OFF: Can't Remove Office Application Using Office Setup (117636)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Office for Windows 4.0
Microsoft Office for Windows 4.2
Microsoft Office for Windows 4.3
Microsoft Office for Windows 95
Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0
Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows
Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95
Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 4.0
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
Microsoft Word for Windows 95
Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0a

This article was previously published under Q117636

SYMPTOMS

If you install Microsoft Office to your hard disk, and you then install a later version of one of the individual Microsoft Office applications to the directory in which it was installed by the Microsoft Office Setup program, you will not be able to use the Microsoft Office Setup program to remove the application.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because Setup cannot remove a file that it did not install. When you install a stand-alone version of a Microsoft Office program to the same directory in which you installed an earlier version of the program using Microsoft Office Setup, the application's files are updated. Microsoft Office Setup still reports that the application is installed, but you cannot remove the files because they were installed by Setup for the stand-alone program.

WORKAROUND

To update a stand-alone Microsoft Office application, do the following:

Run the Microsoft Office Setup program.
Remove the Microsoft Office application that you are going to update.
Run the Setup program for the stand-alone application. You can install the application to either the Microsoft Office directory for the application (for example, C:\MSOFFICE\EXCEL) or to a new directory (for example C:\EXCEL).

Modification Type:	Minor	Last Reviewed:	8/16/2005
Keywords:	kbprb KB117636