"Unable to Show Program Manager Group" Error During Setup

• Microsoft Office for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.2, 4.3
• Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, version 4.0, 4.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Works for Windows, version 3.0
• Microsoft Access, version 2.0
• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SYMPTOMS

When you run the Setup program for one of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, you may receive the following error message multiple times at the end of Setup

   Unable to show Program Manager group : '<group name>'

You receive this error message one time for each item that the Setup program attempts to add to the group. Additionally, the program icons are added to the active group in Program Manager.

Note that this behavior does not affect the functionality of the program. The Setup program is completed successfully.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you do either of the following:

• You enter an invalid program manager group name in the dialog box that prompts you to select a group to contain the program icons. For example, if you enter the group name "\", the Setup program continues and the program files are copied to your computer. However, when the Setup program switches to Program Manager to create the group, you receive the error message.

  -or-

• If the maximum number of program groups is reached and no new groups can be created. In Microsoft Windows 3.1 you will receive this error message if you have 40 program groups.

WORKAROUND

If the above error message was caused by an invalid character in the group name, use Method 1. If the error message was caused because there are too many program groups, use Method 2.

Method 1: To avoid receiving this error message, enter a valid Program

          Manager group name, or select an existing group when the Setup
          program prompts you to select a group to contain your program
          icons.

          Note that valid names must include an alphabetic or numeric
          character. For example, the name "\" is not valid, but "\test" is
          a valid name.

          If the Setup program adds your program icons to the incorrect
          group, create a new group in Program Manager and drag the program
          icons to this new group.

          1. Press ALT+TAB to return to Program Manager.

          2. Identify at least one group that you can move the icons from.

          3. Move the icons from the identified group to another program
             group.

          4. Delete the now empty program group.

          5. Press ALT+TAB until you see the Office Setup screen.

          6. Click the Continue button.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the number of groups allowed in Program Manager, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q87320
   TITLE     : Program Manager Limit on the Number of Items and Groups