Error 1406 & 0x57E office update install error

Error 1406 & 0x57E office update install error.

This might be helpful for people getting the above errors, and who have used a Registry Cleaner.

I had a few Office updates that were downloading ok, but would not install. The error was listed as simply 0x57E. A common problem judging by web discussions about it.

To fix it, I first replaced ose.exe Used a cached copy first, then emailed myself a copy from my work PC (only 88kB). That got a few of the updates to install, but not a PowerPoint update.

While wondering what else to try (I did try a number of things suggested on the Net, other than reinstalling Office, or repairing it with the CD, but nothing else helped), I did an Office “Detect and Repair”. That wouldn’t work either. Kept getting “Error 1406 Setup cannot write the value to the registry key…” A key was then given, and then other keys as well if I said “Ignore” on this error. These keys all ended with \InprocServer32.

Then another Windows Update came out, and all installed ok, other than the same PowerPoint update, and now an Excel update would not install as well.

I had read that Registry Cleaners might cause trouble, and I had used CCleaner and Ashampoo. I had saved the changes made by these programs, so I was able to remerge them back into the Registry. That solved both problems – the Office Install problem and the Office Detect and Repair problem.

It may be that if you are having both (or either) of these problems and you have used a Registry Cleaner, you should undo the Registry changes. It may be equally effective to Repair your Office installation using the CD, but I didn’t try that, so I can’t say.

Also, there is a lot of advice against using registry Cleaners - seems like good advice.

 

Forgot to say, using Windows Professional XP SP2, and Office Professional 2003. Some people having similar problems were using Vista.