Windows 7: side by side configuration error

when i try to open any of the office 2010 applications i get the message: the application failed to start because the side by side configuration is incorrect. does anyone know how to correct this? (this pc runs win vista home premium sp2)i did an SFC/scannow and there was nothing to report. i did a sxstrace and have the following output: INFO: Parsing Manifest File C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE.
INFO: Manifest Definition Identity is winword,processorArchitecture="X86",type="win32",version="14.0.5123.5000".
INFO: Reference: Microsoft.VC90.CRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",versio n="9.0.30729.1"
INFO: Resolving reference Microsoft.VC90.CRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",versio n="9.0.30729.1".
INFO: Resolving reference for ProcessorArchitecture x86.
INFO: Resolving reference for culture Neutral.
INFO: Applying Binding Policy.
INFO: Find publisher policy at C:\Windows\WinSxS\manifests\x86_policy.9.0.microsoft.vc90.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30304.0_none_7db1 e53ddcf5e248.manifest
INFO: No binding policy redirect found.
INFO: Begin assembly probing.
INFO: Did not find the assembly in WinSxS.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_32\Microsoft.VC90.CRT\9.0.30729.1__1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b\Microsoft.VC90.CRT.DLL.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Microsoft.VC90.CRT.DLL.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Microsoft.VC90.CRT.MANIFEST.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Microsoft.VC90.CRT\Microsoft.VC90.CRT.DLL.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Microsoft.VC90.CRT\Microsoft.VC90.CRT.MANIFEST.
INFO: Did not find manifest for culture Neutral.
INFO: End assembly probing.
ERROR: Cannot resolve reference Microsoft.VC90.CRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",versio n="9.0.30729.1".
ERROR: Activation Context generation failed.
End Activation Context Generation
i was wondering if installing MS visualc++ 2008 runtime would help.

i thought i would take a break from trying to get office to work, so, i installed CallofDuty Black Ops on the computer and the problem went away. it seem that the game had visualc++ 2010 reddistributable and by installing that it fixed the problem. odd isnt it?

Didn't you fix this back in December, the 28th to be precise?
MS office 2010 error: the application failed to start because the side by side configuration is incorrect

Still, it's good of you to share it.