Troubleshooting failing install of Office 2007 SP2

This update is failing to install (say 4 time so far).

I can't remember where the MSI gets stored and where I find the installer
logs.

Can somebody give me the paths to these:
1) Place where Windows Update stashes the MSI's.
2) Place where installation details are logged.

Thanks.

Known issues that you may experience when you install Office 2007 SP2...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968173

You receive an error message when you try to apply any of the 2007 Office
service packs on a computer that is running WinXP SP2 [or SP3]
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942101

How to troubleshoot Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server
Update Services installation issues:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906602

1. See the "Need more help? Tell us what problem you are having" section of
http://support.microsoft.com/ph/6527

2. You cannot install some updates or programs
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822798

3a. Check your WindowsUpdate.log (%windir%\WindowsUpdate.log) for errors
associated with the download/install.

How to read the WindowsUpdate.log file
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093

3b. Compare errors to those listed here:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/blog...showentry=1122
and/or go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com > click on Help and Support
link in left pane > Solve problems on your own.

Otherwise, you'll need to seek support in an Office-specific newsgroup.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


Mike Gale wrote:
> This update is failing to install (say 4 time so far).
>
> I can't remember where the MSI gets stored and where I find the installer
> logs.
>
> Can somebody give me the paths to these:
> 1) Place where Windows Update stashes the MSI's.
> 2) Place where installation details are logged.
>
> Thanks.

Thanks for that PA Bear.

A very thorough reply, excellent.

I tried my own approach and I have a potential solution from it. I will do
it when I have some time. If it works it's in fact easier than decoding the
WindowsUpdate.log.

I searched for files called msi*.log.

There were several of them under docs and settings.

I checked timestamps and used that to identify one that was from the
problem. (The rest of the name is seemingly random digits, so not useful.)

The files are really short but may have enough to get there with a little
work.

Here's what mine showed. I'm using Win 2003.

"Error 1718.File ***.msp was rejected by digital signature policy.
=== Logging stopped: *** ==="

Which led me to a suggested fix for 2003 and XP. I haven't tried this yet.
When I do, if it fails I'll report back, else it's good. (It'll be done
within a week, call that 2009-05-15 AEST.)

REPORTED CAUSE: This behavior occurs if the server has insufficient
contiguous memory to verify that the package is correctly signed.

SUGESTED FIX: To workaround this behavior:

01. Start / Run / control admintools / OK.

02. Double-click Local Security Policy.

03. Expand Software Restriction Policies. If no software restrictions are
displayed, right-click Software Restriction Policies and press Create New
Policy.

04. Double-click the Enforcement Object Type in the right hand pane.

05. Check the All users except local administrators radio button and press OK.

06. Shutdown and restart your server.

07. Install the package while logged on as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.

08. Repeat steps 1 - 4.

09. Check the All users radio button and press OK.

10. Shutdown and restart your server.

When this first happened, I searched but found nothing online, I wonder if
your links have been added since then. Clicking the link in the update
history interface gave nothing, even yesterday. (Just boilerplate to do x, y
and z.)

Thanks again for your reply.

Seems like an unintended consequence of a design decision, to me!!

[To keep track of things, it helps immensely if you quote all of the
previous message(s) in your replies to the newsgroup. Otherwise, I don't
know what you're talking about. (Not everyone here accesses this newsgroup
via the web-interface you're using.) Thank you.]

Mike Gale wrote:
> Thanks for that PA Bear.
>
> A very thorough reply, excellent.
>
> I tried my own approach and I have a potential solution from it. I will
> do
> it when I have some time. If it works it's in fact easier than decoding
> the
> WindowsUpdate.log.
>
> I searched for files called msi*.log.
>
> There were several of them under docs and settings.
>
> I checked timestamps and used that to identify one that was from the
> problem. (The rest of the name is seemingly random digits, so not
> useful.)
>
> The files are really short but may have enough to get there with a little
> work.
>
> Here's what mine showed. I'm using Win 2003.
>
> "Error 1718.File ***.msp was rejected by digital signature policy.
> === Logging stopped: *** ==="
>
> Which led me to a suggested fix for 2003 and XP. I haven't tried this
> yet.
> When I do, if it fails I'll report back, else it's good. (It'll be done
> within a week, call that 2009-05-15 AEST.)
>
> REPORTED CAUSE: This behavior occurs if the server has insufficient
> contiguous memory to verify that the package is correctly signed.
>
> SUGESTED FIX: To workaround this behavior:
>
> 01. Start / Run / control admintools / OK.
>
> 02. Double-click Local Security Policy.
>
> 03. Expand Software Restriction Policies. If no software restrictions are
> displayed, right-click Software Restriction Policies and press Create New
> Policy.
>
> 04. Double-click the Enforcement Object Type in the right hand pane.
>
> 05. Check the All users except local administrators radio button and press
> OK.
>
> 06. Shutdown and restart your server.
>
> 07. Install the package while logged on as a user who is a member of the
> local Administrators group.
>
> 08. Repeat steps 1 - 4.
>
> 09. Check the All users radio button and press OK.
>
> 10. Shutdown and restart your server.
>
> When this first happened, I searched but found nothing online, I wonder
> if
> your links have been added since then. Clicking the link in the update
> history interface gave nothing, even yesterday. (Just boilerplate to do
> x,
> y and z.)
>
> Thanks again for your reply.
>
> Seems like an unintended consequence of a design decision, to me!!