.msp file not found

[Lynlyl]

I merged two partitions on my hard drive and now when I check for updates I get the following error messag

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 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.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Lynlyl.

I merged two partitions on my hard drive

What does this mean, exactly?

Did you use Partition Magic or some other third-party utility to merge two
10 GB partitions into a single 20 GB one, for example? Or do you mean you
moved all the files from E: into G:, for example?

From the error message you quoted:

Windows Installer patch files (.MSP files) from previously applied Office

updates are missing from the \Windows\Installer hidden directory on your
computer.

Could it be that the needed files are no longer where Office remembers
having left them? If you originally installed Office into E: (for example),
but then "merged" E: into G: - by any method - then you may need to explain
somehow to Office Update that it should look in G:, rather than E: to find
the files it needs. Where IS the \Windows\Installer hidden directory now?

Obviously, I'm shooting in the dark here because I don't really know how you
"merged two partitions". :>(

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

I merged two partitions on my hard drive and now when I check for updates

I get the following error message

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 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.

 

[Ann]

I got the same error message for my computer. One of the
possible problems was the missing msp files. I did a
search of my harddisk and found the I no longer have any
msp files, no windows\installer\ directory either. I
don't know how this could have happened, but given that
it has, what do I do now?

Thanks

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Ann.

As the error message says, it is a HIDDEN folder. It also has the System
attribute. To see it in Windows, you'll have to change the settings in
Folder Options | View. And you may have to be logged in as Administrator.

The same basic question applies as for Lynlyl: Have you moved or deleted
those files since you originally installed Office?

RC

 

[Guest]

Yes, I am an administrator (but, I'm no expert, just a
home user in charge of the computer!) and I did at least
try to make all the hidden files and folders viewable. I
went to control panel, chose folder options, view and
then selected the option to make all hidden stuff
viewable, and then hit apply. When I went to c:\windows\
I did see a whold bunch of files I don't usually see, but
I found no c:\windows\installer\ folder, and a system
search found no msp files. I certainly haven't moved or
deleted those files on purpose. The most recent drastic
thing I did was defragment the harddisk, but that
shouldn't cause such problems. I've done it many times
before. I've also used the office update before as I try
to keep things up to date and have never had a problem
before.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Ann.

In Folder Options | View, there is still another box that you need to check:
Display the contents of system folders. The first time you try to actually
look into such a folder you will see dire warnings that this might blow up
your computer, but you'll need to accept the risk if you want to see files
with the System attribute set.

Maybe that's what you meant when you said "a system search found no msp
files", but I'm not sure.

My favorite way to see ALL files, not matter which subdirectory they are in
and no matter which attributes may be set, is to open a "DOS" window and use
the old faithful Dir command - with switches. Type Dir /? to see all the
switches available. Type Dir \Windows\inst* /a to see if the Installer
folder is there. Or type Attrib \Windows\Installer to see the attributes
for that folder; on my computer, SH is set, meaning that it is a System
folder and Hidden. Or do a brute force search of Drive C: for ANY .msp
files by typing: Dir C:\*.msp /s /a

RC

 

[Ann]

I did have the "display contents of system folders"
checked.

I tried the dos option. Here's what I got:

<DIR> INSTALLER

0 file(s) 0 bytes
1 Dir(s) 34,000,000,000 (approx) bytes free


It still seems that I no longer have this file and I
can't imagine where it would have gone. As with most
people, I'm loathe to do anything to system files.

Thanks for your help.

 

[DCOM]

Hi, Ann.

In Folder Options | View, there is still another box that you need to check:
Display the contents of system folders.

I have the same problem....... no folder named windows\installer. When I
do a search for .msp files the only place I find any is C:\Program
Files\OfficeUpdate\MSPs I have all the hidden files view enabled etc
and logged on as admin.

 

[Ann]

OK, I read through your message again and I saw I
neglected to try one thing--dir c:\*.msp /s/a

I did it and got the following:

Directory of c:\WINDOWS\Installer

03/26/2002 02:21 PM 3,526,556 1114875.msp
06/10/2002 04:00 PM 3,131,956 11148ae.msp
11/20/2001 08:31 PM 17,280,000 aef057.msp
11/20/2001 08:31 PM 17,280,000 aef065.msp
08/02/2002 05:51 PM 6,917,624 e16fe5.msp
08/02/2002 05:51 PM 6,917,624 e16ff3.msp
09/30/2002 10:46 PM 2,295,700 e17005.msp
7 File(s) 57,349,460 bytes

Feeling very much happier that I do have an installer
directory with some msp files, even if I can't seem to
come up with them under other searches, I went back to
the microsoft office site to check for updates again. I
still get the error message saying it can't check my
computer for updates for various reasons, one being the
possibility that some msp files are missing. So, do I
have everything I need msp-wise, and if I do, why can I
not check for updates?

Thanks