OFF2000: Error 1324 When You Run Setup on Windows NT 4.0 (247366)


The information in this article applies to:

  • the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Premium
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Professoinal
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Standard
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Developer
  • Microsoft Access 2000
  • Microsoft Excel 2000
  • Microsoft FrontPage 2000
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2000
  • Microsoft Word 2000
This article was previously published under Q247366

SYMPTOMS

WARNING:This information is preliminary and has not been confirmed or tested by Microsoft. Use only with discretion. When you run Setup for Microsoft Office 2000, you may receive the following error message:
Installing this product requires the Windows Installer. An error occurred when installing or upgrading the Windows Installer.
Also, when you run the Instmsiw.exe file to install Windows Installer, you may receive the following error message:
Error 1324. The folder path System32/ contains an invalid character.

CAUSE

You may receive these error messages if both of the following are true:
  • Your computer is running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. -and-

  • One of the following conditions is true:

    • A program called "Windows on Wall Street" is installed on your computer.-or-
    • Your profile contains a slash (/) character in the name (for example, Jones/Smith).
NOTE: You should not be able to create a user name with a forward slash (/), because Windows cannot create a folder in the Winnt\Profiles folder (the forward slash is not a valid character for a folder name). Therefore, this may be an indication that the profile is damaged.

WORKAROUND

If the profile under which you are logged on is damaged, you may be able to run Setup under a different user profile. If you log on under a different profile and you can install Office, you may need to delete and recreate the problematic profile. Otherwise, you may encounter the same problem when you try to install Office when logged back on under that profile.

Please consult your Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 documentation for more information about user profiles.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/13/2006
Keywords:kbprb KB247366
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