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RE: Office 2003 update: a Support perspective
I worked for Microsoft in Word Support for eight years in the 1990s, (some of you may have spoken to "Hafiz") and can tell you that changes like this are not made frivolously or without significant debate among the development staff and the support staff who have to bear the brunt of users' upsets and loss of functionality. Given the cluelessness of the average user and the security risk of the older formats, I'm sure this was deemed, on balance, the most prudent action. I really doubt that it was driven by marketing, to be honest. Even if the "marketing slimes" (which is what we called them in Support) had asked for such a change, the support headache would not have justified the loss of functionality merely for the sake of forcing users to new licenses.

In looking at the KB article 938810, the fix is NOT "mind-bogglingly complex." True, changing registry keys is not kid stuff, but the directions are clear. Furthermore, you can export the changed registry keys to a portable .REG file and duplicate the changes on any machine by simply double-clicking the .REG file.

Furthermore, there IS a user interface, in Method 1: "Use the Administrative Templates to set the registry keys."


Thanks for listening.
Posted by: hafizullah@...   Posted on: 01/04/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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It's not the formats that are a security risk  say_what | 01/03/08
Well, how about that!  say_what | 01/05/08
RE: Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  WNelWeb | 01/03/08
This only effects office versions 97 and prior. I DONT CARE  pcguy777 | 01/04/08
So basically it doesn't matter because "You're all right, Jack!"  Zogg | 01/04/08
You're not entirely correct. In fact, not even close.  TechinMN | 01/04/08
Doesn't affect you?  WNelWeb | 01/06/08
WRONG  marpincan@... | 01/15/08
LMAO  galileon | 01/03/08
Technically  Michael Kelly | 01/03/08
NAA  marpincan@... | 01/15/08
Hmmm....  Cardinal_Bill | 01/03/08
Huh?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/03/08
What's your point?  say_what | 01/03/08
Interesting...  DNSB | 01/07/08
Sounds like M$  DarthRidiculous | 01/03/08
You have that backwards.  osreinstall | 01/03/08
its office 97 .. whatever dood.. lulz  pcguy777 | 01/04/08
Lots of files archived in 97 format.  osreinstall | 01/04/08
Open Data Formats 1 Closed Data Formats 0  deaf_e_kate | 01/03/08
Man I wish you guys would buy a clue  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/03/08
Oh puhleeeze, No-Ax!  say_what | 01/03/08
What he refuses...  Cardinal_Bill | 01/03/08
ya.. but who wants office 97. Seriously  pcguy777 | 01/04/08
ever heard of  galileon | 01/04/08
We do.  DNSB | 01/07/08
re: Oh puhleeeze, No-Ax  deaf_e_kate | 01/04/08
sarcasm  janitorman | 01/05/08
You are thinking of Mike Cox  deaf_e_kate | 01/05/08
So...  ego.sum.stig@... | 01/03/08
Want to check MS's current explanation now????  deaf_e_kate | 01/05/08
Remind me again...  say_what | 01/03/08
Score one against proprietary software.  kraterz | 01/03/08
RE: Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  AtomicFusion | 01/03/08
RE: Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  Charlen595@... | 01/04/08
RE: Office 2003 update: a Support perspective  hafizullah@... | 01/04/08
messing around with the registry keys: a user perspective  rabidsamfan | 01/04/08
It's not the changing  DNSB | 01/07/08
Stabbed...  hjk4300 | 01/04/08
So keep an original release Office CD for emergencies  Palmetto | 01/04/08
Or open the older file in OpenOffice.org  Palmetto | 01/04/08
Gots questions for you...  Cardinal_Bill | 01/04/08
Gots to bounce dem off Billy-Bob  Palmetto | 01/04/08
Just don't install the update.  osreinstall | 01/05/08
Ahem...  Cardinal_Bill | 01/05/08
Anytime I want.  osreinstall | 01/05/08
RE: Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  TCO . | 01/04/08
It's wrong of Microsoft, but it's not destroyed like another Zdnet writer  Boot_Agnostic | 01/04/08
Are Office Users going to be out of luck?  Dumber_z | 01/04/08
Loverock Davidson,  galileon | 01/04/08
RE: Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  jswedenburg@... | 01/04/08
Very Good Thing(tm) for OpenOffice  galileon | 01/05/08
MS has posted fix  TechTeach_z | 01/05/08
OfficeOffice, StarOffice will open older formats  ben.rattigan | 01/07/08
Why?  B9Girl | 01/07/08
MS goofs again  mwei | 01/07/08
Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  mwei | 01/07/08
RE: Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  DABaker1956 | 01/07/08
Legal Firms to Sue MS?  wwwsupport | 01/08/08
Microsoft Sales Fraud  reinierschaap@... | 01/08/08
RE: Office 2003 update blocks older file formats  rybskip@... | 01/08/08
Typical MS  marpincan@... | 01/15/08

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