Cannot install downloaded updates for freshly-installed Office 2004

[joelpickford]

I recently uninstalled Office 2008 out of sheer disgust with its
sluggish performance and many irritating features that have to be
overridden by resetting preferences.

I re-installed Office:Mac 2004 student and teacher edition from my
licensed disk. However, there was no registration process and I was
never asked to type in my product key. Then, when I download the
updates (of which there are 4 that must be installed in order) I found
I could not install them. Every time I tried, I received an error
message saying that the installer could not locate the correct
programs.

I recently updated Office 2004 on another computer on which it had
been previously installed from the same licensed disk. No problems.

Any suggestions?

 

[Diane Ross]

I recently updated Office 2004 on another computer on which it had
been previously installed from the same licensed disk. No problems.

Just drag over the updated Office 2004 folder.

One of the main differences between 04 and 08 is fonts. You can probably
just leave the new fonts and not experience problems.

Did you use "Remove Office" or just drag to trash?

 

[joelpickford]

Just drag over the updated Office 2004 folder.

One of the main differences between 04 and 08 is fonts. You can probably
just leave the new fonts and not experience problems.

Did you use "Remove Office" or just drag to trash?

Thanks, Diane. I used Remove Office. Regarding the drag-and-drop
method for installing the update: when I open the update disk icon,
there is only a readme and a yellow arrow icon to launch the update
application; there is no folder to drag to my applications folder.
When I double click the update app icon it launches and I am prompted
to enter my admin password. Then the same message pops up saying that
it cannot locate the software to update. I have even tried removing
and reinstalling 2004 from the original disk a couple of times.

 

[joelpickford]

Great, Diane. I will try copying the folder from one of the other
machines first. However, I suspect that somewhere there is a
registration module left over from 2008; this would explain why I did
not have to register or enter my key code when I reinstalled 2004.

If I do have to do the "archive and install," where do I find it?
Would it be a custom install from the CD?

I agree this should all be shared on the forum. When I sent you the
first reply I accidentally clicked on reply to sender instead of reply
to the thread. So I actually rewrite the message and posted it.
Microsoft also needs to hear all the negative feedback that is going
around about 2008. I sent a list of around 15 issues in Word 2008 to
some sort of Microsoft "suggestion box" that someone pointed me to.
Who knows if anyone will actually read it? It is ridiculous to have
to take a new program out of the box and change so many default
settings and prefs just to be able to maintain your sanity. Even the
2008 graphics are ugly and clunky-looking; side by side, 2004 is more
attractive, elegant, streamlined and modern-looking than 2008.
Microsoft needs to fire their entire MAC software team and headhunt
some folks from Adobe. Adobe writes very powerful, very stable
software that works equally well on both platforms, and operates
nearly identically on both MAC and WIN systems. Their upgrades
actually ARE upgrades; the new CS4 suite and the new Lightroom are
very nice indeed. Too bad they don't offer an operating system and an
office suite.

 

[Diane Ross]

If I do have to do the "archive and install," where do I find it?
Would it be a custom install from the CD?

Yes, use your install CD. "Archive and Install" moves existing system files
to a folder named Previous System and then installs Mac OS X again.

Just be sure to check Preserve Users and Network Settings when you select
Archive & Install.

Mac OS X: About the Archive and Install feature

I agree this should all be shared on the forum.

Joel did inform me

<quote>
I did the drag and replace and everything seems to be working fine. I will
know 100% in the next couple of days. Thanks again for your help.

Microsoft needs to fire their entire MAC software team and headhunt some folks
from Adobe. Adobe writes very powerful, very stable software that works
equally well on both platforms, and operates nearly identically on both MAC
and WIN systems.

IMHO....We don't even want to go there. Adobe killed GoLive and gave us that
piece of crap Dreamweaver. Their updaters take forever and if Microsoft were
ever to be like Adobe, you would find me running for the hills. Someone else
would be here volunteering their time, but it sure wouldn't be me.