Missing file for Microsoft Office installation...

Question

Last December there was a posting about a similar problem that I have, I tried all of the suggestions there to solve the problem, but none worked.   Here's the situation: I ordered Microsoft Office Professtional 2003 pre-installed on my Dell Inspiron 6000 computer. The programs are on the computer, and as near as I can tell, they all work fine. However, periodically (and always when I access a help file), the Microsoft Office installation program begins to run. After it collects information from my computer, it prompts me to insert the Office CD rom that came with my computer. When I do so, it does further processing and then produces the following error message: 'Error 1311: Source file not found: D:\ZF561407.cab. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.'   I searched the Microsoft Knowledgebase for this error message, and it suggests 3 work arounds: Two of them involve making changes to my network (which I do not have), the remaining suggestion is to click the Retry button to force the program to continue. I have tried clicking the Retry button several times, but I am always returned to the error message.   The previous thread suggested making sure there was enough memory on my hard drive (I have plenty), and making sure that my virus protection program was disabled. I have done that, with the same resutl.   Yesterday, I spent a frustrating hour on the phone to Dell Support (90% of the time being on hold), and was transferred to three different people, and was finally transfered to a dead line (at least I assumed it was dead after half an hour with nothing but static on the line).   Microsoft says that they do not provide software support for programs that came pre-installed on the computer, and that I must contact the computer manufacturer.   Do you have any suggestions for what I should try next?

abach · Answer

It would help if we knew what you've tried (from last December post). My experience suggests copying the Office 2003 CD to your hard drive and reinstalling from there. However there are a few steps involved.

Understand that a new PC is imaged, meaning the software is not installed as it would be if you purchased the program and installed it yourself. At times, the image that is used on a new PC can have a problem when a program needs to be reinstalled or repaired.

Removing Office 2003, in reality, does not remove all of Office. You would need to delete all folders and subfolders under Program Files that refer to Microsoft Office 11, then delete registry keys. So, if you've already tried removing and reinstalling, it probably didn't solve your problem.

Let me know what you've tried so far...

walkman memphis · Answer

I found this online http://www.mcse.ms/message1075286.html

Murphette · Answer

Did you ever get a solution regarding this?  I just encountered an 'Error 1311. Source file not found D:\ZF561407.CAB' when trying to do an Outlook Detect & Repair.  I loaded the Dell Office Basic Edition 2003 CD (first time pulling it out of the package), and I encountered this Error.  (Office was loaded by Dell onto our desktop prior to shipment.)  Retry is not successful.  I've had the same problem where S/W vendors want me to contact Dell, and then I have difficulty getting through to Dell support staff.  I tried also clicking on the link provided below for Missing File, but Page Cannot Be Displayed.  System Restore has not proved successful for the problem that led us to Outlook's Detect & Repair (c:\progra~1\mcafeecom\vso\outscan.dll).  Any assistance / input is appreciated.

Denny Denham · Answer

Murphette,

The link in the post above will not open for me. The pertinent part of that thread is:

I found that Dell is using the Enterprise version to run the OEM installs of
the Office 2003 product. So this cab will not exist on most Office CD sets.

If you download and run the msicuu2.exe installer cleanup utility (from
Microsoft), select only the Office product. This eliminates all the regkeys
forjust the Office suite. Then reinstall Office from the packaged CD's.

Takes a little time but eliminates the problem.

The msicuu2.exe file can be downloaded from here. Please post whether this corrects the problem. I posted this information once before and never saw a response from the person who posted the problem.

Denny Denham · Answer

JohnSanDiego, Thanks for the feedback.

JohnSanDiego · Answer

Yea! The 'Windows Install Cleanup' file seems to have done the trick. I was able to sucessfully re-install Microsoft Office without problem, and none of the Office programs keep trying to install Office as they did before whenever I used the Help files. Thanks for your help.

goldnikita · Answer

Hi,

I read through this discussion on the problem with the error message, which I also encountered. I did everything you listed, ran msicuu2.exe, chose only ms office, removed it, reinstalled from the original cd and it says it successfully installed. All of my office programs are running except the original problem, which is ms word. It is still having the same problem and won't load. It just freezes up and I can't shut down my computer normally. Then when rebooted it offers to open ms word in safe mode.

JohnSanDiego · Answer

It sounds as though you have a somewhat different problem than I had. My Office programs all worked fine, from the beginning, it was just that they kept trying to install MS Office (even though it was on my computer). If I let the installation program run, it would eventually tell me that a file was missing from the CD, but if I clicked the 'Cancel' button to stop the attemp to install Office, the individual programs worked fine. It was just annoying to have to continually do that. The clean-up utility program fixed that problem, and I was able to sucessfully re-install Office, and since then everything works fine. The problem you're having with Word, needs another solution. I suggest you start a new message thread here, describe your problem, and see if someone can help. Good luck.

goldnikita · Answer

Hi, Thanks. I think I got it figured out. I also put in a question on the word start-up problem particularly and got an answer.

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Missing file for Microsoft Office installation...

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