microsoft office 2003

Office 2003

5:03PM Sarah Stokely | On Friday we told you about a problem with a Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3, which blocked a number of old file formats which Microsoft claimed were insecure. CNET reports that Microsoft has since admitted its previous security advisory was incorrect, and has responded to the issue by releasing four downloadable updates to unlock the file formats for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and CorelDraw file types. Microsoft had originally suggested a manual registry fix for affected users. More »

Fix file compatibility issues in Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

10:53AM Sarah Stokely | Users of Microsoft Office 2003 who upgraded to Service Pack 3 (released in September) will strike compatibility problems with certain office documents, according to information that surfaced just last week. The service pack makes a range of older Word, Excel,PowerPoint and Corel Draw documents inaccessible. These include Word 6.0, Word 97 for Windows and Word 2004 for Macintosh.According to a CNET report, users were given no warning of the effects when they downloaded SP3, and the changes were revealed in a Microsoft support document which was published on its website in December. Microsoft released a workaround, KB 938810, for the problem. This document also has a full list of the blocked file formats, so you can check to see if your older files will be affected. The workaround (described by one slashdotter as “mindbogglingly complex“) involves modifying the registry, so ensure you backup the registry before proceeding! More »