Office 4.3c: "Bad System Value in INF File" Error During Setup

• Microsoft Office for Windows, version 4.3c

SYMPTOMS

When you run the Microsoft Office Setup program, you may receive one of the following error messages:

   Bad system value in INF file

   -or-

   Bad first character on inf line

   -or-

   Bad System Value in INF File Description Line

CAUSE

This problem occurs if you choose to install Microsoft Excel to a directory that contains Microsoft Excel version 4.0, and you choose to update the existing version.

The error also occurs if you have had an unsuccessful installation of Microsoft Excel 5.0c and any files remain in the directory location. Removing the directory prior to attempting a new install prevents this error message.

The error message is caused by an incorrect line in the [XL4 Q+E Files] section of the SETUP.INF file. This line is used only when you install Microsoft Excel 5.0c (using Microsoft Office version 4.3c Setup) to a directory that contains Microsoft Excel 4.0 files, so that the previous Microsoft Excel files are removed during installation.

WORKAROUNDS

To work around this problem, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Run the Microsoft Office Setup again, and install Microsoft Excel

          to a new directory that does not contain any files. You should
          delete the old target directory (for example, MSOFFICE), the
          ~MSSTFQF.T directory and any of its subdirectories.

          a. Make a backup copy of SETUP.INF.

          b. Open the SETUP.INF file in a text editor such as Microsoft
             Write and when you are prompted, choose "No Conversion". This
             file is located on Disk 1 of the Microsoft Office 4.3c Setup
             disks. Note: the file is too large to be opened in Notepad.

          c. Search for the string "system ," (without the quotation
             marks). Note the space between the word "system" and the
             comma. This string "system ," is found in the [XL4 Q+E Files]
             section.

          d. Delete the space between the word "system" and the comma.

          e. Save the SETUP.INF file as text, and run the Microsoft Office
             setup program again.

             Note: in some cases, when you attempt to save the SETUP.INF
             file in Write after modifying it, you will receive the error
             message "Not enough disk space." To workaround this issue
             temporarily, move the WDREADME.HLP file to your hard drive,
             then resave the SETUP.INF file to disk 1. When that is
             complete, move the WDREADME.HLP file back to disk 1 and the
             setup will proceed without error.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.