Windows boot problem

[#1]

For quite a long time now I am having a boot issue with a Windows Installer pop-up, that shows almost at the end of the boot sequence. The installer has a "Cancel" option that I press, this however can take up to 5 or 6 minutes before it is replaced by another Installer box with a progress bar moving backward (to uninstall) for Office XP configuration, this is replaced by a repeat of the previous Windows Installer box that disappears very quickly when cancelled.
During this process the whole PC slows down to a crawl until the last item to boot is completed, that being my on-screen Sticky Notes (7 Sticky Notes programme title not the number of notes)
I suspect the 7 Sticky Notes has something to do with the installer pop-up as if I edit or add a sticky note the installer is always activated.
Any ideas how to stop it please?

[#2]

Have you tried to Run Msconfig , too see what you have run at start up ?
http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/msconfig_win7.html

[#3]

Thank you rongtw. I looked in the link you provided, and closed some start up programmes QuickTime,and Real Player and a few others. However there was no mention of a Windows installer.
I did though take a look in the other tabs in msconfig. whilst on the principle if unsure don't touch anything, in the services tab there is a Windows installer but I didn't close it.
On restart, boot to desktop was quite a bit quicker, the Windows installer pop up was still there but much much quicker to stop. I guess (?) that the installer is looking for the MS Office disc (which I don't have) Well, I do have it, but there is a product key problem, the MS Office on this PC may have been installed using a different disc and different key.. Key finder software finds the key for the disc (exactly) but I can't get past the key input stage. Previous requests for info here suggests the key has been corrupted.

[#4]

Probably a silly question, but have you tried letting the Windows installer process finish? Of course it'll keep coming back each time if you keep cancelling it!

[#5]

Not a silly question ejs. I must rather sheepishly say no I haven't. Having not requested an install it seemed to me that cancelling it was the thing to do.
But I will try it now.
Shutting down.

[#6]

Sorry to be so long had to go off to work.
From re-boot everything happened as the OP, when the back rolling progress bar (that I usually cancel) left to its own devices simply repeated itself several times. When I finally cancelled it it got a box headed "MicrosoftOffice XP Professional with FrontPage.
It had the yellow triangle with exclamation mark and the following message:
Error 1402. Setup cannot open the registry key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Optional\Components\MAIL
Verify that you havesufficent permissions to access the registry or contact Microsoft Product Support.
Services (PSS) for assistance about how to contact PSS: see C:\Program Files\MicrosoftOffice\Office10\1033\PSS10RCHM

[#7]

Maybe try to uninstall MS office , then a reinstall

[#8]

You could try logging in as a user with Administrator rights, if you don't usually, and see if that helps it complete the configuration process.

[#9]

Tried that, didn't help.
Googled Error 1402 and met with dire warnings of tinkering in the registry. And several linked fixes none of which would run on my PC.

[#10]

start your pc in safe mode,
run msconfig.exe under services tab look for the office entries and uncheck them, under the start-up tab uncheck the office entries, click apply then ok then restart,
once your into the pc normally insert the office cd into the drive and run the setup.exe in admin mode, tell it to repair the FrontPage installation with setting of run all from pc(if the option or repair or modify doesn't show up then select just FrontPage and uninstall it then reinstall it as run all from pc if you need it), let it work and then do all the updates required (you will probably have to launch front page for that to trigger its updates)
after a reboot or 20  it should have installed all the relevant updates and start working normally but you might want to change the update settings from automatic to do not check (under the updates tab, change settings, do not check for office updates)

it might be time to upgrade that ancient version of office to something more recent as M$ has already said it its pulling all support for it some time ago, failing that install it on a stand alone machine (not networked) and use a usb stick to swap files across to the internet connected machine.

hope you get it fixed

oh and if all that doesn't work because of the regkey entry security problem, you can run regedit, locate the key (ctl+f to search registry) right click go to properties and then security and give yourself full control, but you will need to be in safe mode for this to work, then save and reboot normally

[#11]

Thank you but from earlier post:

Quote from: Petlew

On restart, boot to desktop was quite a bit quicker, the Windows installer pop up was still there but much much quicker to stop. I guess (?) that the installer is looking for the MS Office disc (which I don't have) Well, I do have it, but there is a product key problem, the MS Office on this PC may have been installed using a different disc and different key.. Key finder software finds the key for the disc (exactly) but I can't get past the key input stage. Previous requests for info here suggests the key has been corrupted.

[#12]

your options then are limited to discovering what your current installed key is and seeing if that works or uninstalling the whole of office from your pc running reg cleaner to get rid of any remaining traces and then re installing with the disc and its associated key or trying to open the product activation page and changing the key
of course you might have problems activating office if you do that so you might need to change the registry entry to dupe the system into believing its been activated
the only time I ever had a problem like that was the original program was installed with a VLK by the OEM and the disk they supplied was the standard retail (was only a problem after performing a factory reset)  and I ended up getting the proper serial numbers through a program called belarc advisor http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html which let me get round the "hiccup"

[#13]

My grateful thanks to those who responded.
I have decided after many years of using and having a sentimental attachment to MS Office components to ditch it in favour of either Open Office or Libre Office and currently have both installed for comparison purposes <they are very alike> one will be uninstalled at a later date.
If anyone has a recommendation which one to keep please let me know.
In the mean time, following advice here in "msconfig" I have amongst a number of others removed MS Office from the startup list (I haven't yet taken the plunge to uninstall it altogether yet as with the disc product key problem I have uninstall will be a one way route) Not only has my PC taken on a new lease of life speedwise but has largely removed the problem with Windows Installer, it hasn't gone away completely as the Installer box still pops up for a few seconds, but everything else that followed the in the OP has gone. So I am mostly satisfied.
However, I do have a question about msconfig use. I unticked many items, followed the instructions to restart. after boot back to the desktop I noticed that those items unticked in msconfig had had their ticks reinstated. Does this seem right to you? does any alteration to msconfig only last for one usage?