I have a similar problem. My harddrive bit the dust so I'm in process of installing my older software tools on my Windows 7 replacement computer. I have a licensed copy of Word 97 and it installed without issue. What I am trying to do is install my Office 2003 UPGRADE. It won't proceed with install because it is seeking a 'validation' file on C:\ or on CD-ROM. Inserting the Word 97 CD does not do the trick. Pointing the install process to look on C:\ does not do the trick.

If I recall, there is a file I should copy to a specific place or folder on C:\ which will be acceptable to the Upgrade Setup routine.

Can you advise which file and where to place it? I'm not trying to cheat the system. I have some files and a relatively new mail merge database which I cannot access without an MS Office 2003 application.