Window XP SP3 problems

I am using a computer with Window XP SP3 and have suddenly had trouble opening my word files in my documents. An error message comes up with microsoft office word that says the command cannot be preformed because a dialog box is open. Click OK and then close open dialog boxes to contine. Behind this error message is a window installer box that says preparing to install. On the left of the screen is a document recovery box. It says to save the files you want to keep. I click OK on the error message, the window installer box stays up for a second and then it all closes. Sometimes it goes back to my documents and sometimes it goes to another screen with microsoft office 2003 asking for the user info. I didn't set up my computer and don't have the cd or product key for the office 2003. All of this started right after the SP3 was installed so I'm not sure if that is a factor or not. Any help would be great. I am pretty new to everything. Thanks so much.
Cheryl

 

Have you tried launching the office setup from add/remove programs and choosing to repair the installation? If the person who set you up left the files it should not need a cd and it should repair the install. Can the application open by itself (ie launching it from the start menu) or do you have the same problem all around. Also if you havent restarted the pc in a while might be a good place to start.

 

Thank you for the advice. I ran the repair on the office 2003 and it said it sucessfully repaired. I then restarted my computer and tried to open a word document and the same error messages and boxes came up. One difference though is that I could see the document for a second before the microsoft office set up box came up. It does open up from the start menu. A friend trying to be helpful said I should uninstall SP3? Would this help or make things worse? Thank you so much for the help.
Cheryl

 

Ok, what happens if you try to open a file from inside word? Does the message come up? If you save a file somewhere (say on your desktop) does the message come up? If not, try opening it from the my documents folder. Does it come up there? Im sorry for asking you to do such silly stuff but it helps me understand where the problem is.

 

Not silly at all. I am so new at this that easy is good for me. I tried opening a word file from the desktop, but the same errors came up. I then tried opening it from within word and it opened fine and there was my file. I thought I would try to open it again in documents (I have to e-mail some of this info for work) and it won't let me open it in my documents. It was such a relief to see my stuff still there. Does this help narrow it down? I was thinking maybe I saved something wrong, but these files were working fine before the latest auto updates. Thank you so much for what you have done already. The panic mode is slowing a little.
Cheryl

 

Have you tried filling out the registration info? Is the product activated? Finally, if you are not using microsoft update i would suggest you get it and make sure office is up to date. Was office preloaded on the pc when you purchased the computer? But it is beginning to sound like sp3 did indeed break it but if you update office there may be a patch to fix the issue.

 

I ran the microsoft update and it updated office so I did the restart and tried to open the files again. I just got the same error message and the microsoft office set up box. I have been working backwards to try to figure exactly when thing started acting up and it was after the SP3 was installed. If I uninstall SP3 would that bring me back to where I was before it was installed? By the way at the same time everything from boot up on started working very very slowly. Would SP3 cause this also? Maybe I am just paranoid and blaming everything on the SP3. Once again thank you for taking the time to help me out.
Cheryl

 

Well that is a good step to remove SP3. Just a question, are you running a registry cleaner? Just DO NOT USE SYSTEM RESTORE TO REMOVE SP3!!! If you do, you will most likely ruin the operating system to the point of needing a reinstall. I ask about reg cleaners because if you are that can be the cause of your trouble.

 

I'm not running a registry cleaner. So I have been reading some other posts on site about others removing SP3. I admit I am a bit nervous about it. It looks like I should remove it through the add/remove programs and if I am lucky it will uninstall it and revert back to SP2 and only have to reinstall some updates. Okay anything special I should do before I hit the button or just cross my fingers? Thanks again for all the help.
Cheryl

 

Nothing should need to be done. Let us know what happens

 

Okay I uninstalled SP3. I didn't have any problems and it went back to SP2. This helped clear up some of the small things that had changed. But I still can't open the files in my documents and I got some e-mails I need for work and when I try to open the attachments with them I get the same error messages. I checked to make sure the SP3 really was gone and I saw that in the microsoft office it still had the SP3 and that I couldn't remove it. I did some checking and I guess if I want to wipe out the SP3 I need to uninstall microsoft office, restart and then install it fresh. Of course I don't have the installation disc, all I have with my computer is a recovery disc and an installation disc for office on note. So I am at the point of wondering if I should try to find office 2003 to buy and reinstall or what. Maybe this is the last item keeping me from opening stuff??????? Any thoughts on doing that? On the happy side I have learned alot about my computer. I learned to turn off the automatic updates and check manually otherwise I would be back where I started. Thanks for the help. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Cheryl

 

No its not sp3 then. You should put it on and keep auto updates on as it keeps your system up to date. But it sure is sounding like a reinstall of office may be in order. Can you get in touch with the people who installed it for you and request a setup disc?

 

I was able to track down the installation disc for office. I uninstalled the one on my computer and reinstalled everything and IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the files I need open up and life is much more mellow now. I almost feel bad I blamed everything on sp3. Thank you for taking the time to help me out so much. I would never have gotten to this happy point without it.
Cheryl

 

Have you installed sp3 again? And glad to hear it helped. I had a feeling that is what it needed but wanted to see if there was a way to fix it without the disc. Just be sure to load sp3 and all office updates as well. You can use microsoft update to do that.