OFFXP: Earlier Office Versions Removed When You Use /J Switch on Command Line (298028)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office XP Professional
  • Microsoft Office XP Small Business
  • Microsoft Office XP Standard
  • Microsoft Office XP Students and Teachers
  • Microsoft Office XP Developer
  • Microsoft Access 2002
  • Microsoft Excel 2002
  • Microsoft FrontPage 2002
  • Microsoft Outlook 2002
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
  • Microsoft Word 2002
This article was previously published under Q298028
For a Microsoft Office 2000 version of this article, see 233496.

SYMPTOMS

When you use the /j switch on the command line to install Microsoft Office XP, all earlier versions of Office are removed, and you are not given the option of keeping them.

CAUSE

Because there is no user interface displayed when you advertise Office by using the /j switch, the default installation of Office is applied. The default installation removes any earlier versions of Office.

RESOLUTION

To prevent the removal of earlier Office programs when you install Office XP by using the /j switch, use a transform to specify which programs from earlier versions to keep. To do this, follow these steps.

NOTE: This method can only be used with the Enterprise edition of Microsoft Office XP.
  1. Start the Custom Installation Wizard (CIW).
  2. In the Remove Previous Versions dialog box, select the Remove the following versions of Microsoft Office applications; Setup does not display the Remove Previous versions panel option.
  3. Double-click any of the Office programs listed, and then clear the check box for any Office program version that you want to keep.
  4. Click Finish.
  5. Quit the CIW.NOTE: These steps outline the minimum items to be covered when you create your transform by using the CIW.

  6. As a member of the Administrators group, run Office Setup and specify the transform on the command line with the /j switch. For example, if your transform is called Custom.mst, the command line is:

    path\setup.exe /jm Edition.msi /t Custom.mst

    where path is the location of your Office source files and the transform, and Edition is the .msi file for your Office XP Edition, for example, Proplus.msi. If the Custom.mst file is not in the same folder as Edition.msi, you must add the path to it, following /t in the preceding command line.
  7. If you have Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1/Service Pack 2, or Internet Explorer 5 and the Windows Desktop Update installed, log on as a user, and then click one of the Office shortcuts on the Programs menu. This completes the Office installation, and your earlier version of Office (as specified in the transform) remains on your computer.

  8. If you do not have the Windows Desktop Update installed, log on as a user, and run then Office Setup by using the following command line:

    path\setup.exe

    NOTE: The preceding steps may replace the shortcuts to your earlier Office version programs that are on the Programs menu.

    For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    292584 OFFXP: Setup Overwrites Start Menu Items from Earlier Versions of Office

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:2/16/2006
Keywords:kbprb KB298028
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