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General discussion

Office XP installed on slave drive

Aug 6, 2005 10:48AM PDT

I have Office XP installed on the secondary hard drive in my PC. I had downloaded the Service Pack 2 file, and finally got around to trying to update Office XP. When I tried to install this update through Control
Panel_Add/Remove Programs, the final message came back that the system could not find the expected nstallation. It seems that the system is not looking
past the C:\drive. Is there a way to interrupt this installation procedure or alter it to have the update look for a secondary or slave hard drive? Or am I going to have to uninstall Office XP and reinstall it on the boot drive?

Discussion is locked

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Just noting...
Aug 6, 2005 1:39PM PDT

Microsoft doesn't seem to test 'other than C:' installs too well. I think you should uninstall Office and try again.

Bob

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Office XP reinstalled
Aug 16, 2005 4:47AM PDT

I've now uninstalled Office XP from my slave drive and reinstalled it on my boot drive. Thinking I would have to reactivate it, I tried to do so, but the message came back that it was already activated.

I had ordered the Office XP SP2 CD when it was first available, and now the SP3 file includes prior updates. I downloaded the SP3 file via a fast connection on a Windows XP Pro-equipped laptop, copied it to a CD-RW, and then to my Windows 2000-equipped PC. This download did not, to the best of my knowledge, require the choice of operating system. When I try to install either the SP2 CD or the SP3 file, the message says that the system cannot find the installation. The installation process doesn't have a browse feature that allows one to point to the proper location.

My PC is custom-built, Intel D850MVSE MoBd, 512 MB RDRAM, Intel P4 2 GHz processor, Windows 2000 Pro SP4, 2 60GB Seagate ATA100 hard drives, with (now) all updates installed. CD drives are working properly.

Any ideas?

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Just one.
Aug 16, 2005 5:33AM PDT

That board may let you use some software titled "Intel Accelerator" which I run aground (dead in the water) and had to remove to get the machine going again.

Another issue could be you have some OEM Office and the SP CD is not for your version. Another oddity I've encountered that appears to only be cured by pestering the OEM supplier for the patches.


Bob

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More info
Aug 16, 2005 6:02AM PDT

I do have the Intel Application Accelerator installed, and as I recall it had to be installed early in order for something I can't recall without looking it up to be effective. It may also be one of the requirements for using hard drives over 127GB with Windows 2000 SP4 (I plan to replace the older 60's with 160's soon). But I can uninstall it to try.

Secondly, the Office XP Pro version I have is a retail package, but purchased at employee prices through a family member who then worked for Microsoft. So it's a Not for Resale package, but not OEM, as in supplied with the PC. It didn't come with the PC--no software did, since the PC was assembled using my specifications.

Maybe I'll have to get Microsoft involved in this one.

If you have any additional suggestions, I'll welcome them.

Thanks, Bob.

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Bingo. A NFR.
Aug 16, 2005 6:08AM PDT

I've run into that with NFRs. One of my old NT 4 Server packages was a NFR and the stories....

But back to reality. The Intel Accelerator is not required on my systems for over 127GB Windows 2000 support. -> YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS NEXT WEB SITE!!!

-> http://www.48bitlba.com has everything I use to get Windows 2000 running proper with my 250GB hard disk.

Cheers,

Bob

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NFR Solution?
Aug 16, 2005 6:31AM PDT

Bob, you're so good at what you do for us. Thanks for the link re: 48 bit LBA. I had collected some links to help me on this issue when the time came, but I hadn't seen the one you provided.

Regarding the NFR version of Office XP Pro, is there a solution? Microsoft Update detects the deficiencies in my installation (the need for the updates), but the install procedure can't find the installation. Does Microsoft have a workaround that you know of?

Thanks again.

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The last time I ran into this...
Aug 16, 2005 6:45AM PDT

Microsoft calls NFRs "demos". They don't offer any support for the products. I wish I had better news but hope you paid as much as I did for NFRs. (zero).

My word is not final on this one but I don't hold much hope for it.

Bob

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Re: The last time I ran into this...
Aug 16, 2005 7:32AM PDT

That's not good news. The version I have is identical to the package I was then looking at in retail stores. It just has a Not for Resale sticker attached to it, and likely the product key is matched with the fact that it was provided through an employee. But I did pay about 10% of retail for it.

I'll try using one of my two unused support calls to see if MS will help. If not, maybe there's a tweak out there somewhere that will allow the updates to install. All of the software works as I need it to, so the updates aren't necessarily mandatory.

Thanks again, Bob.

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All is well
Aug 17, 2005 5:39PM PDT

The closing words of the pioneer hymn "Come, Come Ye Saints" are appropriate--All is Well.

For some unknown reason, different error messages have popped up when I have tried different solutions. Last night the message was "Insert the Microsoft Office XP Setup Disk." I did so, then went through the Add/Remove Programs procedure by accessing the 57.5 MB SP3 file I had stored in a download directory, and the installation of SP3 completed without a hitch. Curious, though--I watched the CD drive throughout the process, and it was never accessed during the installation.

My NFR is updated, and now several more Office XP updates are shown as available through Microsoft Update, as I expected they would be.

Will wonders never cease?

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Do yourself a favor and...
Aug 17, 2005 11:55PM PDT

Find that SP3 udpate file and put it on a CDR (more than once and more than one CDR) then put the CDR in the Office package for the future.

Here's why.

Microsoft does change files at the update servers from time to time so what works today may be gone tomorrow.

Bob

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Thanks.
Aug 18, 2005 2:29AM PDT

As usual, your great advice is appreciated. I'll burn at least two copies, along with the other update files still waiting after the SP3 update.

Thanks for your help on this. Now if I can solve the notebook problem I have going in the Windows XP forum.

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This one?
Aug 18, 2005 2:42AM PDT
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Re: This one?
Aug 18, 2005 3:48AM PDT

My apologies. My son's notebook is not booting properly, and I intended to (but have not yet) ask(ed) for help in the Windows XP forum. I'll get to that Friday night.

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NFR vs. demo
Aug 21, 2005 12:34PM PDT

My nephew, through whom I secured Office XP, works for a former Microsoft division that was acquired. Most of the people in his office are also former MS employees. This is what he told me about the Office XP Pro package:

"I 'put a feeler' out about this to see if others in the office have gone through this already. I haven't heard anything back yet that has confirmed any software problems that are related to the "Not for Resale" issue. You didn't buy a different version of the product or the software - it's the exact same thing that is sold at retailers - just with an extra sticker on the box, so I don't know how that could make a difference with any upgrades or service packs."

Just add'l info, Bob, not a rebuttal. Your "demo" reference may well be to a different type of "Not for Resale" package. These were just stickered that way to prevent the employees from capitalizing on the value. It's my belief that the software I was able to get is the full retail package. This includes operating systems, office suites, Front Page, Publisher, Picture It Digital, etc. The Office XP package is the only one I installed on other than a boot drive, and that's likely why I had the problem.

Thanks again for pointing that out.

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Then vs. now issue is likely.
Aug 21, 2005 10:20PM PDT

My NFRs are from 6 years ago and at that time were different. I haven't compared what they are doing today since I have no NFR to compare.

It makes perfect sense that MS moved away from the crippler NFR since part of the reason is to get free expert usage of the product. If there is a bug, you don't want it to be just on the NFR or Retail. It doubles the branches of software you have to maintain and debug.

"I only changed one line of code."
bob