# Word 2007: Please wait while setup prepares the necessary files **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2007-please-wait-while-setup-prepares-the-necessary-files/600312 "2011-10-21T00:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2007-please-wait-while-setup-prepares-the-necessary-files/600312/1 "2011-10-21T00:31:38Z")
I have Office 2007 and 2003 installed on the same machine, which is not supposed to be a problem. Every once in a while when I start Word 2007, it gives the above message and takes a few minutes to finish and start. I haven’t paid enough attention to notice a pattern but I think this happens after I run Word 2003 then go back to run 2007. Is there any way to avoid this? ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2007-please-wait-while-setup-prepares-the-necessary-files/600312/2 "2011-10-21T03:08:31Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I have Office 2007 and 2003 installed on the same machine, which is not supposed to be a problem. Every once in a while when I start Word 2007, it gives the above message and takes a few minutes to finish and start. I haven’t paid enough attention to notice a pattern but I think this happens after I run Word 2003 then go back to run 2007. > > Is there any way to avoid this? It’s rewriting registry entries. I had the same problem when I had both installed. Do you need both for some reason? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2007-please-wait-while-setup-prepares-the-necessary-files/600312/3 "2011-10-21T10:28:49Z")
The easiest way to do it successfully is to put the one you use least often into a virtual machine. That way, the two registries are completely separate. You can also accomplish this by using [Sandboxie](http://www.sandboxie.com/). Run one of the programs in the sandbox, and the other outside of it. I do this often when I need to install an old version of a piece of software for quick use. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2007-please-wait-while-setup-prepares-the-necessary-files/600312/4 "2011-10-21T12:07:20Z")
> [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](#): > > It’s rewriting registry entries. I had the same problem when I had both installed. Do you need both for some reason? The only thing that I actually need from 2003 is Excel. I could drop Word. When I first installed 2007 I kept it around for reference because it took me so long to get acclimated to The Ribbon. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-2007-please-wait-while-setup-prepares-the-necessary-files/600312/5 "2011-10-21T13:17:20Z")
I remember running into the same problem as the OP, and fixed it with a registry hack suggested elsewhere online. I don’t have my notes to hand right now, but as I recall it was either the command lines given in the SOLUTION part of [this page](http://computerboom.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-to-office-2003-and-office-2007-on.html), or something very similar. So I would suggest trying that and reporting back – if the above fix doesn’t work I will delve deeper this weekend to find out what **did** work for me. It was indeed an annoying problem that never ought to have existed, but the fix was easy. _[That would have been on Windows XP, by the way – I haven’t tried dual-running Word 2003 and 2007 on Windows 7.]_