"Please wait while Windows Configures Microsoft Office 2007" Message

This is the error I am getting while trying to access any office application. I tried installing Office Enterprises 2007 on a new HP laptop that came without any TRAIL office version (upon my request). Hence there was no problem in the installation. But thereafter:

1. When I try to open any word document, or excel or PowerPoint file by double clicking them, it opens a box with message saying “Please wait while Windows Configures Microsoft Office 2007”

2. When I open these office programs by going to Start > Programs > Microsoft Office. Still it gives me the save window with the above message.

3. But when I try to open these apps from their original installed location (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12) by clicking the .exe file, they open and work fine without any problem.

Any solution to fix this error please ?

Change the shortcuts in Start | Programs. They are bad. Create new shortcuts from the actual files. It solved the problem for me, though I still have the problem if I try to open the files directly, without first opening the programs.

No. I haven't seen a solution, and the posts on this go back to 2005. Did you manage to change your shortcuts so that you can at least open the programs without configuration? I'm hoping Windows 7 solves the problem. Or Office 2010!

Me too facing the same problem and yet not able to fix it. It is my new laptop that already came pre installed with Office Small Business 2007 full version (I paid for that). Since first day I got this laptop, am getting the same configuration error message whenever trying to launch any office program. Don’t know why it wants to configure everytime.

In order to fix it, I downloaded and installed Service Pack 2 but that too sounds useless. Any working solution for this issue ?

I have spent a month for this annoying error and finally managed to get rid of this. As I can see there are lots more people facing this, thought to share. One day suddenly when I launched one of my Word documents, I got the following error message: “window installer preparing to install Please wait while Windows configures Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007”.

As PatrModer told above, I created a shortcut for all office programs from their executable files, going to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12, right click word.exe and creat shortcut. I did this for all files but it was just helpful for opening a new document. Not a good and permanent solution.

Later I too tried downloading SP2 form but doesn’t worked. At last I came through this Microsoft file that finally fix the problem and I dint even required to repair or re-install office. You should give it a try as well.

This doesn't work for me : I have an Office 12 folder, not Office 14. I had this with the Enterprise version of Office 2007 and so I switched to Home version, with same problem.

It started happening now and again, but now it is with every single Word file I try to edit, including new files I try to create. I have tried everything and Microsoft does nothing but ask me to pay - I have paid enough, and this is a MS problem, not mine, and I have visited dozens of forums dealing with this problem and nobody has come up with a definitive solution.

I am now switching to Open Office, because that is OK, but why should I have to when I have paid for two versions of Office already? It is a serious problem that a large number of people appear to be experiencing, yet nobody takes it seriously.