MS Office problems....help for a new iMac owner

Hey Everyone

i have a MS Office (2008) problem ! if i try to open either Word, Entourage or Powerpoint , they wont open, al i get is the below message

Error Signature:
Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS
Date/Time: 2008-09-18 00:56:52 +0100
Application Name: Microsoft Word
Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Word
Application Signature: MSWD
Application Version: 12.0.0.071130
Crashed Module Name: OSServices
Crashed Module Version: unknown
Crashed Module Offset: 0x00021cec
Blame Module Name: OSServices
Blame Module Version: unknown
Blame Module Offset: 0x00021cec
Application LCID: 1033
Extra app info: Reg=en Loc=0x0409


I understand that i need to delete some corrupted file from the prefs folder but i'm not sure which folder/s to delete it from or if i need to delete 3 files as i need to fix the 3 applications

I've had a little search on the forum but only found an answer from 2007 that was a little wishy washy......i hope someone with a mighty brain for these things will be able to help and give me a proper idiots guide of what i need to do........imagine you're trying to explain it to your gran....thats me !!

PS i know they did work when i had the machine first and as far as i know they've not been used since
Also im using 10.5.5 os on an iMac 2.4 mhz
i have no install/restore discs for office stuff either

PLEASE HELP A WORRIED OLD BIDDY !!!
(you'll probably go to heaven for it)
thanks

Stoshy,

If I had the same problem, I would uninstall the entire MS Office 2008 program and re-install it. It's, as you suggest, probably some corrupted files doing this to you and it could be difficult to figure out which ones. Uninstalling and re-installing could take you less than an hour...

Save your docs folders in each program if you have any saved documents...

Good luck, Noel

Go to Home>Library>Preferences>MicrosoftOffice2008 and drag to the desktop Microsoft Office 2008 settings.plist or any other preference file you are having trouble with such as Excel etc.

Open Office 2008 and new preferences will be created. If all is okay trash the fil;es you moved to the desktop and empty trash.

If that fails, then as Noels suggest use the Uninstaller on the Cd, uninstall and do a clean install and update direct from Mactopia.

Thank you Chaps, i will try to go down the path of deleting prefs as i do not have the discs to reinstall the applications......i hope this works as i reallly dont want to spend money on buying the software again for something i hardly ever use !!!

Also would it be just the one pref file per application or are there several in Word, entourage etc ??

Download and install the free "App Cleaner", once you have it installed, launch it, and drag & drop the entire Office 2008 folder. It will bring with it any associated files.

AC is free and works great!