Fix Office Setup Error 1324

The following error messages may be displayed on your Windows computer when you try to install Microsoft Office 2002, XP, or 2003:

"Error 1324. The folder path 'UserName/All Users' contains an invalid character."

"Error 1324. The folder path 'FullFolderPath' contains an invalid character."

Cause of the Error

These error messages are generated if there are invalid characters within the Windows Registry.

Resolution Methods

You can use one of the following methods to resolve this error message.

Method 1: Edit the Registry to Delete the Invalid Character From It

Warning: The registry is an essential component of your Windows operating system. This is the reason why, you must be very careful while editing the registry of your computer. It is recommended that before proceeding with any changes, you backup the registry. You can do this either by using the File > Export option in the Registry Editor tool or by using a good third-party registry tool.

To resolve the 1324 error, in the registry, you need to locate all instances of the invalid character reported in the error message and replace it with the correct character. To do this, perform the following steps:

  1. On the Start menu, select Run, type regedit, and then press Enter.
  2. In the Registry Editor window, open the Edit menu and then select Find.
  3. Type the reported invalid character in the Find what box and then click the Find Next button.
  4. When the invalid string is detected and reported, change it to correct string and press F3 to continue searching the registry.
  5. Use the Find command to replace all instances of invalid character with the correct character in the registry.
  6. Exit the Registry Editor.
  7. Restart your computer.
  8. Try to install Office again.

Many users may find making direct changes to the registry a bit confusing. For such users, it is recommended that you get a simple-to-use registry cleaner tool, such as RegServe to scan, repair and clean your registry and repair any errors that are generated due to the existence of invalid information within the registry.

Method 2: Login to the System Using a Different User Profile and then Run the Office Setup

If you are using user profiles on a Windows 98 or Windows ME computer, then error 1324 may occur if the profile you are using on the computer is corrupt.

If this is the case, try to log on to the PC using another profile and then run the Office setup. If you are able to install Office using another profile, then it implies that the other profile is corrupt and you may have to delete and recreate this corrupt profile.

To delete the existing profile, perform the following steps:

  1. On the Start menu, select Run, type regedit, and then press Enter.
  2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following registry key:

    3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

  3. Here, delete the keys related to the user profile you are trying to remove.

    4. Note: In case you want to remove all profiles, delete the ProfileList key.

  4. Open Windows Explorer and remove the problematic Windows\Profiles\User_name.

Note: In case you want to remove all profiles, delete the Profiles folder.