OFF2000: Windows Installer "Error 1324" When Running Setup

ID: Q237915

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS


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When you run Setup for Microsoft Office 2000, the following error message may appear:
Installing this product requires the Windows Installer. An error occurred when installing or upgrading the Windows Installer.
Also, when you run Instmsi.exe to install the Windows Installer, the following error message may appear:
Error 1324. The folder path '<name of a folder>' contains an invalid character.


CAUSE

These error messages may appear if all of the following are true:

NOTE: You should not be able to create a user name with a forward slash (/), because Windows cannot create a folder in the Windows\Profiles folder (the forward slash is not a valid character for a folder name). Therefore, this may be an indication that the profile is damaged.


WORKAROUND

Follow these steps to work around the problem:

Method 1: Run Setup under a different profile.

If the profile under which you are logged on is corrupted, you may be able to run Setup under a different user profile. If you log on under a different profile and you can install Office, you may need to delete and recreate the problematic profile. Otherwise, you may encounter the same problem when you try to install Office when logged back on under that profile.

For more information about removing an existing user profile, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q156826 How to Disable and Delete User Profiles
NOTE: If you have User Profiles turned on and a per-user Start menu, each user who has an existing profile on Windows 95 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.

For more information about installing Office 2000 with User Profiles turned on, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q233529 OFF2000: All Users Must Run Setup on Windows 95/98 with Profiles
If this method does not resolve the problem, try Method 2.

Method 2: Turn off user profiles before running Setup.

  1. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and click Control Panel. Double-click the Passwords icon.


  2. Click the User Profiles tab. Click All users of this computer use the same preferences and desktop settings.


  3. Click OK. Restart the computer if prompted to do so.


  4. Install Office 2000.


If the installation of Office is successful, you can turn on User Profiles again.

NOTE: If you turn on User Profiles again, you may encounter problems running the Office programs. For information about the additional steps that you must follow before you run Office 2000 programs after you turn on User Profiles, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q234017 OFF2000: Error Starting Programs After Disabling Profiles
Q233529 OFF2000: All Users Must Run Setup on Windows 95/98 with Profiles

Additional query words: OFF2000 


Keywords          : kbdta 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 29, 1999