Office 2003 SP3 blocks documents created in earlier version

[Richard]

After we pushed out Office 2003 SP3 to our client PCs, our users are getting
this error message "You are attempting to open a file that was crated in an
earlier version of MS office. This file type is blocked...". Would like to
know if Microsoft have released a fix for this problem without me messing
with the registry settings for our machine in KB 922849.

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

I don't work for Microsoft, but I doubt you will see a patch/fix that
reverses the new security enhancements around legacy file types. SP3
permits Microsoft to bolster the position that the product is more secure
out of the box with this service pack and that each site needs to implement
the registry keys via a group policy object (or some other means) to allow
for whatever backward compatibility that is needed.

 

[gcamp0730]

I am willing to make the registry changes, but the keys do not exist
in the registry and creating them did no good. Microsoft's true fix
is to open each document on a computer without SP3 and resave it. I
have one user alone with 4000 documents in this situation. I'm not
about to go there.

This article shows you what registry changes to make:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938810/

 

[gcamp0730]

Here are the changes to unblock everything (copy/paste into a .reg
file and double-click the file)

---- BEGIN ----
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"LotusandQuattroFiles"=dword:00000000
"DifandSylkFiles"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"FilesBeforePowerPoint97"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security
\FileSaveBlock]
"Converters"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"FilesBeforeVersion"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters
\Import\CDR]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

---- END ----

 

[dberwanger]

After we pushed out Office 2003 SP3 to our client PCs, our users are getting
this error message "You are attempting to open a file that was crated in an
earlier version of MS office. This file type is blocked...". Would like to
know if Microsoft have released a fix for this problem without me messing
with the registry settings for our machine in KB 922849.

I had this problem; followed the instructions at the end of this
thread as well as MS Knowledge Base articles 922849 and 938810.
Nothing worked so I called MS support who informed me that it would
cost $250 to fix a problem with SP3 that they created.

Finally completely unstalled Word 2003 and reinstalled (because you
cannot just uninstall SP3) and the problem is fixed.

The REALLY irritating thing is that the reason I had to install SP3 to
begin with was to fix an OUTLOOK problem. SP3 doesn't give you an
option as to what to patch.

 

[Jason.Svanda]

I had this problem; followed the instructions at the end of this
thread as well as MS Knowledge Base articles 922849 and 938810.
Nothing worked so I called MS support who informed me that it would
cost $250 to fix a problem with SP3 that they created.

Finally completely unstalled Word 2003 and reinstalled (because you
cannot just uninstall SP3) and the problem is fixed.

The REALLY irritating thing is that the reason I had to install SP3 to
begin with was to fix an OUTLOOK problem. SP3 doesn't give you an
option as to what to patch.

I was able to resolve the problem with Word by creating/adding the
registry entries.

 

[mn_manager]

Richard,

I have been researching this area recently. If you go to
"http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923618", and read about the 'known issues'
it will tell you about the '13' issues that you can do something about.

Rgds

mn_manager

 

[TaurArian]

David LeBlanc's Web Log : Office SP3 and File formats:
http://blogs.msdn.com/david_leblanc/archive/2008/01/04/office-sp3-and-file-formats.aspx

--
====================================
TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Australia
====================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
http://taurarian.mvps.org/index.htm
Emails will not be acknowledged - please post to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco


| Richard,
|
| I have been researching this area recently. If you go to
| "http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923618", and read about the 'known issues'
| it will tell you about the '13' issues that you can do something about.
|
| Rgds
|
| mn_manager
|
| "Richard" wrote:
|
| > After we pushed out Office 2003 SP3 to our client PCs, our users are getting
| > this error message "You are attempting to open a file that was crated in an
| > earlier version of MS office. This file type is blocked...". Would like to
| > know if Microsoft have released a fix for this problem without me messing
| > with the registry settings for our machine in KB 922849.

 

[NJCutie]

Where in the registry do you paste the info below?

I'd hate to have to create a new exempt directory for each subfolder, per
the instructions in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922849.

Thanks!

 

[WayneBR]

Have you seen this kb?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938810/
--
wayneBR

Where in the registry do you paste the info below?

I'd hate to have to create a new exempt directory for each subfolder, per
the instructions in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922849.

Thanks!

Here are the changes to unblock everything (copy/paste into a .reg
file and double-click the file)

---- BEGIN ----
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"LotusandQuattroFiles"=dword:00000000
"DifandSylkFiles"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"FilesBeforePowerPoint97"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security
\FileSaveBlock]
"Converters"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"FilesBeforeVersion"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters
\Import\CDR]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

---- END ----

 

[NJCutie]

No, I hadn't! THANK YOU!

Have you seen this kb?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938810/
--
wayneBR

Where in the registry do you paste the info below?

I'd hate to have to create a new exempt directory for each subfolder, per
the instructions in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922849.

Thanks!

Here are the changes to unblock everything (copy/paste into a .reg
file and double-click the file)

---- BEGIN ----
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"LotusandQuattroFiles"=dword:00000000
"DifandSylkFiles"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"FilesBeforePowerPoint97"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security
\FileSaveBlock]
"Converters"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security
\FileOpenBlock]
"FilesBeforeVersion"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters
\Import\CDR]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

---- END ----