Office update via website no longer works

[Larry Aubin]

Help,

All of a sudden I can't get the Office Update website to
work.

EVERY time I try it only gets to 40% then I get the
following error.

Error! Unable to check for updates on this computer

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.

Does anyone know or have a quick answer as to whats
wrong? This started about a month ago.

Thanks,

Larry Aubin

 

[DCOM]

Help,

Does anyone know or have a quick answer as to whats
wrong? This started about a month ago.

Many of us are are in the exact same boat.

 

[Donna]

Hi Larry,
The same thing is happening to me. I m new at all this but it seems a lot of people have this same problem according to this Discussion. I can not update or upgrade anything. If you find out how to correct this problem please let me know?

In Distress
Donna
----- Larry Aubin wrote: -----

Help,

All of a sudden I can't get the Office Update website to
work.

EVERY time I try it only gets to 40% then I get the
following error.

Error! Unable to check for updates on this computer

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.

Does anyone know or have a quick answer as to whats
wrong? This started about a month ago.

Thanks,

Larry Aubin

 

[Larry]

Hi DCOM, Donna,

Thanks for responding.

OK. That's what I wanted to hear. At least it isn't
something that WE did I think.

I believe it started somewhere around when they re-
designed the website with the Office 2003 theme and
content. They must have changed something for Office 2003
and that broke it for a lot of us.

Has anyone received an official post as to when/if they
will check this or correct this?

-----Original Message-----
Hi Larry,
The same thing is happening to me. I m new at all this

but it seems a lot of people have this same problem
according to this Discussion. I can not update or
upgrade anything. If you find out how to correct this
problem please let me know?

 

[eshuis]

-----Original Message-----
Help,

All of a sudden I can't get the Office Update website to
work.

EVERY time I try it only gets to 40% then I get the
following error.

Error! Unable to check for updates on this computer

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.

Does anyone know or have a quick answer as to whats
wrong? This started about a month ago.

Thanks,

Larry Aubin
.
Hi,

This is maybe a strange request- but did you get an
answer that I can maybe use too. I've tried everything,
and so I came here on this page and found you, who had
the same problem. Hope to get an answer.
Thanks in advance.
Lotte

 

[xfile]

Many of us are still waiting for possible solutions.

However, let's try to ID issues by ourselves if we can.

I am having the same problem for the second systems which is upgraded from
Office XP.

On the other hand, the new system for which is the reason why I bought
Office 2003 and has a clean installation does not have the same problem.

Also my old system experienced a crash and has been recovered before the
upgrade is being done.

So I don't know if any of these may have anything to do with it.

How about the rest of you?

Were you done by a clean installation or upgraded from previous version?

Any major system problem before or after Office is being installed?

 

[xfile]

By the way, even automated update cannot work, one can still go to download
catalog for manually download and install add-in and updates.
At least, that's what I am doing at this time.

 

[Ron]

I also have this problem I wondered if it was around
using the SP2 update. Surely someone at Microsoft is
aware of this issue by now?

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Yes, they are.

If you are having a problem with the update site not finishing the detection
phase, try the following:

1. Deleting IE Cache.

In cases where the temporary Internet explorer cache folder is running out
of allotted space, you may be not be able to download the Office Update
control. You can free up space by deleting the Temporary Internet Files
cache using the "Delete Files" button in the "General" tab under "Tools |
Internet options" menu.

2. Check IE's security settings.

Ensure that your IE browser allows / prompts registering of signed Active X
controls. Follow the steps below to add http://office.microsoft.com to the
list of Trusted Sites so that the Office Update ActiveX control can load
successfully.

1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options and then click the
Security tab.
2. In the list of Web content zones, click the Trusted sites icon.
3. Click Sites.
4. Clear the Require Server verification (https) for all sites in this
zone check box .
5. In the Add this Website to the zone box, enter the Internet address
http://office.microsoft.com.
6. Click Add.
7. Click OK, and then click OK again.

3. Deleting Office Update detection folder.

Also try deleting the C:\Program Files\OfficeUpdate11 folder which contains
the detection catalog and downloaded patch files used by the site.


4. Deleting ActiveX control.

The Office Update ActiveX control can get into a bad state in certain
conditions and should be reinstalled. First close IE. Then delete the file
c:\Windows\opuc.dll for Windows 9X and Windows XP and c:\Winnt\opuc.dll for
Windows 2000.

Try going back to http://office.microsoft.com/OfficeUpdate/ to perform
detection again. If it still fails, follow the steps below.


5. Temporarily turn off Personal Firewall, Download Manager, Pop-up
blockers and Web Acceleration products

If there are Personal Firewall, Download Manager, Pop-up blockers, or Web
Accelerator products installed, temporarily turn off these products and try
detection again. Popular products include:

· Get Right (Download Manager)
· Download Accelerator
· Zone Labs (Personal Firewall)
· Norton Personal Firewall
· McAfee Personal firewall

 

[Hans-Dieter Dolling]

Hi Larry,

I think *this* is the soulution of the problem:

1. Check the version of your windows installer %windir%\sytem32\msiexec.exe
the version must 2.0 or later.
The best is to download the latest and then install it.

2. Read and do what Brain has written:

=========================================================
I think you'll find this will be the answer.

The essence of the problem is probably that the registry still has the
installer entries for Office XP as originally installed. What you need to do
is delete the first of those registry items
to fool the system into thinking that Office XP is not installed. When you
then install it again, it should keep all of the original settings.

Click Start/Run then type Regedit and click OK.

1) Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products and locate the product name
(in the right hand panel) There is an entry for every product called
ProductName.
2) Rename the product id key (the long string of numbers in the left-hand
panel) to something starting with an underscore (in case anything goes wrong
and you need to reinstate it).
3) Reinstall the product and download/install the updates.

There should be no need to reboot the PC.

Brian
=======================================================
The original message is in microsoft.public.office.setup

I hope this is helpfull, but you'll do it on your own risk.

Dieter
PS: Sorry for my plain english.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Susan. Tried all that. Still cannot get it to work. Any more
ideas?
The update tries to access the floppy disk drive at 57% is this
normal. I do not remember this happening before I ugraded 2000 to xp

 

[Hans-Dieter Dolling]

Hi Ron,

please read my message also in this threat.

Dieter

 

[ozsmiffy]

Once again, Hans' solution worked for me and I can now run office update on computer, after many frustrating hours searching for a solution!! Many thanks again

Cheers, Ly

----- Hans-Dieter Dolling wrote: ----

Hi Larry

I think *this* is the soulution of the problem

1. Check the version of your windows installer %windir%\sytem32\msiexec.ex
the version must 2.0 or later
The best is to download the latest and then install it

2. Read and do what Brain has written

========================================================
I think you'll find this will be the answer

The essence of the problem is probably that the registry still has th
installer entries for Office XP as originally installed. What you need to d
is delete the first of those registry item
to fool the system into thinking that Office XP is not installed. When yo
then install it again, it should keep all of the original settings

Click Start/Run then type Regedit and click OK

1) Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products and locate the product nam
(in the right hand panel) There is an entry for every product calle
ProductName
2) Rename the product id key (the long string of numbers in the left-han
panel) to something starting with an underscore (in case anything goes wron
and you need to reinstate it)
3) Reinstall the product and download/install the updates

There should be no need to reboot the PC

Bria
======================================================
The original message is in microsoft.public.office.setu

I hope this is helpfull, but you'll do it on your own risk

Diete
PS: Sorry for my plain english

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Larry,

Could you tell me if your system had been upgraded from Windows 95 or 98 to
Windows XP before the Windows Update problem started?