"Custom Form" error message - Outlook XP

[Joseph]

After replacing (and cloning) my hard drive, MS Office XP works fine, but
gives me random qurky error messages. Also, I cannot update with Office
Update. In Outlook, I get the following message every time the


A custom form could not be opened - Outlooj will use an Outlook form
instead. The form required to use this message can not be displayed.
Contact your administrator."

Other notes. I have run the repair option from the original Office XP
setup disk, I have run "Detect and repair" from a few of the applications'
help menus, and I have run a Norton Systemowrks' fixes (One Button Checup,
Windoctor) - all of which reported successful operations. Finally, I did a
complete uninstall and reinstall of Office XP. I am the
administrator of my computer (the only user) and have administrator
privaleges. My computer is a 1999 Gateway P4, 1.2 G - it is old but in
perfect working order. I have 0.75 G RAM.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

Joseph


NOTE 1
Office Update is unable to check for updates

The Office Update site is unable to check for updates on this computer. This
may be happening because of one of the following reasons . . .

You do not have administrative privileges for this computer.
There is a network problem and the detection catalog used by the Office
Update site failed to download. Go back to the Downloads home page and try
running detection again.
Windows Installer patch files (.MSP files) from previously applied Office
updates are missing from the \Windows\Installer hidden directory on your
computer. MSP files are stored on your computer after update installation
completes because they need to be referenced for future update operations. If
the files are missing you will not be able to apply Office updates. You may
also be unable to uninstall Office products as a result of the same problem.
Please contact Microsoft Product Support Services for assistance.
You installed Office updates in the past and then upgraded from Windows
Installer version 1.0 to Windows Installer version 1.1. For more information
see the KB article Windows Installer May Prompt for Install Source if
Unavailable.


NOTE 2 - the Outlook reminder error message

A custom form could not be opened - Outlooj will use an Outlook form
instead. The form required to use this message can not be displayed.
Contact your administrator."

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

After replacing (and cloning) my hard drive, MS Office XP works fine, but
gives me random qurky error messages. Also, I cannot update with Office
Update. In Outlook, I get the following message every time the

A custom form could not be opened - Outlooj will use an Outlook form
instead. The form required to use this message can not be displayed.
Contact your administrator."

Try clearing the forms cache.
http://www.howto-outlook.com/downloads/clearformscache.htm

Windows Installer patch files (.MSP files) from previously applied Office
updates are missing from the \Windows\Installer hidden directory on your
computer.

Some clone software doesn't handle this particular folder. I had the same
problem. The clone software that came with the hard drive (a Maxtor, using
hte Maxblast cloner) totally ignored the ...\Installer folder. I had to
copy that folder manually before updates would work.

 

[Joseph]

Hi and thanks so much -

Can you tell me where the /installer folder is? My old hard drive has
enough life in it - I'll go manually copy it if I can find it.

Thanks!

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Can you tell me where the /installer folder is? My old hard drive has
enough life in it - I'll go manually copy it if I can find it.

Right where you said it is in your Note 1" x:\Windows\Installer. it's a
system folder, so you must enable showing system files and folders. In
Windows Explorer's Tools>Folder Options>View, select "Show hidden files and
folders" and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files".

 

[Joseph]

Hi Brian -

Thanks. I had to unhide it. The new drive has a "windows\installer" on it,
but it's probably because of all of the finagleing I've done until now. I
need to hookl the old drive back up and give a shot at replacing it. Thanks
again.

 

[Joseph]

Hi and thanks -

I copied the Windows\installer files over, but that didn't do it. There
must be an office\installer file somewhere, but I can't dfind it. Since my
last post, I have gone through a numer of guyrations - but I still get the
"forms" error message referenced above

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I copied the Windows\installer files over, but that didn't do it.

Well, it was worth a shot because it did help me.

There
must be an office\installer file somewhere, but I can't dfind it.

It's usually the hidden folder C:\Msocache