OFF: Setup Cannot Locate the Program Files Folder

When you run the Microsoft Office Setup program, the Setup program may fail to identify the Program Files folder on your computer. The Setup program may then attempt to install certain Microsoft Office components (see the "More Information" section) in a folder other than the Program Files folder.

NOTE: This behavior occurs regardless of the type of installation (Typical, Custom, and so on) you perform.

The Microsoft Office Setup program determines the location of the Program Files and Common Files folders by checking the following registry keys:

If these keys contain an incorrect drive letter or path information, Microsoft Office Setup may be unable to install files in the existing Program Files folder.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

For the Microsoft Office Setup program to detect the path to the Program Files folder, you must correct the path in the registry keys. To do this, use the following steps:

1. On the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit and click OK.
3. Double-click the plus sign (+) to the left of the following items in order
   

         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
         SOFTWARE
         Microsoft
         Windows
         CurrentVersion
   						

   
   to open the following registry key:
   

         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
   						

4. In the value pane, note the value to the right of ProgramFilesDir. If the folder name does not exist on your hard disk, proceed to step 5. Otherwise, skip step 5.
5. Click ProgramFilesDir. On the Edit menu, click Modify. In the Value Data box, type the correct path to the Program Files folder (for example, C:\Programs). Then, click OK.
6. In the value pane, look at the value to the right of CommonFilesDir. If the folder name does not exist on your hard disk, proceed to step 7. Otherwise, skip step 7.
7. Click CommonFilesDir. On the Edit menu, click Modify. In the Value Data box, type the correct path to the Common Files folder (for example, C:\Common). Then, click OK.
8. On the Registry menu, click Exit.

Microsoft Office 97

The Microsoft Office 97 components that are automatically installed in the Program Files folder are the following:

Microsoft Excel: Microsoft Word: Microsoft Powerpoint: Data Access: Office Tools: Converters and Filters:

Microsoft Office 95

The Microsoft Office 95 components that are automatically installed in the Program Files folder are the following:

Microsoft Excel: Microsoft Word: Office Tools: Converters, Filters and Data Access:

For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: