You receive a "Microsoft <Application Name> cannot load the Microsoft Office shared libraries" error when starting any Office for Mac 2004 applications

When you try to start a Microsoft Office for Mac program, the program does not start, and you receive the following error message:





Or

Example of last error details might include the following:

This problem may occur if the office applications have been duplicated or moved.  

The shared Library error which includes a reference to CarbonLib may be an indication that the CarbonLib file in Mac OS X is damaged or corrupted.

METHOD 1

Step 1: Quit all programs and close all windows

You must quit all programs before you proceed performing steps in this article. To close a program, select the program on the toolbar (top), and then select Quit. If you cannot quit a program or do not know how, hold down the Command and Option keys, and then press Esc on your keyboard. Select the program in the "Force Quit Application" window, and then select Force Quit. Click Force Quit to quit the program.

Note You cannot quit Finder.

When you are finished, click the red button in the upper-left corner.



Step 2: Locate missing application

1. On the Finder, click File then select Find.
2. Next to, “Kind” click on, “Any” and choose, “Application”
3. In the spotlight plug-in field in the search window type in the name of the missing application, i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Entourage.
4. Note the results – if the missing application is in the results then click on it and note the path at the bottom of this window.
5. Browse to that location and move the application to the Desktop.
6. Now move the application from the Desktop to HD\Applications\Microsoft Office 2004
7. Launch the application
8. Repeat steps 1 – 7 for any other missing Office 2004 applications.
9. If you find duplicate copies of any of the applications remove the duplicates or remove the duplicate Microsoft Office 2004 folder that contains the Office 2004 applications and support files. Empty the trash after confirming that there are no wanted files in there.

If the problem continues to occur, proceed to the next Method.

METHOD 2

The damaged CarbonLib file belongs to the Mac Operating System. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:


Note Apple Technical Support has requested that you take these steps before you telephone for support. Apple Technical Support can be contacted at 1-800-767-2775.

For more information about how to use Disk Utility and fsck to resolve startup issues or perform disk maintenance, visit the following Apple Web site:For more information about the Archive and Install feature, visit the following Apple Web site: For more information about how to troubleshoot a software issue, visit the following Apple Website: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.