OFF97: Convdsn.exe/Msvcirt.dll Error During Setup

• Microsoft Office 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you run the Setup program for Microsoft Office 97, you may receive the following error message near the end of the installation process, after all files have been copied to your hard disk:

   convdsn.exe - Unable to Locate DLL
   The dynamic link library MSVCIRT.dll could not be found in the
   specified path

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the following conditions are true:

• You have previously installed Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.2, on your computer.

  -and-

• You then removed Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.2, from your computer.

  -and-

• As a result of this, the file Msvcirt.dll is no longer located in either the Windows\System folder on your hard disk or in any other folder in your path.

WORKAROUND

To prevent this problem from occurring, either:

• Copy the Msvcirt.dll file from the Msdev\Redist folder of your Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.2, CD-ROM, into your Windows\System folder.

  -or-

• Copy the Msvcrt40.dll file from the root folder of your Microsoft Office 97 CD-ROM into your Windows\System folder.

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.

MORE INFORMATION

After the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program has copied all necessary files onto your computer's hard disk, it attempts to run the program Convdsn.exe. This program, located in the Windows\System folder, converts ODBC data source names (DSNs) so that they may be used by the programs included with Microsoft Office 97.

When you install Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.2, on your computer, the following two files are installed in your Windows\System folder:

   Msvcrt40.dll
   Msvcirt.dll

You can correct the problem in one of two ways:

• Copy the Msvcirt.dll file from the Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.2, CD-ROM into your Windows\System folder. Doing this will allow the call from Convdsn.exe to Msvcrt40.dll to Msvcirt.dll to work correctly, and the problem will not occur.

  -or-

• Copy the Msvcrt40.dll file from the Microsoft Office 97 CD-ROM, into your Windows\System folder. This version of Msvcrt40.dll does not need to call Msvcirt.dll, so the problem will not occur.