need better anti spam program

[mikmik]

This also may be due to Norton AV:

The Norton AntiVirus plug-in for Microsoft Office scans documents for macro virus infections in Office products. This plug-in may cause performance issues, the inability to open files within Office, or the inability to install some Office programs. This article contains the latest information about how to use Office with the Norton AntiVirus Office Plug-in.

Microsoft support

Manually install updates; downloads for the updates are here, that way you don't have to go through the 'Scan for updates' and get the errors:
OfficeXP Updates

I will email you with some info, If you don't get it in you happycards account by the time you read this, it may have bounced again. I have a great tool that may be able to uninstall this and it also handles registry cleaning and more.

[mikmik]

I also happened to run across some references to the problem of having no response to trying to run the CD. One solution was to try the install, or starting it to repair like this:

Pop in your Office CD, and cancel autorun. Open up the Run Dialog (Start>Run), and type in D:\Setup.exe /a (where D: is your CD ROM drive). Setup will launch in “administrative mode“. When prompted, enter a volume license product key,( and then browse for where to run the admin installation ).

Using " D:\Setup.exe /a " (where 'D' is your CD drive) may be enough to get it running, I am not sure. This is more a problem of permissions, ie user doesn't have admin rights to install programs, and for some reason this seems to have happened occasionaly.
It is easy enough to try, anyways.

Look for the email LOL.

[Weedy Lady]

MIKMIK......

Well, I tried the "run programs" that you suggested and still get the same message:

This patch package could not be opened. Verify that the patch package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer patch package.

Since I had to have the original disk inserted when I downloaded the patch in the first place I'm now wondering if somehow the disk itself got corrupted during the process.

I paid a lot of extra money to get this silly thing -- thinking that I would be using Publisher regularly to do special graphics, as I did on my old machine. Found out that Publisher doesn't do what it used to anymore, so I wasted the money just to get word and excel..........when I want to make the graphics I go downstairs and use my old computer, which is now my hubby's game machine.

And so it goes.

Anyway, I know I need to get this fixed and hope that tomorrow Microsoft will help me.

I'm embarrassed by all of the mis spelling and typos that have appeared in my messages. Typing too fast, and being too tired to proof properly!!!

[Weedy Lady]

Well, thanks to all of you once again for your generous help.........AND HERE ARE THE RESULTS:

I called Microsoft today.....One hour and five minutes long distance on my phone bill. So now I'll give all of you the information in case my problem happens to any of you:

Go to the microsoft web site at http://www.microsoft.com and in the search box type 290301
(this is a removal utility)
Then click on the link to the 290301 article, scan down the page, and download the file which removes programs. Click on "open" rather than "save".

You will get a box with various programs listed. You click on the one you need to get rid of -- in my case it was Office XP. It gets rid of it. Hooray.

THEN: Go to C:\Program Files and delete the file: Office Update........there may be two files. I had Office Update and Office Update 11 in my files and was told to delete both of them. Then, try to delete the Microsoft Office file. If it won't let you do this (my computer wouldn't), just rename it. I renamed mine MicrosoftOfficeold_broken so I would know for sure in the future what it is.

THEN, you can take your original disk and reinstall the Office XP program just like day one.

THEN, turn off your anti virus, your firewall, your pop up blocker, and go to the Microsoft Office updates site and get your updates.

THEN run your virus scan to make sure that nothing nasty happened to your computer while you were getting those critical updates.

I guess Bill Gates is so wealthy because he makes us poor slobs pay for the phone calls to get this "free" help.

But............ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

I'm happy and you should all be proud of yourselves for being such kind and caring people.

[mikmik]

http://antivirus.about.com/od/conten...ng/index_a.htm

Another bevey of articles about setting up anti-spam filters - more than you'd ever want to know! LOL

Thanks for the valuable link, weedylady, I am glad it worked out. That is a good link to know about. If any consilation to the phone bill, that is, that is just amazing in itself, Microsoft letting you pay.
I suppose it was in there 'General Knowledge' database, but try finding stuff in there! It is a technicians/home users nightmare, that one.

[Weedy Lady]

"I suppose it was in there 'General Knowledge' database, but try finding stuff in there!"

Actually, after spending quite a bit of time messing around in the general knowledge stuff I did find the page that described the problem of the messed up critical update download. That is the page that said to call Microsoft for help, giving their non-800 number.

My DSL package includes 30 minutes free long distance each month, so I won't have to pay for the entire phone call, and I guess whatever it cost was worth it to solve the problem and get things working as they are supposed to be.

I can see the reasoning behind Microsoft not offering an 800 number to everyone -- it helps eliminate the people who insert their credit card into the "A" drive to make purchases and who use the D drive for a cup holder. Or at least it makes them pay for their gross "unknowledge" of their computers. (How's that for Politically Correct language?)

Your link was interesting. Most of the links were to sites for business solutions, but were interesting to read.

I am glad that I am old and retired!!! (Well, the old part is not so great because try as I might I just can't learn to make Flash movies........and the other stuff I have learned has been a chore, but that's OK.) In the meantime, if I can help a few other people out there I try to do my part. I do design and maintain web sites for non profits in which I am active, as well as my own e cards site.
I'm happy this way.