Help: "The update cannot be applied."

[William Low]

My Problem:

I keep getting the message "The Update cannot be applied" whenever I

try to run an Office 2003 patch (be it an Outlook junk mail update or

a Word Security update).

Also when I try to run Detect and Repair from any office application

I get the message: "The patch package could not be opened. Verify

that the patch package exists and that you can access it ... (etc)."

I'm pointing it to the package file it asks for right off the Office

2003 installation CD (STD11N.MSI).


What I've Tried:

I've tried what it suggests here to no avail -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884298

I've also ran the Windows Installer Cleanup utility - no luck.


The only changes I've made to my system that I can think of that

might be involved:

To free up much needed space on my Win XP drive I moved just about

all of the update packages (like in the $hf_mig$ folder and the

WindowsUpdate folders to an external drive).


I have Win XP SP2 and Office 2003 SP2.


Thanks.

-- Bill

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

I keep getting the message "The Update cannot be applied" whenever I
try to run an Office 2003 patch (be it an Outlook junk mail update or
a Word Security update).
Also when I try to run Detect and Repair from any office application
I get the message: "The patch package could not be opened. Verify
that the patch package exists and that you can access it ... (etc)."
I'm pointing it to the package file it asks for right off the Office
2003 installation CD (STD11N.MSI).

What I've Tried:
I've tried what it suggests here to no avail -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884298

I've also ran the Windows Installer Cleanup utility - no luck.

The only changes I've made to my system that I can think of that
might be involved:
To free up much needed space on my Win XP drive I moved just about
all of the update packages (like in the $hf_mig$ folder and the
WindowsUpdate folders to an external drive).

You should NOT have interfered with the $hf_mig$ folder. This is essential.
Other problems will follow. Please restore it.

From your description of your problem, it sounds as if the Office system
cannot find its MSOCACHE folder, which should be a hidden folder at the root
of one of the hard disk drives. This can occur if it is on a drive which
changes its drive letter, or of the drive is removable.

If you are unable to resolve the problem, you shoud completely uninstall
Office 2003 and re-install it from the CD, then apply the latest Office 2003
Service Pack, and all subsequent updates.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Try This and let us know if it worked for you


1st Rename Office subkeys


Note: Removing the following registry keys may reset customized user
settings for your Microsoft Office programs.


1. Close all the applications.
2. Click on Start->Run, type in REGEDIT and click on OK.
3. Locate and select the following registry subkeys:


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0


4. Right click on 11.0 and rename them to Old11.
5. Close the Registry Editor.


2nd. Detect and Repair Office 2003


1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to and click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. Click Change/Remove Programs on the left pane.
4. Highlight Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 on the right pane
and click Change.
5. Insert the correct version of CD when it requires.
6. Select "Reinstall and Repair" and click Next.
7. Select "Detect and Repair errors in my Office installation".
8. Click Install and wait the process to end.


3rd. Install the Updates

 

[William Low]

I'm sorry; it didn't work. I did what you said in the registry and when I
clicked Change in the Add/Remove I got the same "The patch package could not
be opened. Verify that the patch package exists and that you can access it
.... (etc)." It had me look for STD11N.MSI off the CD like Detect and Repair
does from an app's Help menu, but that's as far as I get.

Do I have to reboot after the registry changes?

The four folders I moved off of Windows include all of the
$NtUninstall********* folders, Installer, ServicePackFiles, and $hf_mig$.
These all seem to contain nothing but compressed update files, so I thought
they would be safe to move. I have empty folders with the latter 3
(Installer, ServicePackFiles, and $hf_mig$) remaining on the drive (mainly
so wouldn't forget where they go should I have to move files back).

I found a MSOCache folder but I think it only has my separate OneNote
installation; it's only 141 MB and 72 files, so I don't know where the
Office MSOCache folder is if that is true.

Did I have to make a separate registry change for OneNote? I bought that
separately sometime later.

I must have merely installed the Windows Installer Clean Up rather than
"ran" it before because I tried running it from Start | Programs and it
brought up a list of everything I had installed, but I'm wary to try it now
partly because of the ominous warning it gives regarding the *permanent*
changes it will make, whatever it means by that.

I see that you replied to my post in the office.misc group but I'll just
reply to you here to keep it simple.

I'll try whatever else you suggest. (I'm not even sure I could reinstall
Office if I wanted to because I hit the Setup.exe file on the CD and I got
the same thing. ) Thanks.





Try This and let us know if it worked for you


1st Rename Office subkeys


Note: Removing the following registry keys may reset customized user
settings for your Microsoft Office programs.


1. Close all the applications.
2. Click on Start->Run, type in REGEDIT and click on OK.
3. Locate and select the following registry subkeys:


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0


4. Right click on 11.0 and rename them to Old11.
5. Close the Registry Editor.


2nd. Detect and Repair Office 2003


1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to and click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. Click Change/Remove Programs on the left pane.
4. Highlight Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 on the right pane
and click Change.
5. Insert the correct version of CD when it requires.
6. Select "Reinstall and Repair" and click Next.
7. Select "Detect and Repair errors in my Office installation".
8. Click Install and wait the process to end.


3rd. Install the Updates

 

[Peter Foldes]

You removed "$hf_mig$." file?? This file should never be touched .Also you removed the Windows Installer and who knows what else That was a grave mistake to do.
You wonder why the Updates do not work. And from what I gather from reading between the lines you have used some sort of Registry Cleaner which probably did not do any good but most probably has deleted some lines that were needed.
I strongly suggest that you either do a Repair install of your OS or format and do a clean install and then download all the Updates from Windows Update and Office Updates