You receive a "This application must be installed to run" error message when you start an Office 2000 program after you remove Windows 2000 SP1 (269276)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2000
  • Microsoft Access 2000
  • Microsoft FrontPage 2000
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2000
  • Microsoft Publisher 2000
  • Microsoft Word 2000
  • the operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Premium
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Professoinal
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Standard
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Developer
This article was previously published under Q269276

SYMPTOMS

When you restart your computer or you try to start one of the Office programs, you may receive the following error message:
This application must be installed to run. Please run Setup from the location where you originally installed the application.
In addition, if you double-click the Add-Remove Programs icon in Control Panel, the Change button will be unavailable when you select any of the Office programs listed. The only option available is to click Remove.

Also, if you re-run Setup for Office (for example, by using your CD-ROM), the installation does not go into Maintenance mode. Instead, the installation displays the same dialog boxes as if Office had never been installed.

CAUSE

You may experience these symptoms if all of the following are true:
  • You are using Windows 2000.
  • You installed Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 (SP1).
  • Next, you installed Office 2000.
  • Next, you uninstalled Windows 2000 SP1.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start and then click Run.
  2. In the Open box, type a command line similar to the following, and then click OK:

    path\Setup /fv Data1.msi

    where path is the full path to your Office Setup files. For example, this is your CD-ROM drive letter if you installed Office from a CD-ROM.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem is not limited to Office 2000. It can occur with any program that uses the Windows Installer, when you do the following: You install Windows 2000 SP1, install the program that uses the Windows Installer, and then uninstall Windows 2000 SP1.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/13/2006
Keywords:kbtshoot kbuninstall kbstartprogram kberrmsg kbprb KB269276
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