 PM

**MadDoctor** · 09-12-07, 08:44 PM

As things would have it... she called me and I had her check on the service. It was set to automatic but had not started. I had her start it and it asked for the Office CD. She put it in and BAM. Same error. So... should I uninstall, delete and reinstall?

**Sava700** · 09-12-07, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by MadDoctor

She put it in and BAM. Same error. So... should I uninstall, delete and reinstall?

Profile error? Make another user profile and delete the old one.

**CableDude** · 09-12-07, 08:51 PM

What about an entire restart of the PC?

**MadDoctor** · 09-12-07, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by CableDude

What about an entire restart of the PC?

That did it. She also moved the CD to another drive and it took. She's up and running!!!!!

**MadDoctor** · 09-12-07, 09:13 PM

Hmmmmmmm She asked me if she could thank me in some way. I told her I'd get back to her on that.

***YeOldeStonecat*** · 09-13-07, 06:45 AM

Installer service is default to manual...it's started by the programs setup routine.

How did you move the documents to E? I recommend right clicking the My Documents" folder on her desktop...selecting "Move"..and browse to the new location. This redirects all the paths correctly within applications that look towards My Documents by default.

Hunch is her PC had an issue before the move...I don't see a disk imaging program causing an issue like this. Only thing different her PC should have seen on the first reboot on the new drive was windows installing new hardware as the new drive is found..and the driver is changed, prompting for a bounce.

**MadDoctor** · 09-13-07, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by YeOldeStonecat

Installer service is default to manual...it's started by the programs setup routine.

How did you move the documents to E? I recommend right clicking the My Documents" folder on her desktop...selecting "Move"..and browse to the new location. This redirects all the paths correctly within applications that look towards My Documents by default.

Hunch is her PC had an issue before the move...I don't see a disk imaging program causing an issue like this. Only thing different her PC should have seen on the first reboot on the new drive was windows installing new hardware as the new drive is found..and the driver is changed, prompting for a bounce.

Thanks Cat. I did not do a "Move". I did a cut-&-paste and that is probably what cause the miss-direct of MS Office and the ensuing problems. Something for me to remember next time.

Thanks!!!

*edit*

When I was setting up her machine, I set Installer service to automatic. Still doesn't start like I think it should. Maybe I should send a note to Bill Gates.

**CableDude** · 09-13-07, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by MadDoctor

Hmmmmmmm She asked me if she could thank me in some way. I told her I'd get back to her on that.

I have some ideas.

**MadDoctor** · 09-18-07, 10:45 PM

I went to her house (another story in that my wife was out shopping and her husband was out of town).

Long story short... at some point she installed Office 97. She then installed Office 2003 on top of Office 97 (which sounds fine to me... but looking back, she should have un-installed Office 97 first).

I "ghost" everything over to the new drive and she thinks it was something I might have done. Turns out both Office 97 and Office 2003 are up and running. Click on the Word, Excel or whatever icon and it would start to launch... and choke on which version it should launch. I pulled Office 97 out of the computer and everything is good. She was very VERY happy!!!!!

Did I tell you that my wife was out shopping and her husband was out of town?