"Preparing to install ... Microsoft Office" dialog box == pervasive

ginipigginipig OH, NOES
edited July 2007 in Science & Tech
Quite often, upon trying to load an app (say: SpywareBlaster) the "Preparing to install ... Microsoft Office" dialog always seems to popup. It'll take 5 seconds or so, in which the progress bar is filled, before the app of choice will load.

This doesn't happen to most apps I'm running, but I can't help but feel that I'm missing something. Is it because of any particular runtime files not getting cached in memory, or something entirely different?

Iirc, SpywareBlaster needed Mscomctl.ocx (which wasn't included with XP pro, I guess,) so I proceeded to Google + Download the neccessary installer. Putting 2 + 2 together, it would seem that mscomctl is connected with Ms.Office, and that somehow the Windows Registry doesn't point to mscomctl.ocx file as it should.

I'm not losing any sleep over this (I'm not a Windows.Certified Techie,) but I'm counting on you guys to fill in the gaps. Leave no stone unturned!

edit:// I found this. While it may not reference outside apps, I'm willing to give it a shot.

Comments

  • ginipigginipig OH, NOES
    edited April 2004
    No Luck :(
  • gtghmgtghm New
    edited April 2004
    Is it an older version of MS Office?
  • ginipigginipig OH, NOES
    edited April 2004
    Nope, it's 2003. I've only installed the Word + Excel Components.
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    If you've upgraded windows recently, or made major set-up changes then you may need to reinstall the office suite before it will load properly.
  • ginipigginipig OH, NOES
    edited April 2004
    sp1 -> sp2 rc1.

    I can understand how a reinstall will fix the problem (most reinstalls do: Windows O/S included,) but do you know which files were affected? I'd google for a solution, but I don't really know which search keys to use.
  • gtghmgtghm New
    edited April 2004
    Your problem might be that you upgraded the word and excel componets only and not the core office files.

    I think that you might be better off reinstalling the upgrade disk 1 and then you might see the office installation box go away.

    Just a thought,
    "g"
  • Madcat01752Madcat01752
    edited June 2005
    Hi Everyone! :D

    Like many others here with MS Office 2003 we've been upgrading every time the newer version has arrived. After googling the issue I figured the culprit might be a small version/registration conflict within the registy.

    On a whim I downloaded the MS Windows Install Cleanup utility from the support MS site and ran it. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301

    If you have indeed been upgrading pervious version of office, they probably have left reg keys and that is why the error message opens. Sure enough, I had entries from both Office 2k and Office XP when viewed in the utility.

    To resolve the issue, I simply did this:

    NOTE! I am only running one version of MS Office! Do not do this if you want to run multiple version configs!!!!

    1. Run the MS Windows Install Cleanup utility

    2. Select the non MS Office 2003 versions and hit remove. This will generate some kind of error message and crash the utility interface, but no harm; once you restart the util the entry for the selected item is gone.

    3. Repeat until all non MS Office 2003 office versions are gone (I had to do four, two for each older version).

    4. Reboot and voila! No more annoyance! Hope this helps everyone! :thumbsup:
  • aloesaloes
    edited July 2007
    Hi,

    Very simple to solve in most of the cases:


    If, when using a MS Office application, you have the message "Preparing to install ....", just create an empty folder named "XLStart" in the following position: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11".
    Now restart your excel application and it should work ...

    Good luck.

    Fred
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