An "Application must be installed" error message occurs when you start an Office programs

When you start an Office program, you receive the following error message.

Office 2000

Office XP

In this error message, Office program is the Office XP program that you started.

Note You cannot install Office XP on Microsoft Windows 95. All references to Windows 95 in this article apply only to Office 2000.

In addition, when you try to start Office Maintenance Mode Setup in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel, you receive the following error message:

These error messages can occur if all of the following conditions are true:

• You are using Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows 95.
• You have Profiles turned on.
• The Start menu is not being shared by all users. This means that the Include Start menu and Program groups in user settings option is selected on the User Profiles tab of the Passwords Properties dialog box.
• You have not run Setup for Office.

To resolve this problem, run Setup for Office.

In this configuration, each user who has an existing profile on Windows Me or Windows 98 must run Setup for Office. The only users who do not have to run Setup are those who do not have an existing profile on the computer. When they log on for the first time, the default user profile is copied into their profile. This default user profile includes all of the registry information and shortcuts necessary to start Office programs.

The first user who runs Setup in the configuration sets the installation location for Office. Any subsequent user cannot change this location, even if the user performs a custom installation. Also, the time required to install Office for second and subsequent users is substantially less than the time required for the first user, assuming that comparable features are installed. This is because Setup does not recopy any files that are already installed.

If you are the second user or a later user who is running Setup in this configuration, you can select a different set of Office features than other users can. If you do, you see a different set of Office shortcuts on the Programs menu. This is because the Start menu is set to per-user. You selected the Include Start menu and Program groups in user settings check box on the User Profiles tab of the Password Properties dialog box.

If you have Profiles selected, but the Start menu is being shared by all users of the computer, you only have to install Office once. This configuration is selected if the Include Start menu and Program groups in user settings check box is cleared on the User Profiles tab of the Passwords Properties dialog box.