"Why will the update, SP3, be allowed to download but not install?" When Microsoft tells you they are not looking into your system when you download from them, this is true....THAT is why you were allowed to download the update, becuz Microsoft didn't know your copy was illegal (which it sounds like you are admitting now)....and, Microsoft STILL doesn't know this....but, midway thru the process of installing, it asked you for the original CD so it could see if you have a legitimate installation....you could not supply that CD, so it just stopped right there....and, evidently it had already started doing something to Excel and that must be why you can't get Excel to launch...it must be stuck in some kind of loop. Evidently the other programs weren't touched by the attempted install yet, so they still work. If you had the CD, you could easily run the repair program and get Excel working again, but you don't. I find it interesting that you are upset with Microsoft for this. I think you should be more upset with the person who gave you the software illegally. You sound like you think Microsoft is ripping YOU off because they let you install something that makes your illegal software unusable....well, I don't think it's Microsoft that's ripping anyone off here. Now that you have admitted that your installation is illegal, this thread is CLOSED. We will NOT help you troubleshoot an illegal installation of any software in this group. You must know these groups are checked out by the big software companies, no? No way do I want this group shut down becuz you want to know how to get your illegal copy to work. Go check the hacker groups via a google search....they will tell you what you want to know, but this group will NOT. Sorry....this discussion is closed. If anyone continues to try to help you on this, they will be removed from this group....and so will you, if you discuss this again here. I'm sorry to sound so harsh...but this group and its reputation mean a lot to me. Linda F. Johnson Linda's Computer Stop Author, MOS: Excel 2003 Study Guide, published by John Wiley and Sons http://personal-computer-tutor.com -----Original Message----- From: mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of beaton5284 Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2006 11:51 PM To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [mso] Re: Office XP-SP3 Linda What you say is not untrue. My question is, "Why will the update, SP3, be allowed to download but not install?" No one has addressed that question. On the premise that the original disk is unavailable or illegal, then I feel that the blockage of the update should occur prior to the download, not after the download and prior to the install. I would have to live without the update and that would be my problem. To block my usage of one of the Office Programs is not my idea of fairness. The next question is why did it not affect Word or Access, but only Excel. As you say, I will have to live with the situation, but (and a big BUT) it seems that MS is doing only half their job when they allow the download but not the install. I am not asking anyone to perform an illegal action; only to give me some reasonable idea of why the action of the update is only a halfway process. Bill ************************************************************* You are receiving this mail because you subscribed to mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx or MicrosoftOffice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To send mail to the group, simply address it to mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To Unsubscribe from this group, visit the group's homepage and use the dropdown menu at the top. This will allow you to unsubscribe your email address or change your email settings to digest or vacation (no mail). //www.freelists.org/webpage/mso To be able to use the files section for sharing files with the group, send a request to mso-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx and you will be sent an invitation with instructions. Once you are a member of the files group, you can go here to upload/download files: http://www.smartgroups.com/vault/msofiles If you are using Outlook and you see a lot of unnecessary code in your email messages, read these instructions that explain why and how to fix it: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v28/greg28.htm *************************************************************