NT4 WKST / IE5 / Office 2k install errorotep

[minnelli]

We just got some brand-new dell's with NT4 SP5 preloaded. We went to install Office 2000 and got a "install failed to initialize . . . cannot continue . . . reboot your computer . . ."

Fine. We reboot, and now, anytime we run explorer (including control panel, etc. - anything with an ie integrated component - thank you bill gates) we get:

Error Initializing the cache. Shutdown all programs and run scandisk or chkdsk. Delete the cache, cookies and history directories in your windows directory and then restart IE. If the problem persists reinstall IE.

As Well as a doc watson error log msg about explorer.exe.

So, we have tried:

Doing what the error msg said - deleting stuff (we connected to the machine over the network - which worked fine oddly enough).
didn't help

Deleting stuff from the temp folder and installing office again.
installer hangs at intial screen

Installing IE from the office disk
Installer chokes at 43% while throwing "Error Initializing the cache . . ." errors.

Installing SP5
hung at 99% for Ten minutes - then we hard booted the machine, with no change in the errors.

Installing the windows installer from the office cd
installed fine, but didn't fix the problem . . .

Any ideas besides hosing the OS?

 

[rtaylor]

Sounds to me like it is a bad install from Dell. The first thing I would do is format and reinstall everything. If the problem persists, I would start looking at hardware issues or getting those suckers returned and purchasing some quality systems with Intel motherboards and processors.

 

[minnelli]

Thanks rtaylor,

We finally got it working. We think it is DELL too, even though it does have Intel inside. I reinstalled the OS and bit by bit put back everything. From my research it was saying the rror was coming from IE... well, once I reinstalled everything, the error message never came back up, but we did get a new one when trying to run Outlook (after we installed Office 2000). Something about the odbctl32.dll file. SO it was back to the drawing boards. I never had so much trouble in my life with something that always took no time at all. After more resaerch and installing other patches and service packs, it is up and running. I am sending back one DELL that has a fan tumbling around loose inside. I have to set up two more DELL's though and they better not take this long or I am shipping them back!