Office XP Pro uninstalls itself when admin logs in

[Mike Stoltzfus]

The summary of my problem is that whenever a domain admin logs into one of
my client PCs (running WinXP SP1), Office XP uninstalls itself. Here's some
background:

I am running a network with 21 clients, all WinXP Pro. I am running Windows
2000 SBS on the server. When I first built the network, I only had one 20
PCs, and installed OXP on all of them using an AD Group Policy Object under
Computer Configuration - Software Settings. Those 20 PCs were installed
fine. A few months later, I added the 21st PC. I added that PC to the OU
to which I had applied the Office XP Install GPO, and ran the following
command on the new PC:

gpupdate /target:computer /force /boot

Office XP never installed (when the PC booted, it briefly flashed the
message that Software was being applied, but too briefly to actually do
anything). I never received an errors in any Event Viewer logs (on the
client PC or on the server). I ended up installing Office XP on that PC
from the CDs.

My problem now is that after I log in to that PC (using either my own domain
login account, or the domain Admin account - both of which are members of
the Domain Administrators group), Office XP is uninstalled the next time the
computer is rebooted. (I triple-checked the file system, and the Office
folders are gone - I couldn't believe it!) What could be causing this?

Mike Stoltzfus

 

[Chris McKitterick]

Hi Mike -

I can make a good guess why it's uninstalling: Because the computer is the
target for the GP-based software installation package, software that
conflicts with the GPO that has the .msi will be removed and the proper
package installed in its place. With how you configured things, this should
happen regardless of who is logging on.

Why it's not actually installing is the strange part. I assume enough time
has gone by that AD should have fully replicated the needed information.
Could the AD membership of this computer look a little different than that
of the others on your network? I'd take a look at that first.

If that doesn't work, try running gpupdate again as you did it -- maybe the
AD info hadn't replicated when you first ran it.

I hope this helps!

Best,
Chris McKitterick
Windows Server UA
=====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
=====================================================

The summary of my problem is that whenever a domain admin logs into one of
my client PCs (running WinXP SP1), Office XP uninstalls itself. Here's some
background:

I am running a network with 21 clients, all WinXP Pro. I am running Windows
2000 SBS on the server. When I first built the network, I only had one 20
PCs, and installed OXP on all of them using an AD Group Policy Object under
Computer Configuration - Software Settings. Those 20 PCs were installed
fine. A few months later, I added the 21st PC. I added that PC to the OU
to which I had applied the Office XP Install GPO, and ran the following
command on the new PC:

gpupdate /target:computer /force /boot

Office XP never installed (when the PC booted, it briefly flashed the
message that Software was being applied, but too briefly to actually do
anything). I never received an errors in any Event Viewer logs (on the
client PC or on the server). I ended up installing Office XP on that PC
from the CDs.

My problem now is that after I log in to that PC (using either my own domain
login account, or the domain Admin account - both of which are members of
the Domain Administrators group), Office XP is uninstalled the next time the
computer is rebooted. (I triple-checked the file system, and the Office
folders are gone - I couldn't believe it!) What could be causing this?

Mike Stoltzfus

 

[Mike Stoltzfus]

Chris,

Thanks for the reply! You are correct about the fact that the package is
removed no matter who is logged in. I verified that it would happen anytime
the computer is rebooted, regardless of who is logged in.

I think you are also correct about the root of the problem being that the
GPO is not installing the software. Every time the computer reboots, it goes
through the progression of Applying Computer Settings, then Installing
Managed Software. However, when the software is actually being installed (as
I observed on the other computers which I had originally set up), the
message "Installing Managed Software" stays up for several minutes,
presumably while the software is actually being installed. In this
computer's instance, that message only flashes very briefly across the
screen.

I took a couple of steps to attempt to correct this issue. I re-executed the
command below, as well as several variations:

- gpupdate /target:computer /force /boot

- gpupdate /target:computer /wait:10 /force /boot

- gpupdate /wait:10 /force /boot

- gpupdate /force /boot

- gpupdate

I also manually removed all traces of Office, including searching through
the file system and the registry and removing all items that related to
Office. I hesitate to modify any settings in the GPO itself, because I don't
want to negatively impact the other computers to which that policy applies.
I thought about moving the problem PC out of the OU which has the Office
Install GPO applied to it, to see how it would be affected without the GPO
applied. Any other suggestions?

Mike