[General Questions and Answers] xpcomputers:
Final update.

Thanks everyone for your help. I have finally got it all sorted. It turns

out I probably WAS being overly paranoid (but better that, than losing all my

data because I didn't think first!).

What I did:

1) I got a trial copy of SPB Backup for my Phone. (you get 5 runs of the

program before you have to buy - but I will be buying it anyway as I am very

impressed with it). The big advantage of this program is that it can be

installed directly on the storage card which some others can't. It could even

be downloaded as a CAB file (directly in Pocket Internet Explorer) and

executed on the device directly without needing an ActiveSync install. This

was the clincher for me, as I needed to take a backup before running

ActiveSync.

2) Took backups of the phone with SPB and of the PST files from Outlook.

3) Tried an ActiveSync with Outlook in reduced functionality mode. It worked

mostly fine. Came up with some "support code 1" errors for a handful of

contacts, but nothing major. So it appears that ActiveSync mostly works fine

with reduced functionality mode (hence I was probably being paranoid for not

trying this sooner!).

4) With the phone & Outlook now back up to date, there was less of an issue

as to what happened next. However I decided to see which bit of the various

instructions solved my problem. I did this by trying them bit by bit, and

testing with re-activation, re-install, detect & repair etc at every stage.

By process of elimination, I found out that removing the program files folder

made no difference, as did deleting the two Office reg key branches. The

crucial part was the Windows Installer Cleanup. So I restored all the reg and

program files back as they were before the tests, and ONLY ran the Windows

Installer Cleanup program.

5) I was then able to re-install Office over the top of itself, and I was

pleased to note that by keeping the files and reg keys all my settings were

retained.

6) Office happily Activated by the Internet. Hurray!

7) Connected to "Microsoft Update" to get SP3 and all subsequent updates &

patches for Office (re-installing over itself loses all the updates

previously installed)

8) Checked my email accounts, rules, etc and ActiveSync are still working

correctly. Which they are!

So, it seems that if I'd had the guts to go for it, I could have JUST done

the Windows Installer Cleanup trick keeping everything else intact ready to

sync. OR equally I could have just run ActiveSync to get the up to date and

them blown Office all away for a complete re-install. As it happens I am VERY

pleased with the route I took and the end outcome. It is far better than my

expectations of the hassles I would face. The hardest part was gathering all

the information to make me happy enough to proceed... oh and finding the

guts! The actual re-install was totally painless.

Anyway, I hope my findings of using JUST Windows Installer Cleanup, help

someone else who wants to try keeping their settings in the future.

I also hope my findings that ActiveSync mostly works in reduced

functionality mode, also helps others.

Anyway, so thank you to everyone who patiently shared their knowledge with

me. Without you all I would have gone into a flat-spin and struggled to get

my head round it all.

Thanks again