Office installation from CD-ROM

I am using a computer that has Office 97 (installed from CD). If I wish to add or remove an individual component, I must insert the CD and double click on the "setup.exe" file. A menu of options then appears onscreen (Add/Remove, Reinstall, Uninstall All, etc.)

I had the CD-ROM in the drive when I accidentally pressed "Reinstall." I cancelled the process and received the message that "Setup was stopped before any files modified."

Now, however, whenever I insert the CD to install or remove a component, it starts right at the beginning to install Office 97 from scratch. It prompts me for my name and organization, CD code, install location, etc. It then generates a new Product serial number.

At this point, I exit setup because I don't want to mess up my current Office programs. But I can't figure out how to get the CD (namely setup.exe) to behave as it did before (where it gave me menu options for my existing Office 97 installation). Instead, it behaves as if Office 97 is not installed at all.

Does anyone know how to remedy this?

I thinkyou'll have to go ahead and give it the info it's asking for. It's should detect the rest of the prgrams and not mess anything up.

You were right, Steve. I gave it the info and it generated a new product serial number (which, I read in the Microsoft Knowledge Base, is normal). It went on with the installation process, but it doesn't overwrite what is already there.

The Office programs I previously installed still load normally, only their splash screens display the new serial number.

Now if I want to add or change an Office component, I place the Office 97 CD-ROM into the drive and it gives me the regular menu options asking me what I want to do - just as it's supposed to. :cool:

I discovered one more thing to do, though, in a situation like this where a new product serial number is generated:

The Help files for each program tell you what was installed with a typical installation and what additional components you can install by inserting the original CD-ROM. (The files are called "What's Installed with Word 97", "... with Access 97," etc. You can get them from the "Help" table of contents for each app.)

If you installed some extra components with the first Office installation, the CD-ROM's setup program will not show these extras as being installed. This is because of the new serial number that was generated. The extras should have a check box beside them to show that they were installed, but according to the CD-ROM, they don't exist on your system because they aren't associated with the new product serial number.

What you have to do then is insert the Office 97 CD-ROM, choose "Add Components" and then check mark the one(s) you installed during the first Office installation. The installation process will complete, but it actually will not overwrite what you have already installed. It simply associates the extra component with the new serial number. That way, the CD-ROM will correctly show what has and has not been installed.

... for the benefit of readers who have or will make the same mistake I did. ;)