The windows installer service cannot update one or more protected windows files.

A quick tidbit for those that have come across this issue or may run in to this in the near future. I did a re-image today on a system and was boggled for a few minutes when I received the following error while trying to install Office 2007 Enterprise:

“The windows installer service cannot update one or more protected windows files.”

hmm… ok let’s try that again… Nope.. same error…

Ok time to take a look at the Event Viewer:

“Product: Microsoft Software Update for Web Folders (English) 12 — Error 193 The Windows Installer service cannot update one or more protected Windows files. SFP Error: -536870654.
List of protected files: C:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\web server extensions\40\bin\fp4autl.dll”

Weird… After checking this directory there happened to be no such dll file.
Ok then… here’s the Quick Fix:
download fp4autl.dll here

Then place it into the c:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\web server extensions\40\bin\ folder and then re-run the installation of office and you should be in business.

This has been a known issue since Office 2000 – you can check out the MS documentation here.

source

Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7

We highly recommend that you print this tutorial. Your PC will restart during the Windows 7 installation process, so having a printed copy will help you follow the steps if you’re unable to return to this webpage.

Step 5: Reinstall your programs and update drivers

After you’ve run Windows Easy Transfer and your files and settings are back on your computer, you can reinstall your programs and check for new or updated drivers.

Windows Easy Transfer provides a report detailing the programs you used in Windows XP that you might want to reinstall. To reinstall your programs, you’ll need to use the installation discs or setup files that you gathered earlier.

Step 4: Moving your files and settings back to your computer

After you’ve installed Windows 7, now you’re ready to run Windows Easy Transfer again and move your files and settings back to your computer.

Be sure you run Windows Easy Transfer before you reinstall your programs. That’s because Windows Easy Transfer moves your files back to where your old programs will expect them to be when you reinstall them.

Step 3: Installing Windows 7

When you choose the Custom option during installation, you install a new copy of Windows on your PC.

The options for Windows 7 installation

Step 2: Moving files and settings, and gathering your program discs

We recommend using Windows Easy Transfer, a free download, to help you move your files and settings to another location before you install Windows 7. Then, you can use Windows Easy Transfer again to move your files and settings back to your PC after Windows installation is completed.

If you don’t use Windows Easy Transfer, you’ll need to copy your files manually to an external location, such as CDs, DVDs, an external hard disk, or a USB flash drive before installing Windows 7, and then move them back after Windows installation is completed.

Windows Easy Transfer helps simplify moving your files and settings.

Windows Easy Transfer creates a single file containing your files and settings. The file could be quite large depending on the amount of data you have, which is why we recommend

Step 1: Download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

To help find potential compatibility problems with your computer’s hardware, devices, or programs that might affect installing Windows 7, download and run the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. It provides a report listing any issues that it finds and gives recommendations on what to do before you upgrade to improve your PC’s compatibility with Windows 7.

Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7

We highly recommend that you print this tutorial. Your computer will restart during the Windows 7 installation process, so having a printed copy will help you follow the steps if you can’t return to this webpage.

The Upgrade option moves your files, settings, and programs from Windows Vista to

Install and Create a Virtual Machine

Introduction:

Virtual machine technology is gaining in popularity daily. The latest version (at the time of this writing) is called Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 and is offered as a free download. When installed, users can run multiple operating systems on a single computer and can quickly switch between these applications with the click of a mouse button.

Access a Windows Live Hotmail Account with Outlook

Select Tools | E-mail Accounts… from the menu in Outlook

• Make sure you have an subscription for the Windows Live Hotmail account you want to access offline.
• Select