# Please wait while Windows configures Office



## 883WildChild (Feb 28, 2006)

I've been getting this message whenever I start any application...messenger, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, Yahoo messenger, a poker site, ITunes, etc.

Please wait while Windows configures Microsoft Office Professional 2003.

If I click ok, it asks for the Office CD and then tries to reinstall it...eventually it asks for the Windows XP Home CD, which I don't have. I'm running XP, but my PC only came with a restore disk. I've uninstalled Office and tried reinstalling it, but can't install everything, only Word and Excel. I've downloaded the latest Windows Installer and Windows Installer Cleanup. I've run Adaware, Spybot, Microsoft Antispyware, AVG, Ccleaner, ErrorDoctor, and RegistryFix. ErrorDoctor trial version does show some registry errors that it won't clean up unless you buy the full version (I'm afraid it might be one of those tricks to get you to buy it). 

Any help would be appreciated. It's very irritating!

Thanks!


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## Gregor1234 (Jun 3, 2004)

I and almost everyone in my office has had this very same problem with Office 2000. If you look in the MDSN knowledge base there are a couple of articles dealing with it (some sort of problem with the installer if I recall) but their solution 1)involves poking around in the registry... something that I don't have much desire to do and 2) I've been given to understand that their remedy doesn't alway work.

For Office 2000, I have successfully employed the following inefficient ploy to get this to stop: copy the contents of the entire installation disk to a new folder on C: and install from the folder rather than the CD and just leave the folder and all the files in it there on C: (disk space is cheap). I use to know how this worked but now I forget... the jist is that as long as office has access to the installation files, you won't see the "configuring" message. 

Perhaps a similar fix might work for Office 2003.

Good Luck


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## DiamondGeo (Jul 19, 2006)

Here is the ABSOLUTELY GARUNTEED Solution to this problem:
1. Un-Install the complete Microsoft Office
2. Use CCleaner to clean up the mess Microsoft is too lazy to un-install. Clean Files, System and Registry with CCleaner.
3. Go Here: www.OpenOffice.org
4. Download and Install the latest version of OpenOffice for FREE (don't let this fool you it is just as full-featured as Microsoft Office without all the BLOAT).
5. Repackage and sell Microsoft Office on E-Bay
6. Use the proceeds of the sale to make a donation to OpenOffice.org (You WILL want to do this because of the no-worries product you now have in place of Microsoft Office.
7. Write a nasty letter to Microsoft and tell them to shove their products up their NOSE but do not tell the the replacement you have found - They will try to BUY it!
8. Keep your new office apps updated because they are being improved monthly and there is never a cost to you.
9. Smile - Don't worry, Be Happy


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## mastersnoopy (Apr 30, 2008)

Guys, I've had this same problem now for a couple of days.. Since installing MS Office 2007 on the opening of ANY office suite program, It prompts me to wait for windows to configure...

upon searching the internet, I've found no real answer that works.. So... I found my own answer.

Navigate to your office folder in your Program Files.. This will be Microsoft Office (office10, office11, office12 depending on the version you have installed)

Now, while holding down your CTRL key, select all the EXE files for the office software
EXCEL
GROOVE
INFOPATH
MSACCESS
MSPUB
WINWORD
etc... (Above based on office 2007)

Now with them all selected, right click & create shortcuts.. Save these to desktop for easier use.

Now you have all the shortcuts on your desktop, close the program files and navigate to your startup menu (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft Office... There you will see office shortcuts.. Those buggers is what's causing our problems..

Rename all the shortcuts on your desktop to the corrosponding shortcut in the start menu, for example, rename WINWORD (on your desktop) to Microsoft Office Word 2007 (if you are running office 2007)

Once ALL shortcuts referring to word on your desktop have been renamed, create a new folder in the Start Menu office folder (this is optional, but i like to backup stuff)... Cut & Paste all ORIGINAL shortcuts into that folder to get them out of the way... Now.. Cut and paste all the freshly renamed shortcuts on your desktop into the Start Menu Office Folder..

Now open any office program from start menu, and enjoy the fact that it no longer needs to configure itself first.

Hope this saves some people's sanity, because i know it was just about driving me nuts.

Terry


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