Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack troubles

[ArielZusya]

I've got a problem and I think I know the source but I wanted to check in and
see first if I'm alone and second if I'm not, what others have done to solve
it.

Here's the problem: My employer just rolled out installation of the 2007
office compatibility pack from Microsoft to our entire user-base (apparently
they intend to upgrade users in waves over the next year to 2007 but for
users now using 2000 and 2003 they wanted to prepare us). I've written a
handful of applications in VBA (some in Excel and some in Access) which have
been useful for a number of people here at work. Since the "upgrade" this
last weekend to the compatibility pack, I've noticed some serious problems
and some less than serious problems. First, in word (a less than serious
problem) I've noticed that the little squiggly lines under misspelled words
are now randomly closer together for certain words in a document... instead
of seeing the vvvvvvvv under the misspelled word I'd see more like a darker
thicker red underline... though not through the document... just under random
words.

Then in excel, I've used the VBA function to suppress screen updates while
the code is running and then re-enable screen updates when the code
completes. This used to work really well. Post-update the system still
works though the menus and buttons across the top of the screen no longer
update when the code finishes running (something it used to do).

Finally, in access, I've noticed that on forms where I have a field for a
hyperlink, if the hyperlink is to a location locally (like ".\filename.doc")
I have no problem but if the link is to a web address (like
"http:\\www.google.com\") the font doesn't map right to the cursor location.
If I place the cursor in front of a given letter in the address and attempt
to change something I invariably select the wrong character (ie not the
character displayed on the screen as selected).

Our network techs had never seen anything like this before. They've offered
to uninstall the compatibility pack on my system... but this wouldn't help
anyone else. They've offered to install 2007 on my system now and not wait
for the rollout later but again, only helps me and not the users of my apps.
Before I capitulate to one of their whack-a-mole solutions I thought I'd
check with the board and see if anyone else has seen anything like this and
if anyone else has a solution to these problems. I'm intending to cross post
in an access.gettingstarted and a Word list as well... but if you have any
suggestions of where better than "prorgamming" to place this post, please
respond with that info as well. Thanks!

-Ariel

 

[Jim Rech]

All the compatibility pack does is allow Excel 2003 and 2002 to open and
save files in the new formats.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924074

Nothing else is changed as far as I know. I've had the pack installed since
it became available and have not encountered any problems I could attribute
to it. Certainly not the only Excel issue you cite, menu redrawing.

So I'm not so sure your problems are related to the pack, but anything is
possible. I did notice that the stock market dipped right after I installed
it...<g>

--
Jim
| I've got a problem and I think I know the source but I wanted to check in
and
| see first if I'm alone and second if I'm not, what others have done to
solve
| it.
|
| Here's the problem: My employer just rolled out installation of the 2007
| office compatibility pack from Microsoft to our entire user-base
(apparently
| they intend to upgrade users in waves over the next year to 2007 but for
| users now using 2000 and 2003 they wanted to prepare us). I've written a
| handful of applications in VBA (some in Excel and some in Access) which
have
| been useful for a number of people here at work. Since the "upgrade" this
| last weekend to the compatibility pack, I've noticed some serious problems
| and some less than serious problems. First, in word (a less than serious
| problem) I've noticed that the little squiggly lines under misspelled
words
| are now randomly closer together for certain words in a document...
instead
| of seeing the vvvvvvvv under the misspelled word I'd see more like a
darker
| thicker red underline... though not through the document... just under
random
| words.
|
| Then in excel, I've used the VBA function to suppress screen updates while
| the code is running and then re-enable screen updates when the code
| completes. This used to work really well. Post-update the system still
| works though the menus and buttons across the top of the screen no longer
| update when the code finishes running (something it used to do).
|
| Finally, in access, I've noticed that on forms where I have a field for a
| hyperlink, if the hyperlink is to a location locally (like
".\filename.doc")
| I have no problem but if the link is to a web address (like
| "http:\\www.google.com\") the font doesn't map right to the cursor
location.
| If I place the cursor in front of a given letter in the address and
attempt
| to change something I invariably select the wrong character (ie not the
| character displayed on the screen as selected).
|
| Our network techs had never seen anything like this before. They've
offered
| to uninstall the compatibility pack on my system... but this wouldn't help
| anyone else. They've offered to install 2007 on my system now and not
wait
| for the rollout later but again, only helps me and not the users of my
apps.
| Before I capitulate to one of their whack-a-mole solutions I thought I'd
| check with the board and see if anyone else has seen anything like this
and
| if anyone else has a solution to these problems. I'm intending to cross
post
| in an access.gettingstarted and a Word list as well... but if you have any
| suggestions of where better than "prorgamming" to place this post, please
| respond with that info as well. Thanks!
|
| -Ariel

 

[ArielZusya]

Alright... Looks like I've narrowed the problem down a bit. It seems that
the problem (at least much of the time) is related to the Calibri font. If I
understand correctly, Calibri is an OpenType which is now the default of
choice in Office2007 and was added to Windows with the Compatibility pack. I
do a lot of my coding at home on my 2007 system but write code for the office
computers using xp, and 2003. Until now it was not a problem. Now I find
that the office 2003 computers have trouble with Calibri post OCP while the
XP machines aren't struggling. Anyone have any idea why this might be and
how to fix it? Is this a graphics card problem or is this a problem with the
font? We've uninstalled the compatibility pack and that had no impact
(though admittedly it looks like it left the Calibri post uninstall of the
OCP. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!