[Davidlaw69]

I recently purchased a new Dell computer and now have a problem installing Word 2003.

I had a Word 2003 upgrade disk and a Microsoft Works 2000 disk. The Word 2003 upgrade disk obviously won't work without an earlier version. But the Works disk won't install because it requires Internet Explorer 5 and I am on version 7, so it automatically shuts down.

Any suggestions?

 

[Papermoon]

Hello
Do you actually have to install Works first?
With many Microsoft products, it will just say it cannot find a qualifying product, and give you the opportunity to browse and locate it. Then just put in the Works disc, browse to the drive and select it, and the install of Word should continue.

 

[Davidlaw69]

I tried that. When it says it cannot find a prior product, it instructs me to place the disk with the prior version in my disk drive. I do that, but then it says that there is an error and cannot continue.

 

[Papermoon]

What is the error message? Is there plenty of hard disk space?

 

[RootbeaR]

Microsoft works isn't a prior version of word. It has a word processing program. Microsoft works came preinstalled on my computer built in August 2005 with IE6 so I don't think you need IE5 to install. Try the first suggestion with the works disc, not the upgrade disc.
An upgrade disc will upgrade from say Microsoft Office Word 2000 to Microsoft Office Word 2003.

 

[Davidlaw69]

The error message I get is "Error 160b. Setup could not locate a version of Microsoft Office 97, 2000 or XP on the selected drive."

Although Microsoft works is not a prior version of word, it includes word 2000 on the first disk.

 

[Papermoon]

Microsoft says the Works 2000 should qualify you for the upgrade, so I am not sure why you would get that error.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/howtobuy/professional.mspx
If installing the disc and pointing the installer to it returns that error, i have a feeling installing it then trying the upgrade would also result in that error.

 

[RootbeaR]

Works does qualify for the update. Are they original discs or copies?
I have read here that polishing the discs with car wax and giving a very thorough buffing helps with reading discs.