Outlook cannot run the add-in / installer error 1605

[Guest]

Outlook 2003 on a customer's machine started acting up a few weeks ago. After
booting up, she would open Outlook and get the following error:

"Microsoft Office Outlook cannot run the add-in. Microsoft Outlook cannot
install the necessary files due to windows installer error 1605. This action
is only valid for products that are currently installed."

While this error is displayed, you can see installer dialog in the upper
left hand corner that shows it is importing settings, etc.

After trying a repair of Outlook/Office and not having any success, I ran
across a group post that advised creating a new Outlook profile and this
fixed the problem, for a few weeks anyways. The probelm came back, and adding
another profile did not work.

When I clicked on OK in response to the error message, five times, Outlook
opened and ran ok. I rebooted the computer and it did the same dance, so I
rebooted it once more to show her how to get into it while I researched the
problem and this time it opened without errors.

I don't have a high degree of confidence that this is fixed, so, does anyone
know what causes this and the real fix? I'm tempted to uninstall and
reinstall Office, but if there is an easier fix, I'd rather try that first.

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

What feature is the installer trying to add? (Look at your
application/system event logs. Start > Run > eventvwr.msc > ok button. your
looking for the red looking marks next to installer.)

 

[Guest]

What feature is the installer trying to add? (Look at your
application/system event logs. Start > Run > eventvwr.msc > ok button. your
looking for the red looking marks next to installer.)

Doesn't say in the xp event logs what it is trying to install. There aren't
any entries pertaining to the installer that have red Xs. There are some 2001
errors that say "Rejected Safe Mode action : Microsoft Office Outlook" or
"Accepted Safe Mode action : Microsoft Office Outlook" that are coming from
Microsoft Office 11.

The only entries coming from the installer that seem to be related are:

"Product: Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003 -- Configuration
completed successfully." (Application log)... and "The Windows Installer
service entered the stopped state" or "The Windows Installer service entered
the running state."

Update: this morning when she first launched Outlook, it opened normally.