Has anyone else had trouble installing the 12.1.0 update to Microsoft Office 2008?

Microsoft AutoUpdate will download the 180MB update package and the installer moves correctly through selecting the destination drive but then it hangs forever at the beginning of the "Running AutoUpdate Installer script" window.

After forcing the installer to quit I get a window that reads ""Microsoft Office 2008 Update" doesn't understand the <<event sysodisA>> message."

Thanks for any suggestions.

If you modified Office in any way such as removing language localizations or stripping out PPC code then the updater will not work. You need to install an unaltered copy of Office.

There's an article at OS X Hints about how to update a modified Office but it is in reference to the recent 12.1.2 version: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080813052404365&query=office%2B2008

The error window with:

"Microsoft Office 2008 Update" doesn't understand the <<event sysodisA>> message."


Should have an option to edit......thing is it's to late because your forced quit. Run the installer again and when the installer hangs move the installer window to one side...the error window noted above should be directly behind the installer and thats why you missed it in the first place...the installer has halted (and appears hung) as the error window is awaiting a response from you.....but you dont see it. All you have to do is click the edit button on the error window and then installer will continue...thats it. You can close the error window and the installer will continue.

Also if you want to keep a copy of the update it's often in the recycle bin after reboot. It seems to get flushed whether it's installed or not as it's a temporary file. It's nice to have it though. I also have the 12.1.1 159mb update. Very handy to have when re-installing OSX due to mucking around. Normally found in the Trash in the "recovered files" folder.....

My installation of Office is standard, but the tip in that link worked. Thanks so much, skapplin.


Edit: Sure enough, as I installed the 12.1.1 update the same problem occurred. Pulled the window aside, clicked the edit button in the previously hidden window and everything proceeded smoothly from there. Thanks, sed8ed.


Great tip. Thanks, sed8ed - that saved me downloading it yet again.

I registered on the site just so I could express my appreciation to johnmcdonnell and to skapplin for taking the time to respond to this post. I would have sat here for hours trying to solve this problem, neither knowing there was a "window behind the window" nor knowing I could just click "OK" and the cotton-pickin' application would run. My kudos to you guys.

-- INSTALL SUCCEEDED --

Thank you, msiwind.net forum!

Warm regards,

John Trout

Ha! Fixed it by trying harder!



Hmm. This all sounded so promising. But when I press the Edit button I get a new screen headed quit_apps with this below:

Not sure how to get byond this point.



property kMSAppTypeVisibleApplicationsMask : 7
property kMSAppTypeUserApplicationsMask : 63

on LocalizedString(inKeyString)
return localized string inKeyString from table "quit_apps"
end LocalizedString

tell application "System Events"

-- Locate the quit CLU
set quit_util_path to (POSIX path of (container of (path to me)) & "/quit_util")

-- Retrieve localized strings
set alertText to my LocalizedString("QuitAppsAlertText")
set alertExplain to my LocalizedString("QuitAppsAlertExplain")
set alertButtonContinue to my LocalizedString("QuitAppsButtonContinue")

-- Prompt to quit visible apps
set running_apps to missing value
repeat until (running_apps is "")
set shell_command to ((quoted form of quit_util_path) & " QueryRunningApps " & kMSAppTypeVisibleApplicationsMask)
set running_apps to (do shell script shell_command)
if (running_apps is not "") then
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {return}
set alert_message to ({alertExplain, ""} & running_apps) as string
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {}

Once you click edit...the window your describing above is what appears....all you do is close that window with all that text in it...the installer will continue.....Your clicking "edit" as if your going to change the code...but all you need to do is close the "edit" window and the installer continues.

I read somewhere that the problem is related to how the installer checks your Office installation.

I have had the same problem. The first time I tried to install the update I recall seeing the " doesn't recognize " pane but didn't know what to do. I cancelled everything, re-downloaded the installer and now it doesn't even recognize that I have a copy of office on my hard drive so it refuses to install the update.
I am refusing to re- install office. The install disk is stored off site.
Anyone have a clue what I can try next?

I too would like to say thanks. I also registered just to say so. This fix worked for me. I did not realize there was an error box sitting behind, and I probably wouldn't have clicked edit without this fix.