update problems

[scott-pwfb]

I keep getting prompted to update MS Office. Each time I download the
update and try to install it, I get the following error message.

"The installer could not locate the correct version of the software
required to install this update. See the Read Me file included with
this installer to determine if your software meets the requirments for
this update".

I check out the Read Me file and see nothing to help me. As info, I am
using Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage. According to Word, I am
using Version 11.1 (040910).

I am using Office 2004 for MAC.

Any ideas or suggestions on how to get my updates would be much
appreciated.

Thanks, Scott

 

[Michel Bintener]

What happens when you manually download the latest update (11.2.3) from
Mactopia?

<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx?pid=download&location=/mac/down
load/office2004/Office2004_11.2.3.xml&secid=4&ssid=29&flgnosysreq=True>

This update is a cumulative update, meaning that it will update all previous
versions of Office 2004. See if that solves the problem. Also, before you
run the updater, make sure you have quit all Office applications.

Michel

 

[scott-pwfb]

Thanks for the reply Michael. Unfortunately, the same result as
originally posted :-( I did follow your directions exactly.

Thanks, Scott

 

[Michel Bintener]

Hmm, strange. If you have the time and patience, you might want to consider
removing and reinstalling Office. Use the Remove Office tool which you can
find in Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Additional Tools/Remove Office,
and after that, reinstall Office. Now launch Microsoft AutoUpdate (in your
Applications folder) and check for updates a number of times, until all the
available updates have been found. This should do the job, normally.

A number of things to consider:

* by all means, use the Remove Office tool. Deleting Office by dragging its
folder into the trash will NOT do.

* removing Office will leave your data (Office files and Entourage data)
untouched. No need to worry, unless you clearly specify during the removal
that you want to remove them as well. That option is unchecked by default,
so no danger there. Make sure you read everything onscreen when removing
Office.

* make sure you have a working Office 2004 CD and a working registration
code before removing the old version. It's common sense, but I just thought
I should underline that fact.

Anyway, good luck with the reinstall, should you decide to do it, and do let
us know if it solved your problems.

Michel

 

[scott-pwfb]

"make sure you have a working Office 2004 CD and a working registration
code before removing the old version"

Thanks again Michel. Actually, above would be a problem. I have the
original CD, but, I am out of registration codes. We bought the
educational version (wife is a teacher) and it came with 3 codes,
which, we have exhausted. How do I get more?

Thanks, Scott

 

[Mickey Stevens]

As long as there is a CD key you haven't used to install the software on
another machine, you can use that to install the software here. CD keys are
not locked to a particular machine and can be used multiple times so long as
you uninstall the software from one machine before using the key to install
on another machine.

If the software is already installed on three machines, you'll need to get
another copy of Office.

 

[scott-pwfb]

Thanks Mickey. This version of Office came with 3 keys, and yes, it is
loaded on 3 different machines, on eof which is the problem (won't
update) machine. So I just can't buy another key, a.k.a. "key"? I would
think that would be less expensive than buying the software all over
again.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Thanks Mickey. This version of Office came with 3 keys, and yes, it is
loaded on 3 different machines, on eof which is the problem (won't
update) machine. So I just can't buy another key, a.k.a. "key"? I would
think that would be less expensive than buying the software all over
again.

Actually, the student/teacher version is cheaper than buying the
standalone one.

But you don't need to buy another one. If you've only got Office on 3
machines, you should be able to use all three keys. If you've
inadvertently used one key twice, you can remove and replace it with the
technique here:

http://www.mcgimpsey.com/macoffice/office/pid.html

Keys don't get used up - they just can't be used on more machines, at
any particular time, than the license allows.