Help, please! Problem with installation of Microsoft Office software

[So_sad]

Hi TheViking,

 

I posted that same link in post #21 :wink:

Mom has sifted through all of it and still gets the 25004 error message. "Something" hasn't been removed probably, and causing any install attempt to fail. Needle in a haystack. Could be hours and hours before we (or anyone) finds it. When trying to fix things like these, especially when the software is buggy to begin with, it's important to know when to stop and consider other alternatives. Open Office seems to be getting the job done, so that's good.

The other option is to reinstall Win7, which takes a bit of time, but virtually garantees results.

 

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[TheViking]

I partly agree with you, but getting rid of an office installation should not be a problem.

Anyway, for MOM I do believe that a reinstallation with os-disk formatting is the best solution.

 

'ave a nice weekend.

[--mom--]

Thank you, all, for all the help and advice!

 

Thank you so much for all the help! My daughter AND the laptop are now gone on their way to Maine for a summer stock job (which is why she needed to buy this new computer and have Word and Excell on it). We think that using all the suggestions we received here and advice found during our research, we removed all the Office 2003 and 2007 we had tried unsuccessfully to install (except for that 'Q' drive').

 

As I said in an earlier post, OpenOffice seems to be everything she needs. I can't thank enough those of you in the forum who suggested that!

 

Hopefully she won't run into any more problems when she's away; but, if she does, she now knows where to come for help! :-)

 

Thank you so much again!!!

 

--mom--

[Melvin_Deal]

Aye!

 

MS has been trying to generate revenue from previously loaded (free) programs for several years. They've just about closed the doors there. Their point of view is that somebody has to pay the fiddler... and the time is now. As always, when you get it free... strings are attached, even 15 years later. Like a drug, You become dependant on the filetype and must use the parent program... and pay up! Truly sad... how few people have become wealthy by squeezing the users! (the many)

 

 

Peace to you and hopes of resolution!

 

Sincerely,

 

-Mel

[So_sad]

Hi there Melvin,

 

I believe the "free" loaded programs you are referring to are "free trials", meaning you can use them for 30/60 days (whatever) for free, then you need to purchase a license to continue. Others like antivirus companies have been doing it for years as well. Companies like Roxio, CyberLink (PowerDVD) and others too.

 

A major problem we've had is getting these things OFF machines cleanly. Uninstallers are often buggy, or just can't do the job completely (or won't, depending on the programmer behind it). I don't think MS are any worse than any other company in this regard, with their Office suite trials. But Office is so big and complex and it seems they have to iron out some new bugs with these new 2010 suites.

 

Factories like Dell, HP, Acer, etc... all make some nice $$ from partnerships with these companies, allowing those trial programs onto their machines. So it's not just Microsoft, but a well greased industry wide practice.

 

When you reinstall a system with recovery disks or partitions, you get all that crap loaded again.

 

Yuck.

 

We have a choice : building our own computers. But that's not possible for many and it does cost a few more bucks.

 

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