Microsoft Access can't be started.

Question

After an windows update this afternoon 11 No 2015, I have an error message Microsoft Access can't be started, Microsoft was unable to initialize the windows registry.  Rerun MS access or Office setup to reinstall MS Access.   The version is AC 97 that ran perfectly yesterday before the update , I attempted to run the install disk and got all sorts of errors and no install.  Anything that might help the situation, besides going back to a save point?  Excel 97 still works fine.

Answer 1

I hope one of you MVP's contacts MS and lets them know what they did with this upgrade.  I uninstalled 2007 and installed Office 97 in Safe Mode and Access opens in safe mode, but will not open in normal windows, all I get is an hour glass that never finishes.  Task manager indicates that the process is running, but the application does not open

Excel 97 and Word 97 don't work either.  All of 2000 works still.

All of my work in 97, won't transfer to 2000 as there are errors converting.

There should be a dll or something that can be changed to make it work.

I did a restore previous version, but that did not help.

Edit:

I wrote too early.  I attempted to open Excel2000 files this morning and got an error message an application must be installed to open this file, well I re-installed 2000 and they work currently

Answer 2

Tried that and it will still not open, but now I don't have and error message, just a "hour glass" icon that never ends.

I am updating as I write this and there were a bunch of updates to 2007 versions, including Access. unchecked them, however the damage has been done to the registry.  I attempted to reinstall Office 97 and the  Setup is unable to open the data file D:acmesetup.stf; run setup again from where you originally ran it.  Duh I installed it from the CD.

Anything else that might help me?

Answer 3

it is certainly possible that a Windows update may have changed something that affect a nearly 20 year old product! Support for Office 97 ended long ago. So I would not be surprised that the Windows update was not tested against Office 97. 

You can try doing a System Restore to restore your system to prior to the Update. Then not accept Windows updates until you upgrade Office.