You receive an "Error 2894. Setup cannot load Riched20.dll" message during Office XP installation

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This article was previously published under Q290234

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SYMPTOMS

When you install Office XP, you may receive the following error message:

Error 2894. Info. 2894. Setup cannot load Riched20.dll. Contact Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) for assistance.

When you click OK, Setup terminates.

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The error message can appear if an incorrect or damaged version of the Riched20.dll file is on your computer, or the Riched20.dll file is missing from your computer.

This error message also can occur if your computer is infected with the Nimda virus (W32.Nimda.A@mm).

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

308357 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308357/EN-US/ ) OFF: Setup Error 2889 Caused by Nimda Virus Infection

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

If you have a copy of Riched20.dll on your computer, locate and rename this file to Riched20.old. Then proceed to step 2. Otherwise, begin with step 2.
In Windows Explorer, click the Office XP CD.
If your computer is running Microsoft Windows 98, double-click Instmsi.exe. If your computer is running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or Microsoft Windows 2000, double-click Instmsiw.exe.
A prompt appears, stating that the Windows Installer is being updated, and you must restart your system.
Run Setup for Office.

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MORE INFORMATION

The Windows Installer that is included Office XP installs a version (5.30.11.2410) of Riched20.dll that is more recent than the version that is included with Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0. If this file is replaced by another program or is deleted, you may receive the error message described in the "Symptoms" section of this article when you install Office.

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REFERENCES

For more articles about how to troubleshoot specific errors in Office Setup:

Click here to view a list of Windows Installer Errors for Office XP articles (http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?catalog=lcid%3d1033&spid=global&query=xlwinsetup%2band%2bkberrmsg&adv=&mode=s&cat=false)

For more articles with general information about how to troubleshoot Office errors:

Click here to view a list of Office XP Troubleshooting articles (http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?catalog=lcid%3d1033&spid=global&query=kbdtatshoot&adv=&mode=s&cat=false)

For more articles about troubleshooting Setup issues with Office XP:

Click here to view a list of Troubleshooting Installation of Office XP: Pick Your Operating System articles (http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?catalog=lcid%3d1033&spid=914&query=officexpsetupdwts&adv=&mode=s&cat=false)

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