MS Publisher 2000 won't install

Trying to install MS Publisher 2K on machine running WIN98 + Office 97. Keep getting a dialog box with a header reading: "Microsoft Publisher 2000 Installation: Fatal Error".

Within the dialog box is a message that states "Installation ended prematurely because of an error".

I checked Microsoft's website and followed the only relevant directions I could find (for corrupted ODBC DLL files) but no success. I have also reloaded WIN 98 but also no success.

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

 

My best guess (and that is what it is--a guess) is that the installation of Publisher doesn't write enough of the Office 2K shell to tell your OS that it should run both 97 and 2000, if that makes sense. I run both on my machine (incl Publisher in 2000), but I did a full Office install when I set up 2000.

Have you tried just forcing a different installation directory?

If not, can you, without overwriting 97, install more of Office 2000?

 

Not sure what you mean by forcing a different installation directory. I never get a chance to designate a directory since the process shuts down as soon as the error message comes up.

When you say "If not, can you, without overwriting 97, install more of Office 2000?", do you mean to say Office 97 vs. Office 2000? I ask this because I'm running Office 97 (w/ '98 upgrades).

Thanks for your help.

 

You might try this, if you didn't already. click Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring up your task list. Close everything except Explorer and Systray. THEN do your install. Many times there is just too much stuff running in the background for a clean install. Let me know if this helps.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, no luck. I still wind up with the dialog box stating the installation ended prematurely because of an error.

Any other ideas? Thanks much!

 

Okay, if I understand you correctly, you're getting the error right at the beginning of the installation? Sounds to me, as I tried to explain before (not very clearly I guess) that Publisher is looking for other elements of Office 2K before it will install.

When you install Office 2K (the suite, or part of it like Excel or Word) on a machine already running 97, if you choose to customize your install, you get the option to install it to a different directory.

Now, I'm guessing that you have a CD that is just Publisher, with no other Office apps? And that you don't have access to an Office 2K CD? Does the CD not offer you a "customized" installation option?

EDIT: sorry, the list link I had posted here didn't work from outside the MS site. Go to this article, scroll down, and you can get to the list from there.

Also, I'd check out these articles:

OFF2000: "Installation Ended Prematurely Because of an Error" When You Run Office Setup (Q230895)

OFF2000: "Installation Ended Prematurely Because of an Error" Message When Setup Cannot Find IE5 Folder (Q238319)

There's a few others out there, but you should find them in the search list above. One of them is bound to help

 

Also, although it's not your specific error msg,this article lists a bunch of possible troubleshooters, and includes a link to download the latest version of the Windows Installer for 98, which I've found to be a culprit in the past...

 

Thanks for your extensive help. I really appreciate it. Sorry to report nothing has worked.

I am trying to install only Publisher 2K. I run WIN98 with Office 97 (to which I have added the Office 98 update) and IE 6.0. I don't have access to a Win2K or Office 2K CD. The installation process doesn't allow me to force a differrent install directory. In fact the entire process runs very quickly, not even allowing me to click on the cancel button.

I have accomplished all of the fix actions that apply to my configuration, as best I can.

One item that I'm curious about is Microsoft refers to use of IE 5.0 in one of it's fix actions. I am wondering if there is something about IE 6 that conflicts with my configuration, or if perhaps there is a file in IE 5 that is needed (that isn't in the IE 6 ver).

Thanks again for all your help.

 

Hmm... Puzzling. So, you got the new Windows Installer off the last link? Because, really, as fast as it's failing, sounds like that must be part of it. And Win 98 apps don't necessarily use it, though Office 2K (from which Publisher comes, of course) does, and I know that when I first started installing 2K two years ago, I had to go out and replace the installer, i.e. the disc that shipped wouldn't actually install correctly.

Also, what do you mean when you say you have the "98 updates" to Office 97? Do you mean the service packs? Or are you also running Outlook 98 (whose nickname is not Lookout 98 for nothing )?

There are also service packs for IE 6, definitely recommended if you don't have them (I personally refuse to go beyond IE 5.01, and I know a lot of other geeks do too, 6 is just still too buggy).

The only thing I would try beyond what you've done (assuming you got that installer, and installed it (I wonder what installs the installer...)) is uninstalling IE 6, and even 97, to see if you can get Publisher to install. But that's going to take a lot of time. Any way you can test installing it on another machine with a different config to see?

 

Hey, I really apreciate all your help!

1. I did install the latest Windows Installer. Far as I can tell it installed OK.

2. I should clarify. I installed Office 97, including Outlook, then upgraded to Outlook 98. The rest of the Office suite is 97 version. I have installed the service packs for Outlook.

I think at this point I will uninstall IE 6 and revert to 5.01. Couldn't hurt and it might be the culprit. I have to admit I seem to have more problems with internet use since installing IE 6.

Thanks again. I will post back to let you know what happened.