Outlook 2003: The operation failed due to an installation problem @ Calazan.com

Outlook 2003: The operation failed due to an installation problem

Posted on February 4th, 2008 webmaster 28 comments

Error Message: “The operation failed due to an installation problem. Restart Outlook and try again.”

I received this error message this morning when I opened Outlook 2003 with a new user profile. It opened fine with the local Administrator account.

I checked the Windows Event Viewer and there’s a “Warning” entry there for MsiInstaller (Event ID 1004) with a description of “Detection of product… The resource ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\UserData’ does not exist.”

Doing the following fixed the problem for me:
1. Start -> Run -> type in regedit.
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook as others have pointed out, please check your event logs to see which one you need to select (thanks to Supercow for noticing this)).
3. (I recommend that you back up your registry first before making any changes) Right-click on Common -> New -> DWORD Value. Name it UserData.
4. Double click on the DWORD value that you just created (i.e. UserData) and set Value data: to 1.
5. Close the Registry Editor and open Outlook again.
Error Messages Outlook
28 responses to “Outlook 2003: The operation failed due to an installation problem”
- Supercow February 25th, 2008 at 15:33
  
  Thanks, this was super helpful. I ended up having to edit a slightly different registry key but you directions still got me going in the right direction.
  (instead of in common my error message was in outlook)
- webmaster February 27th, 2008 at 19:51
  
  You’re welcome
- fryercraig June 16th, 2008 at 10:31
  
  Wow, it did the trick for me too. I also used the folder Outlook instead of Common like Supercow said. I’ve looked and looked online for a solution, this is the only that I have found. Thanks for sharing!
- Toasty September 25th, 2008 at 18:22
  
  Cool Thanks !
  It helped get me to another point where a dialogue popped up and said
  Error in registry for extension “exchange extensions”
  
  but yeah thanks for the help so far - at least I am getting somewhere now
- webmaster September 26th, 2008 at 20:19
  
  Hi Toasty,
  
  This link might help: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823633
- Stephen January 16th, 2009 at 10:34
  
  Fantastic tip - I was having this problem, googled the error message, and the fix worked for me. (I needed to add keys under Common and Outlook, then it came right up)
- Kan geen account instellen | hilpers January 18th, 2009 at 10:11
  
  [...] Een nieuwe test gebruiker onder Windows toevoegen en daarmee proberen. Verschil? Zie verder: http://www.calazan.com/outlook-2003-…ation-problem/ — G?rard « Wisselende accounts bij beantwoorden mail in [...]
- Lydam January 25th, 2009 at 06:53
  
  Thanks a mill. I also used the folder Outlook instead of Common.
  
  Thanks guys!
- hedroj January 30th, 2009 at 14:38
  
  Thank you. It was really helpful.
- MikeW February 16th, 2009 at 09:17
  
  Fantastic find! Many thanks, I was pulling my hair out on this.
  
  Cheers
- Matt B February 16th, 2009 at 20:33
  
  Thanks! I also used the Outlook folder instead of Common. Worked like a champ!
- TechSup March 9th, 2009 at 08:59
  
  Thanks a lot for you time. This worked for me. easy and fast solution.
- Srikks April 3rd, 2009 at 14:42
  
  This has solved my MS outlook problems. Thanks.
- Beulah April 10th, 2009 at 11:33
  
  Thank you for posting this! I have been having problems all week and finally was able to at least get to the email by doing as described. Now I’m getting another error message but at least I’m past this one.
- Rfranca April 27th, 2009 at 14:34
  
  Se todos os problemas fossem simples de encontrar respostas como esta tudo seria mais fácil.
  
  Thanks
- rafoch June 17th, 2009 at 14:28
  
  Good one! This solved my problem too. Thanks.
- T-Hugs June 20th, 2009 at 20:51
  
  Amazing. Worked like a charm. Thanks so much!
- Attila S July 15th, 2009 at 05:40
  
  It also solved my problem, I used the office folder.
  Thank you very much!
- MXM August 5th, 2009 at 12:17
  
  Didnt work, same error, operation failed due to installation please reinstall and so……..Outlook 2007…. any other suggestions?
- Ramy hassan September 13th, 2009 at 14:48
  
  Dear all,
  i have the same problem exactly
  office2003 , XP sP2
  
  i tried to add these 2 ‘dwords’ but i found them both already found in the office and common folder
  
  any other reasons for this error?
- MCP October 27th, 2009 at 19:26
  
  Worked!
- Chuck November 13th, 2009 at 11:04
  
  Thanks it worked for me; had to make the change to Word and Excel entries. Still cannot run uninstall or repair but the Office apps are working now so I and the user are happy.
  
  thanks for posting.
- Robert T February 5th, 2010 at 13:58
  
  Thanks. I could have spent a lifetime and never found this. I was shocked when it started right up. Nice fix. Thanks for sharing
- kesh February 7th, 2010 at 23:54
  
  Your an absolute legend!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  this fix worked for all office applications for me not just outlook.
  
  THANK YOU WebMaster!!
- AJ February 8th, 2010 at 11:52
  
  Man, I am tired and when I went to RegEdit, I find that the registry already has this value. I get the above pop-up only when i try to click Options>>Email Accounts
- webmaster February 8th, 2010 at 19:41
  
  Hi AJ,
  
  Do you see anything logged in Event Viewer?
- PJ February 20th, 2010 at 13:53
  
  This article totally just saved my arse. Thanks a ton for posting it!
- Monica February 23rd, 2010 at 20:44
  
  This worked for me. You guys are amazing!!!!
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