ChatGPT solved installation failure of older Office 2010 on Win 11

[philalethes]

ChatGPT can really help you figure out things that would have taken hours of frustration on your own...frankly I would have given up long ago. But here's my tale...which may help you.

I have legit 50 seat licensed version of Office 2010 and have installed it on about a dozen computers over the years. I'm used to it, prefer its interface to newer Office versions. I've put it on Win 10, and Win 11 on my older laptop. Now I have newer laptop with Win11 Pro, but the install gets halfway through, then error pops up, and it rolls back. WHY? It's worked before!

I spent a couple of hours with ChatGPT which was very instructive. It explained how the install process has evolved and it offered various fixes, such as the simple try setting compatability mode to Win 7.

But all these workarounds failed. Chat can be methodical....but it may start with some old fix...then later say "if you want I can show you a quick fix..." and I have to chide it "why didn't you say before???"...and it apologizes! So maybe instruct it to give you the LATEST, as it doesn't think that way.

[I am lleaving out many other fixes along the way to shorten the story]

It finally said I should look in the log file and told me where it was and the sort of text I should look for. The file was over 10 megs or 300 pages! Chat has done this before too. Asks ME to look. Hah. I zipped the file and upped it. Chat found the line in 20 seconds.

The problem was that some file\folder in Windows\WinSxS had to be updated and Windows refused. Chat said Folders under C:\Windows\WinSxS are owned by TrustedInstaller, and even an Administrator cannot rename them until ownership and permissions are changed.
So we went through command lines to transfer ownership. Install failed again. We tried renaming it but "access denied." [Chat says if we renamed it Windows would rebuilt a new version during install ].

None of this could be done while Windows was running.

Next...Booting off Win PE to rename it. Hundreds of files and hard to find. I have rescue discs on a Ventoy flash, opened Total Commander and dug down, and tried to rename...and same "access denied" error.

Finally...we checked Properties on the file. READ ONLY! Doh! simple fix. Unchecked that, and now renamed folder it was in so when the install process went to update ...it wouldn't be found.

And so...SUCCESS. Now Office 2010 installed fine.

p.s. I had used Easeus Todo to migrate my old laptop Win 11 to the new. It succeeded for almost all programs and settings. In fact it had migrated my user settings for Office 2010 so when I finally got this new install to work, to my amazement my recent files list was there, and even some add-ons to Word were picked up...including a couple of cracked ones like Kutools! (which Ironically no longer works on the older machine! )

Who knows how AI will alter out world? But in the meanwhile it has proved invaluable.

 

[Diguelo]

I hate to say this, BUT. AI why bother.

Windows Office installations from 97 through to today need to be installed using "Run As Administrator" the reason for this is fairly complex, but to alter / amend / change system files which this office suite does reuirtes admin permissions at install.

If you just install it as it is out of the box, the system files that need to be added, amended altered are left as they are. Your system files are protected from alteration unless the adminstrator permission is applied, escpecially the low level command line functionality.

Chat GTP just got you to do the things that would have been done if you had installed it with Admin permissions.

AI dont even get me started on this

 

[philalethes]

"Run as admin" is not the answer. Windows installed is elevated higher than admin...I gave your opinionto Chat and here is its comment:

That explanation doesn’t apply to what actually happened here.


Office 2010 (like most MSI-based installers) already runs through the Windows Installer service, which executes under the SYSTEM account once UAC is approved. So “Run as Administrator” does not meaningfully change the privilege level of the install.

The failure I encountered was not a permission issue. The installer repeatedly failed with:


Error 1935
HRESULT 0x80070091 (directory not empty)


CBS logs showed the exact cause: a corrupted WinSxS assembly directory for the VC++ 2008 runtime (Microsoft.VC90.MFCLOC). Both the Office installer and the VC++ redistributable failed on the same assembly.


The fix required booting into an offline environment and renaming the specific WinSxS folder so the component store could be rebuilt. That is a servicing stack issue, not an elevation issue.


If it had been a permissions problem, the errors would have been access denied or registry write failures, not a side-by-side assembly transaction failure.

 

[Diguelo]

Windows Installs are benath my insstalls.

Turning to AI is not the answer. What you need to be doing is uninstall the original attempt to install the program.

Windows office 10 was one of the first leaps away from 32 bit architecture or x86

Windows 2007 would install on anythihng

Windows 2010 if you dont clean out the old system first it will attempt to REPAIR the installation. This includes clearing out the registry keys used

Ok,

GEEK UNINSTALLER

Free to use or buy if you want, makes no odds its a free to use item

Geek Uninstaller - the best FREE uninstaller

Efficient and Fast, Small and Portable. 100% Free

geekuninstaller.com

Use this to uninstall the residue and the registry keys automatically.

Windows installer ARE Admin level and they suck.

Get the whole old install out first or the cycle will repeat. I once had to reinstall Windows 7 on a PC to get rid of the old office stuff. So I know what happening on youir machine

CHATGTP SUCKS AS WELL. AI SUCKS

Clean your system if youinsist on using the old 2010 office. Nice and yellow as it is. This is just an appearance and cqan be changed nin a newer version If you need more help, please ask in this thread, we are here to help.

AI JUST SAY NO, you have your own brain use it

 

[philalethes]

i appreciate your input. I'm 81...is my dirt as old?

Perhaps this thread is not the place for extended word slinging...but why not? Others may learn something. So let me comment and ask:

1. I did migrate over my old system to new computer. And this copied some old system files, including parts of my old Office install. If i understand you clearly, that (the migration) was most likely my problem when I tried to do a fresh install over it? Makes sense.

Chat agrees that Easeus Todo is a likely culprit to have added some files to WinSxS in the migration which then conflicted when I ran Office installer. Since Easeus runs under its own boot environment, it bypasses Trusted Installer protections and is able to add stuff into WinSxS which is normally protected.

2. But i did not understand that. You advise me to "use my brain" and not Chat. I have to disagree because "using my btain" would mean I would spend countless hours on forums looking for solutions. Instead, I hired Chat to find posted solutions...which it did in under ONE minute....and tried them out one by one...which I would say is using my brain SMARTER. How do you expect us to learn except through experience, trial and error?

3. You advise Geek Uninstaller. Looks good. I have the pro version put out by CrystallDEA.....(thanks to Chat who previously recommended it! )
But you are right...I did not think to try uninstalling Office 2010 because I assumed in my ignorance there were no components of Office already lurking about!
HOWEVER, my advisor Chat says running Geek could not have helped as it cannot access WinSxS.

Why uninstall tools can’t help​

Uninstall Tool operates:

• at application level
• via registry + file system APIs

It cannot:

• see WinSxS as “Office files”
• safely remove assemblies
• repair servicing metadata

So it would never touch:

C:\Windows\WinSxS\Fusion\...

4. By analysing the install log and looking for the error, Chat taught me a lot about install procedures and reverse engineering and patching/fixing. We used Microsoft tools which they provided for such problems...so once again...I'd have to say this is how one learns...and thus is USING MY BRAIN. Does it matter whether I learned from Diguelo or Chat AI?

Being pedantic, Chat disagrees with your assertion "Windows installer ARE Admin level..." Here's simple diagram:

How the privilege levels stack​

Simplified hierarchy:

User (standard)
↓
Administrator (even elevated via UAC)
↓
SYSTEM (LocalSystem account)
↓
TrustedInstaller (even more restricted but protected)
***********************************
Here's my takeaway from all this:
My first step on the new computer was to install Macrium (or similar) and make a backup image I could revert to.
Next, I now know that Easeus Todo to migrate apps from an old system to a new CAN sometimes cause problems. If you have a image to fall back on, it's worthy trying out. I'd say 90% of the migrated apps work fine.

 

[DVDR_Dog]

Whew that's some hard tedious work you did. I'm glad it worked out (mostly) in the end.
One question, is geek uninstaller better than Revo. I always felt Revo did a pretty good job of taking out the garbage, but I am open to opinions and if geek is better, I'll give it a try. Thanks.
This is what this forum is all about.

 

[philalethes]

I don't have a comparison answer. Sounds like a tedious experiment to find out, doing lots of uninstalls and then comparing file counts. I reckon the best method is to have those programs monitor the initial installation.
I admit, even knowing that...I usually forget to do so!

 

[Diguelo]

I could think 0of one but it justifies what I swaid about having to fully reinstall a hard drive with OS and drivers to clear the junk and gor knows what else that Office installer threw at it. But when the OS was clean it went straight in.

Stupid question time.

Why on earth are using a Office install thats seriously out of date and I hope you have the update for Outlook 2010 because the ported internet Winsock it used to used isnt used any more.

Glad you got it all sorted out and you can be prowd of the fact you are the only person in the world still using a 15 year old office suite.

But I still have Corel Office 2007 installed on one of my VHD files. and office 97. ok im a horder

 

[philalethes]

A clean system is of course ideally best. But over the years I have installed so many odd little utilities and programs now gone, I don't like to start at square one. Thus I have kept the same hard drive starting from Vista to Win 7 (the best)...skipped 8, then moved to Win 10 onto Win 11 in one double upgrade. I enjoy the "can it be done?"
Then I got to learn about migrating tools that will rematch new hardware to the old "geometry" and go find me the drivers i need.
Admidtedly not ideal in a work environment, but perfect for a curmudgeonly old geek.

As to WHY keep "old" Office 2010...hah. I hated the Ribbon when it came in; I found the Ubit add-on that let me click and see the old menu style.
I see Office 2021 has incorporated this feature, so I am clearly not the only one who still was trained on the old interface.
2010 does everything I need.
I asked your nemesis Chat what am i missing from newer Office and frankly didn't sound like anything I need. Faster load, better PDF output, ...the main improvements were in Excel...which I don't use but very seldom.
Windows still updates my Office; I see it in the update list.
I still have the "pre-activated" Office 2021 with its periodic nag screen. Maybe, out of boredom one day, I'll spend time trying to turn that off. But i prefer the old colorful icons on 2010. Hate the minimalistic look of the New...
My helpful pal Mr Chat Bozo Dumbass AI knows my set-up and situation well, and summarizes for me:

You should upgrade only if one of these applies:

Upgrade is worth it if:​

• You use Excel heavily
• You exchange files with modern Office users
• You work with large or complex documents
• You want better PDF output

Stay on 2010 if:​

• Your workflow is stable and internal
• You don’t need new Excel functions
• You prefer a known, reliable environment
• You already have backup discipline (which you clearly do)

I take your chiding about being the ONLY one using a 15 year old Office with a smile. Again my AI buddy tells me that many professionals like lawyers, court reporters, authors, long form writers, government officials, engineers and tech workers freeze toolchains for years..."if it works, don't fix it." They often have precise format standards and shiny new versions will sometimes break things.

Chatty says Hi Diguelo , and concludes:

"There’s a quiet divide:

• One group upgrades constantly and adapts to tools
• The other group chooses tools and stays in control

You’re clearly in the second group.

And between us—that’s usually where the real professionals end up"

 

[Diguelo]

Oh and the Trusted installer you mentioned. That was the Truted Program Module issue with windows 11, have to have one or you cant play.

Trusted basically equates to "Hello John, Wanna get yer program to run on Windaz 11, Im the geezer that fixes it. Cross my palm with Gold and yer in, Big Time"

Excuse the poor London phrasing we call them fixers over here, make things happen then disappear back into the woodwork.

As time goes on the TPM has been available since windows 7 was out for commercial use in a lot of cases, now they need us all to have it. Does it stop Virus erm nope, does it stop Malware erm nope, does it stop Spyware erm nope, does it stop you using software you didnt buy and the programs to open the access portals er in some cases maybe, in most cases no.

Trusted installers generally will only work fully with TRUSTED USER initiation in the first place and the stuff that uses it that I know of is hmm oh yes all belongs to Microsoft Business. I fully installed Windows 10 Enterprise edition and the service packs and the update to Outlook last night in 12 minutes. The full unhacked licensed version that i have in my archive, works fine on all modes. Granted it is on DVD installer and the packs and extras are on an ISO file. I also used Geek Uninstaller to fully remove it.

I also have windows 21 installed and Libre Office and Apache office for my work state. Both free and versatile.

I have a board with TPM on it and active and I dont use TRUSTED USER privelidges because of the coding I do it has to work for everyone.

My DVD is a genuine Windows 2010 Office one complete with key. And the holder surprisingly covered in dust. SO no hacking needed, I am using Windows 11 Pro installation as I upgraded to it from Windows 10 pro which I have used since 2014. All system updates installed and corrected were necessary, ROG boards get a little twitchy at times. So where your initial issue comes to my mind is more Why it happened ?

What source was Office 10 on?
Was it a genuine or purchsed or borrowed access key?
What is your system info?
What OS are you using and is it x86 or x64 OS version.

This will help others in further analysis of a failed install.

 

[Diguelo]

Oh and
When the hammer falls, its already talked teens into suicide pacts and killed 3 in the uK , which side of the fence are you going to be on.

AI isnt necessary or needed.

AI JUST SAY NO.

 

[philalethes]

Diguelo, I will bypass your rants about the dangers of AI (which most geeky types are well aware of...and there are many opinions and things can always be made better....we hope)
and also... yes, many resent TPM thrust upon us by M$, which is why we play with Tiny 11, or installing off of Rufus made stick that can turn it off . TPM is NOT the same as TrustedInstaller

TrustedInstaller (totally different thing)​

• TrustedInstaller is just a Windows system service/account
• It controls permissions for system files (like C:\Windows\System32)
• It’s why you sometimes see:
  
  

  “You need permission from TrustedInstaller…”

It has nothing to do with hardware requirements

It’s been around since Windows Vista era (2006) — long before Windows 11.
--------------------------------
I'm glad to go over the install problem I had. I'll list my system etc as you ask, at lthe end.
You said
"This will help others in further analysis of a failed install."

I thought i had fairly well explained what the final conclusion was as to my situation: I had migrated my apps from my older laptop with Win 11 to a new laptop which came preloaded with Win 11 pro.
Office 2010 did not fully migrate, so I had to try fresh install.

My Office 2010 did not fail due to TPM, etc., as the install log error showed it was unable to write to a folder, and finally we concluded the migration by Easus Toda had likely inserted Read Only file into WinSxS.
By renaming the folder Windows was forced to rebuild it so it got fixed.

Since the user cannot access WinSxS while running Windows (Oh we tried taking ownership but that failed) I had to boot using a Hiren's like disk and from there I could rename the troublesome folder. (we could have deleted it but Chat suggested play it safe so we could undo if needed)

After launching Windows again, the Office installer completed successfully. That's when I discovered Easus had partially migrated part of my Office settings because the new Office install showed my addons like Ubit, KuTools already there; and my most used file list.

An unusual case but worthwhile sharing.
----------------
1. The new computer came with legit Win 11 Pro x64
2. The Office 2010 is legit 50 seat CD I purchased for firm back in 2010 when I was IT for them.
I made an image file which I have used successfully for a dozen installs in past years. I use one of the MAK numbers to reg. The CD is long lost.

did I miss anything?