Under the category of random frustrations: a recent Microsoft Office Add-in is causing errors to Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications. The error takes two forms (that I’ve seen)

ERROR 1: when attempting to open a file (while the default Office application for the file is currently closed) an error results causing a complete failure to open the .doc, .xls, or .ppt file type that was the target of the open command.

ERROR 2: the user is continually offered an Advertisment pop-up on initial launch of Word, Excel, PowerPoint. The Get Started With Office Live advertisement is persistent regardless of whether the checkbox for the “Do not show me this message again” option has been checked. This error occurs upon initial start up of the Microsoft Office programs.

Error opening documents caused by “Get Started With Office Live” pop up advertisement

The pop up message is similar to what follows (varying by Username and Name/type of file you open):

Windows cannot find ' C:\Users\myUsername\Desktop\EXAMPLE-FILE.doc'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.

A screen shot of the Error:

This error is the result of an Office Live Workspace advertisement. The advertisement is the subject of the following Heading >>

Get Started With Office Live peristent pop up causes applications problems

ERROR 2: the user is continually offered an Advertisment pop-up on initial launch of Word, Excel, PowerPoint. The Get Started With Office Live advertisement is persistent regardless of whether the checkbox for the “Do not show me this message again” option has been checked. This error occurs upon initial start up of the Microsoft Office programs.

Resolving this particular ongoing pop-up fixes both ERROR 1 above and the persistent pop-up ERROR 2.

A screen shot of the persistent pop-up:

Get Started With Office Live pop up Advertisement

The Registry Edit that fixes the problem is the subject of the next Heading >>

The Get Started With Office Live solution from Aaron Rykhus’ Blog

Aaron Rykhus addressed the fix for this in a Get Office Live error blog article on 2009-01-26

Cause:

The add-in was installed under another user account and the OfficeLive registry subkey necessary for that checkbox entry to be logged in the registry is not created for other users. You need to manually create the OfficeLive subkey under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft for any user on that computer that wants to suppress that add-in by checking the box. After the OfficeLive subkey is created the appropriate registry entry FirstRunDontShow will be created once Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are started and if the checkbox is selected it will no longer show on subsequent launches of those applications.

The issue can be resolved by adding a base registry key named OfficeLive under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft subkey, once that key has been created the next time you start Word it should create two new DWORD entries (FirstRunCredsDeleted and FirstRunDontShow), both set to 1.

Solution:

Registry FIX

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. Logged in as the user that has the problem, click on Start, click Run, type regedit, click OK.
2. On the left pane expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER, expand Software, select Microsoft.
3. From the Edit menu point to New and select Key.
4. Type OfficeLive and press the Enter key.
5. Close Registry Editor.
6. Start Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you’ll get the prompt, make sure ‘Do not show me this message again’ is checked, click Continue.
7. Close the application (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint), the registry DWORD values should be created under OfficeLive for that user.

MORE INFO:

Windows Registry for Advanced Users – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986

Office Live Update 1.3 – http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=91FE0002-EB00-434B-8726-27911326D2B2&displaylang=en

Please add your thanks and comments to Aaron’s Blog here

Closing Remarks

In the category of “biting the hand that feeds” (I’m a Microsoft Partner)…. Personally, I’m not really sure this is an ERROR if you know what I mean. Microsoft has become quite hawkish in their pursuit of moving Users into the cloud and into their control and influence (i.e. the draconian AD and Exchange one-way migration methods of the BPOL platform. ). A coding error of this type (ahem… “a mistake”) that causes an end User to be continually advertised to and sold a “high-value” Microsoft service “obviously to the benefit of Microsoft” is a very fortunate Erreeerrr to  make ???

what do you think?