OFF2000: Error Message: "Help Requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or Greater" When You Start Help

In any of the Microsoft Office 2000 programs or Microsoft Project 2000, if you ask the Office Assistant for help and click any of the Help topics, the following error message appears:

This problem occurs if both of the following conditions are true:

• Your operating system is Microsoft Windows 2000.
  
  -and-
  
  
• You downloaded and installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 1 from the Web between Thursday, July 6, 2000 and Tuesday, July 11, 2000.
  

To be able to access the Help topics without receiving the error message described in the "Symptoms" section, use one of the resolutions in this section.

Resolution 1: Install Critical Update, July 14, 2000

Microsoft has released an update to correct this problem. The update is available at the following Microsoft web site:

Resolution 2: Install Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or Later

You can resolve this problem by installing Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later. For more information about the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer, visit the following Microsoft Web page, and follow the instruction on the page:

Resolution 3: Modify the Registry

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Close all Office programs.
2. On the Windows Start menu, click Run.
3. In the Open box, type Regedit, and then click OK.
4. In Registry Editor, select the following subkey (folder):
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
5. In the right pane, select the Build string value.
6. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 53103.1000 and then click OK.
8. On the Registry menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.

Microsoft Office Help should now function correctly.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 1 downloaded from the Web between Thursday, July 6 and Tuesday, July 11, 2000.

This problem was resolved for Internet Explorer 5.01 SP1 downloads from the Web on July 12, 2000. If you downloaded Internet Explorer 5.01 SP1 on July 12, 2000 or later, your computer is not affected by this issue. If you do not know when you downloaded Internet Explorer 5.01 SP1, Microsoft recommends that you apply Critical Update, July 14, 2000.