Office 2008 won't launch!!! :-(

[snipsnapsnut]

I have MS Office 2004 installed on a G5 Power PC single 1.8 with 2GB SDRAM and 100Gb free space. Trying to install the 2008 Home & Student version. The installation process goes OK, but when I then try to launch any app (Entourage or Word), they hang and I eventuall get the spinning pizza wheel.

I have now tried several times doing it differently each time. I.e. I have removed the 2004 installation, or NOT removed it. I have optimized the new database (the one 2008 imported from 2004) before launch, but no go.

I have of course done the usual stuff: cronscripts, permissions, etc.

Can someone please suggest what the problem might be?

TIA

 

[John McGhie]

Yep: I suspect the problem is either:

* Your Entourage Database,

* Your Fonts, or

* Your Preferences.

A large Entourage database can take a couple of hours to convert. It should
do that on first-run of Entourage, however, not at installation.

I would re-name and move your Microsoft User Data folder, and try again.

If that doesn't fix it, look here:
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/TroubleshootingIndex.html

Try the suggestions for removing your Preferences, and for debugging your
fonts.

Hope this helps

I have MS Office 2004 installed on a G5 Power PC single 1.8 with 2GB SDRAM
and 100Gb free space. Trying to install the 2008 Home & Student version. The
installation process goes OK, but when I then try to launch any app (Entourage
or Word), they hang and I eventuall get the spinning pizza wheel.

I have now tried several times doing it differently each time. I.e. I have
removed the 2004 installation, or NOT removed it. I have optimized the new
database (the one 2008 imported from 2004) before launch, but no go.

I have of course done the usual stuff: cronscripts, permissions, etc.

Can someone please suggest what the problem might be?

TIA

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[snipsnapsnut]

Thanks John,

However, I have also tried a clean install, i.e. taking out ALL Microsoft preferences (the entire folder), deleted entire MS Office 2004, etc (of course, additionally running cron scripts), but no go.

The database is about 450Mb and it took 1-2 minutes to convert to 2008.

I have spent 5-6 hours this far, testing everything I can think of. Sigh... The only thing remaining before I give up for now is to disable all fonts.

Cheers

 

[snipsnapsnut]

No, no go after repairing fonts with font doctor and just having a dozen activated. :-(

 

[snipsnapsnut]

I'm bumping this.
No suggestions?

 

[John McGhie]

Nothing you really want to do

An "Archive and Install" of the Operating System will get it going for you.
But I was rather hoping Curt might have a better idea....

Cheers

I'm bumping this.
No suggestions?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[John McGhie]

See if this could be it:

Remove or rename ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Word Settings (10).


Apparently, there are settings possible in Word X's preferences that will
crash Word 2008 if it tries to import them.

Hope this helps

I'm bumping this.
No suggestions?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[snipsnapsnut]

Hi John,

Thanks for suggestion. I tested but no go (btw: I didn't have file "Word Settings" but "Office Settings").

Apparently, MS will do something about this:

If I may continue complain: I'm pretty baffled that MS aren't even qualified to create a working installation process. But OTH, this forum is also an enigma, I have to sign in each time, not getting reply notifications, etc. The only reason I bought new Office was for Entourage. Otherwise, I would have used e.g. Open Office. Pardon the rant. I'm just so frustrared and upset by the general incompetence of MS (yes, I have a PC/Win too, and sick of it).

 

[John McGhie]

Yes, Microsoft will indeed do something about this. When they know what
"this" is

Currently, yours is the only report they have of your exact situation, and
there's not sufficient detail for them to be able to replicate the issue.

Why, we don't even know your name The website wants you to log in so
that idiots can't impersonate you when posting. You can always access the
group using a newsreader such as the one built in to Entourage, which is the
way the regulars come in

All I can say is that if there are no Word X preferences on your system,
then this is possibly a bad template. There can be many Normal template
files on the system, the trick is to find and remove them all.

Once you have gotten rid of them, Word 2008 should create a fresh new clean
one, and all should be OK. If there's an old one left anywhere (and they
will NOT be removed by the Remove Office or re-install process, they are
user content which must be preserved...) Word 2008 will copy them instead of
making a new one.

You need to be very careful of Windows .dotx templates. They can contain
all manner of things that will produce severe indigestion in Word 2008. For
example, just "opening" a Word 2008 .docx in some other application on the
Mac will write a resource fork into the bundle, and after that. It's cactus


Hope this helps

Hi John,

Thanks for suggestion. I tested but no go (btw: I didn't have file "Word
Settings" but "Office Settings").

Apparently, MS will do something about this:

If I may continue complain: I'm pretty baffled that MS aren't even qualified
to create a working installation process. But OTH, this forum is also an
enigma, I have to sign in each time, not getting reply notifications, etc. The
only reason I bought new Office was for Entourage. Otherwise, I would have
used e.g. Open Office. Pardon the rant. I'm just so frustrared and upset by
the general incompetence of MS (yes, I have a PC/Win too, and sick of it).

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Diane Ross]

If I may continue complain: I'm pretty baffled that MS aren't even qualified
to create a working installation process. But OTH, this forum is also an
enigma, I have to sign in each time, not getting reply notifications, etc. The
only reason I bought new Office was for Entourage. Otherwise, I would have
used e.g. Open Office. Pardon the rant. I'm just so frustrared and upset by
the general incompetence of MS (yes, I have a PC/Win too, and sick of it).

Forget the damned interface and use Entourage's newsreader to view the
messages.

How to subscribe to the Microsoft Entourage newsgroup

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/support_options/subnews.html>