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MS Office Updates

gav on 2004-09-15T14:36:12

The automatic Windows Update tool installed yet more security patches and popped up a message saying that I should go to Office Update. I didn't even know such a thing existed but it seems that that it's a separate thing instead of being part of Windows Update, which would be too convenient. It lets me know that I am running Office 2000 SR-1 and that SR-3 is now out, plus a bunch of patches that need SR-3 that stop people sending you documents that include viruses. So it sits there downloading 30 meg of updates and starts installing.

Now it wants the Office Professional CD. Ok, I'll waste 15 minutes hunting around for it. Now it's complaining that it's not the right CD, because it wants Office SR-1 and the CD has the original Office on it. That's because I never had a SR-1 CD you idiots. I downloaded the update. So it won't install. Bastards.

I guess I'll have to make Microsoft a little richer and spend $200 or so Office 2003.

Another alternative

VSarkiss on 2004-09-15T14:47:09

That was exactly the kind of expensive rigamarole that finally drove me to Open Office. So far I'm pretty happy with it. Give it a whirl.

Re:Another alternative

gav on 2004-09-15T15:19:02

I'd love to use OO or AbiWord or a non-MS alternative but:
  • I need Access
  • I need to guarantee 100% compatibility with clients sending Office files
  • I need some of the Word features like revisions and track changes to work
Until OO can manage this, I'm stuck with MS Office :(

Re:Another alternative

vsergu on 2004-09-15T16:37:13

Does using MS Office guarantee 100% compatibility with clients sending Office files, if they're not using the same version and platform?

Re:Another alternative

VSarkiss on 2004-09-15T18:37:32

Yep, I understand. MS Word's only good feature is the indispensable one: it'll open just about any other MS Word document.

Re:Another alternative

grantm on 2004-09-15T19:08:46

MS Word's only good feature ... it'll open just about any other MS Word document.

I certainly have not found that to be the case at all. Older versions of Word generally won't open files saved from newer versions. Also the default install of Office 2000 does not install the conversion tools to read older versions. Sure, it's possible to change the defaults or go back and install them later, but most people don't.

And don't even get me started on migrating from Microsoft Works to MS Word.