Knowledge Base

An Office XP program immediately quits on computers that are running the Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP operating systems

Article ID: 290231

Article Last Modified on 1/31/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Access 2002 Standard Edition
Microsoft Outlook 2002 Standard Edition
Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Standard Edition
Microsoft Word 2002 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Windows 2000 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

This article was previously published under Q290231

Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you start one of the Microsoft Office XP programs on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 2000, or Microsoft Windows XP, the program starts and then immediately quits.

CAUSE

This problem can occur on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft Windows 2000, or Microsoft Windows XP, if you have permissions set in the Windows registry that prevent the necessary information from being written. The registry key in question is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office

RESOLUTION

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
To resolve the problem, follow these steps:

Quit all Microsoft Windows programs.
Click Start and then click Run.
In the Open box, type Regedt32.exe and then click OK.
Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine window.
Locate and then select the following key:

\Software\Microsoft\Office
Follow the steps for your version of Microsoft Windows.For Microsoft Windows NT 4.0:
1. On the Security menu, click Permissions. If the permissions on this key or its subkeys are set so that the Windows Installer cannot update the key, you may experience the problem described in the "Symptoms" section of this article.
  
  The following table lists the default registry permissions on this key.
```
 Name                            Permissions
 ----------------------------------------------
 Creator Owner                   Full Control
 Everyone                        Special Access
 <machine name>\Administrators   Full Control
 System                          Full Control
                        
```
  Note The following items are all turned on for the Special Access permissions for the Everyone group:
  
  Query Value
  Set Value
  Create Subkey
  Enumerate Subkeys
  Notify
  Delete
  Read Control
  
  The permissions that you set for this key and its subkeys vary, according to your situation. If you want to confirm whether this is a permissions issue, change your permissions on the Office key to match those above.
  
  Note Make sure that you click to select the Replace permission on existing subkeys check box.
2. Click OK in the Registry Key Permissions dialog box.
3. Click Yes when you are prompted to replace the permissions on existing subkeys.
4. On the Registry menu, click Exit.
5. Start one of the Office programs.
For Microsoft Windows 2000:
1. On the Security menu, click Permissions. If the permissions on this key or its subkeys are set so that the Windows Installer cannot update the key, you may experience the problem described in the "Symptoms" section.
  
  The following table lists the default registry permissions on this key.
```
 Name                            Permissions
 ----------------------------------------------
 Creator Owner                   Full Control
 Users                           Read
 Power Users                     Special
 Administrators                  Full Control
 System                          Full Control

                        
```
  Note The following items are all turned on for the Special permissions for the Power Users group:
  
  Query Value
  Set Value
  Create Subkey
  Enumerate Subkeys
  Notify
  Delete
  Read Control
  
  The following items are all turned on for the Read permissions for the Users group:
  
  Query Value Enumerate Subkeys
  Notify Read Control
  
  The permissions that you set for this key and its subkeys vary, according to your situation. If you want to confirm whether this is a permissions issue, change your permissions on the Office key to match those above.
2. In the Permissions for Office dialog box, click Advanced.
3. Click to select the Reset permissions on all child objects check box, and then clear the Allow Inheritable permissions from parent to propagate to this object check box. Click Copy when you are prompted to copy or remove inherited permissions.
4. For any object listed that does not have the Full Control permissions as stated earlier in this article, select the object, click View/Edit, and then verify the missing permissions.
5. Click OK and then click Yes when you are prompted to remove explicitly defined permissions on all child objects.
6. Click OK in the Permissions for Office dialog box.
7. On the Registry menu, click Exit.
For Microsoft Windows XP:
1. On the Edit menu, click Permissions.
2. Click the registry key for the user who is currently logged on, and ensure that Read and Full Control permissions are both set to Allow.
3. Click the Advanced button, ensure that the user who is currently logged on is selected, that Full Control is listed in the Permissions column, and that This Key and Subkeys is listed in the Apply to column.
4. Click to select the Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects check box, and clear the Inherit from parent the permission entries that apply to child objects. Include these with entries explicitly defined here check box.
5. Click Apply, and then click Yes when you are prompted to continue.
6. Click OK, and then click OK again.
7. On the Registry menu, click Exit.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to troubleshoot error messages that appear when you run any Microsoft Office program, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

200116 OFF2000: Troubleshooting Office programs under Windows NT 4.0

Additional query words: pid pidkey cdkey close closes closing quits win2k win2000 nt4 nt4.0 winnt prb

Keywords: kbregistry kbtshoot kbpending kbprb KB290231

Microsoft KB Archive/290231

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