Microsoft Word 2003 crashes when opened. HELP please

The error occurs because required ODBC registry keys are missing or damaged. Restoring or reinstalling the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) and repairing the ODBC registry keys resolves Error 1919 during Office/Word 2003 setup.

Follow one of these resolution methods (for the affected Windows version):

1. Install or repair MDAC 2.8
   • Install MDAC 2.8, which restores the missing ODBC components and registry keys.
   • After installation, restart the computer and log on with an account that has administrative credentials.
   • MDAC 2.8 is also installed by Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). On Windows XP, installing SP2 instead of a standalone MDAC package also resolves the issue.
2. Reset MDAC/ODBC registry keys using Mdac.inf (retail Windows XP/Server 2003)
   1. Select Start → Run, type path\inf (for example, C:\Windows\Inf or C:\Winnt\Inf), then select OK.
   2. In Folder Options → View, enable “Show hidden files and folders,” then select OK.
   3. In that folder, right‑click Mdac.inf and select Install.
   4. If prompted for the Windows CD, insert it and, when asked for the source, select the I386 folder (for example, C:\I386). If the I386 folder is under the Windows folder and cannot be selected directly, type the full path (for example, C:\Windows\I386 or C:\Winnt\I386) in the Copy files from box and select OK.
   5. Restart the computer.
3. For OEM Windows XP: fix Setup source paths, then install Mdac.inf Step 1 – Correct the I386 source path in the registry:
   1. Locate the I386 folder on the hard disk and note its full path.
   2. Select Start → Run, type regedit, then select OK.
   3. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup
   4. Modify these entries so that their Value data is the full path to the I386 folder:
      • Installation Sources
      • SourcePath
      • ServicePackSourcePath
   5. Close Registry Editor.
   Step 2 – Reinstall MDAC from Mdac.inf:
   1. Select Start → Run, type C:\Winnt\Inf (or the correct Windows\Inf path), then select OK.
   2. In Folder Options → View, enable “Show hidden files and folders,” then select OK.
   3. Right‑click Mdac.inf and select Install.
4. Import ODBC registry keys from a working computer (same OS) Use this only if MDAC reinstall does not resolve the issue and a second machine with the same Windows version is available. Part 1 – Export from the source computer:
   1. On a working computer, run regedit.
   2. Export these keys (File → Export) to .reg files:
      • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ODBC
      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ODBC
   Part 2 – Import to the affected computer:
   1. Copy the exported .reg files to the problem computer.
   2. Run regedit, then use Registry → Import to import each .reg file.

After completing one of the methods above, rerun the Office/Word 2003 setup. Error 1919 for “Visual FoxPro Database” and similar ODBC data source messages should no longer appear.

Note: Editing the registry carries risk. Back up the registry before making changes and restore it if any problem occurs. For details, see How to back up and restore the registry in Windows.

References:

• "Error 1919. Error configuring ODBC data source" when you run the Setup program for Office