Error Returned If You Don't Restart Windows After Setup

ID: Q110372

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a
Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, version 4.0
Microsoft Project for Windows, version 4.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
Microsoft Works for Windows, version 3.0
Microsoft Office for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.2

SYMPTOMS

If you choose not to restart Windows after you install one of the applications listed above, you receive the following error message:

   Setup is not yet complete. You need to exit Windows and run the
   following application from DOS and then restart Windows:

      C:\WINDOWS\_MSRSTRT.EXE

   After restarting Windows, Setup will be complete.

CAUSE

During the setup program, _MSRSTRT.EXE runs a file called _MSSETUP.BAT, deletes the _MSSETUP.BAT file, deletes itself, and then restarts Windows. If you choose not to restart Windows, this procedure is left undone.

WORKAROUND

When you receive this error message, you should exit Microsoft Windows at the next available opportunity and run the _MSRSTRT.EXE application which is located in your Windows directory.

Note that the file _MSRSTRT.EXE is created by the Setup program and is not on any of the original disks.

MORE INFORMATION

The _MSRSTRT.EXE application is designed to replace/remove components of the application you are installing that may be in use by the operating system. Components that are in use by Microsoft Windows cannot be replaced or removed during the current Microsoft Windows session: therefore, it is necessary to exit Microsoft Windows to accomplish this task. When you run the _MSRSTRT.EXE application from MS-DOS, the proper components are replaced/removed and the setup process is completed.

Restart can be caused by:

Replacing files marked "system" in the INF when that file is in use by another application/Windows.
Installing TTF files when TTF Control Panel flag is disabled.
Installing VSHARE.386
CustomAction performing restart for some reason.

_MSSETUP.BAT is created during the setup procedure. The batch file deletes the temporary directory, ~msstfqf.f, that Setup used to install the application. It also loads the Share program, or VSHARE.386 if it is not loaded already.

_MSSETUP.BAT is a text file and can be opened in any text editor.

There is no pratical ways to disable the restart operation, but with another application you can force an abort of this process by handling the WM_QUERYENDSESSION message and dismissing the Setup dialogs to follow.

For more information about the Share program, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   vshare.386 and share.exe and setup

Additional query words: install winppt kbsetup acme acmsetup fails successful successfully incomplete macppt officeinterop w4woffice

Keywords          : kberrmsg kbsetup
Version           : 1.00
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: May 5, 1998