Microsoft KB Archive/304901

Knowledge Base

You receive an "Error 25509. Microsoft Office XP requires updated system files not detected on your computer" error message when you run Office XP Setup

Article ID: 304901

Article Last Modified on 12/4/2007

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
• Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Office XP Professional Edition
• Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition
• Microsoft Office XP Standard Edition
• Microsoft Office XP Standard Edition for Students and Teachers
• Microsoft Office XP Developer Edition
• Microsoft Access 2002 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition
• Microsoft FrontPage 2002 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Outlook 2002 Standard Edition
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Word 2002 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q304901

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 run Setup for Office, you may receive the following error message:

Error 25509. Microsoft Office XP requires updated system files not detected on your computer. You must install the System Files Update prior to installing Office.
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CommonFilesDir is absent or not accessible.

CAUSE

You receive this error message if the CommonFilesDir string value is missing from the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps.

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.

1. On the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, type Regedit and then click OK.
3. Locate and select the following key in the registry:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

4. On the Edit menu, point to New and then click String Value.
5. Name this new string value CommonFilesDir.
6. Double-click the newly created CommonFilesDir string value.
7. Type the following path in the Value data box, and then click OK:

   C:\Program Files\Common Files

   NOTE: You may need to specify a different path to match this folder location on your computer.
   
   

8. On the Registry menu, click Exit.
9. Run Setup for Office.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the System Files Update, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

286399 OFFXP: Description of the System Files Update

For additional information about a related issue with the CommonFilesDir registry value, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

304907 OFFXP: Error 25510 for MSADOR15.DLL When You Run Setup

Additional query words: prb OFFXP osp

Keywords: kbtshoot kbsetup kbprb KB304901

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