Error! Unable to check for update on this computer

[JeffH]

I saw the messages on the Oct 1 posting. I delete in
regedit for Patches, unistalled Office Xp reinstalled
Office XP. And tried to update the same error message.

Did I miss something??

If so please let me know what...

Thanks!!!!

 

[Pat E.]

Hi JeffH,

Apparently, there must be more than one reason why this
error appears. I assume you are receiving the error at
around 40% where office updates "cannot scan for updates
on this computer" and then lists about 4 or 5 reasons why
this may be happening. Maybe your problem is slightly
different from mine. Before I "fixed" my problem, I was
unable to uninstall or repair Office. When I tried, I
would get "Hotfix installer" errors. When I downloaded the
Office updates to a temp. file and tried to install them
that way, I got "this patch package could not be opened."
However, after I edited the registry, I was able to
successfully uninstall and reinstall Office XP, scan for
updates, and then install all of them.

The key I deleted was:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\9040
910900063D11C8EF00054038389C. I don't know if this key is
the same for all Office XP installations; I have Pro, so
the key may vary. However, in the right-hand panel, you
should see something about "windows installer" and "Office
XP with Frontpage." Anyway, I deleted this entire key, not
just the patches. (However, first I exported the key to a
file so I could restore it if necessary.) If you did this
and it didn't work, maybe there's something different
about your problem. Since I'm no computer expert, only
someone who has a bit of experience and tried a fix that
worked for me, I can't tell you what to do next.

There are a couple of other possible "fixes" on these
newsgroups that might work for you. Search back a couple
of weeks. They don't involve registry hacks, but they
might work for you. One involves deleting some files (I
don't remember which) and the other had to do with Norton
System works or some other similar software. Some people
had something set in this product that blocked some
scripting that Office Updates needed. When they removed
this "block," Office Updates worked for them.

Hope someone else--or even Microsoft (go figure!)--can
help you and others with similar problems.

Good luck!

Pat E.

 

[Sally]

-----Original Message-----
I saw the messages on the Oct 1 posting. I delete in
regedit for Patches, unistalled Office Xp reinstalled
Office XP. And tried to update the same error message.

Did I miss something??

If so please let me know what...

Thanks!!!!
.
Go to http://www.compu-help.us/

top sample #3 works for this problem

 

[Rolando E Creagh, MD FACS]

If you look at the logs created by this failures (should be in TEMP) you
will see that the scan is stoping after looking for either WinWordop.msi or
msconvop.msp. I fail to find this two files anywhere, even in a computer
with an Office Xp which is able to connect and be
scan succesfully by Office Update. Very strange...

I have tried nearly all of the previously mentioned cures without succes, in
two disimilar computers with the same problem. One with W2K/SP4 plus Office
Premium 2000/SP3 and another one with XP/SP1 plus Office XP/SP2. This
started after each one received the instalation of the appropriate version
of four hotfixes (kb822036, kb824934, kb826293, kb824938) in early
September, after dowloading them.
I could not repair, reinstall or uninstall Office. But it was working great!
The Windows Install Clean up will list Office in W2K but not in XP. Is
somethig about the Installer been above version 2 I think.
Since my Windows Update was working quite normally, it did not seams logical
to mess with it, when there was also an OfficeUpdate directory. But, what do
I know....

This is what worked for me.
There is a utility name msizap.exe from Support\Tools\Suptools.msi, which
are located in
the XP CD. They are also present on the same place for W2K. Be aware that
there is a new Support tools 4 for W2K/SP4.
You must install them (all), if you have not. There is a setup.exe
Them you have to look for the GUID of the program you want to uninstall,
with RegEdit at:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall.
The GUID are the long numbers you will see. Click on each one, until you
find the owner in the Rt panel .
I would save a security copy of the registry. Saving the key is not enough,
and I am not sure a restore point is sufficient. Delete nothing with
RegEdit!!!!!
Then, in the Command Window (CMD) you will type:

<path>\msizap.exe T! {GUID}.

My GUID for Office XP was:
{91110409-6000-11D3-8CFE-0050048383C9}
Not sure if yours will be the same.
This is executed quite rapidly and will errase all the registry entries for
the selected program (Office XP), creating a log file in TEMP.
Do not errase the Office directories. Just reinstall in the same location.
After than, all you need to do is reaply the SP packs and hotfixes (with
Office Update). It took me some 2:30 hours and all my configurations were
saved.
After all I search since the last month, that is not too bad.
By the way, the office update does work perfectly now.
Cheers & Good look

 

[JeffH]

Thanks for all the help!!

I'm sorry to say but I wasn't able to fix it.

I can install, reinstall, Detect and Repair. All the
functions of the Office XP Pro works. I have installed
updated in the past with no problems. Dimension 8300
with Windows XP pro connect to the internet through a
Windows 2000 SBS.

All I want to do is update. Why is this so tough?

Thanks for all your help...

 

[Pat E.]

Jeff,

You're welcome, but my "help" hasn't "helped" you that
much!

Have you tried manually downloading the updates to a
temporary folder and then installing them that way? Since
Office still does much of what it's supposed to, maybe you
can manage the update manually and just forget the auto-
scan until MS gets around to posting a fix for this
problem (if they ever do).

Just go to the Office Downloads catalog and look for the
latest security patch. I'm not sure what you already have
installed; if you know, you can just download what you
need.

Good luck. Maybe another fix will work for you. Someone
else has added a fix from compu-help.us.

Pat