Potential MAJOR bug in KB969604?

[Graham Mayor]

Excellent - now all I have to do is find the KB969604 patch to reinstall
before I can fix it

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You can go to Control Panel | Automatic Updates and tell Windows to reoffer
you the updates you declined. Not sure whether that applies to ones you've
already downloaded and installed, but if you uninstalled it, would it be
available for reinstall?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Graham Mayor]

Yes - if you uninstall an update, Automatic Updates will try to restore it
... unless of course you have told updates to forget about this one. I will
worry about resetting the updates when the fix is available. At the moment
the issue with doc variables is far more important than whatever it was that
particular update messed around with.

There was also a hotfix - Hotfix KB 969961 - which fixed a problem with
passwords, but also screwed up the variables. I have not even ventured to
investigate what has happened with the password problem as I only use
passwords in documents for third parties who ask for them.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Jose Anton Bautista]

This issue has affected us as well.
Our company created an add-in for Word 2007 for one of our clients;
and this add-in uses document variables to store essential information.

Because of KB969604, the add-in no longer works!
Now, we had to revamp major sections in our code to get around this problem.

 

[Alex]

Hello u all,

we have installed SP2 from office in this Servicepack is KB969604 already
intergrated. i already tried to download kb969604 and then i unistalled it
but nothing works. does anyone know where i could download the patch kb970942
where Steven Du is talking about? Cause we are having a major problem with
some applications from the company i need to get the update quick.

Kindly regards

Alex van Duist

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

For the moment, you will have to uninstall SP2. To do that, in the Control
Panel>Add Remove Programs facility, click on the Installed Updates link.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com

 

[Graham Mayor]

It seems that a fix may now be available. I have not yet tested it, but see
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/970942/

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Graham Mayor]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/970942/
Now tested - and it does appear to fix the problem with the variables.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Peter T. Daniels]

So should we install SP2 and then install the fix, or should we wait
till a fixed SP2 becomes available?

What are the benefits of installing SP2?

 

[Graham Mayor]

Whether you add it or not rather depends on your approach to updates
generally. Do you work on the permise that Microsoft is constantly improving
its product and therefore should be updated as the improvements become
available - or do you work on the premise of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix
it'?

I tend to the former, so at least I am working with the same product as most
of the users out there which makes support easier.

I would expect the fix to be rolled into a future SP2 revision, or you could
install now. The hotlink indicates which files are updated.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Peter T. Daniels]

Well, if they fixed the mistakes in "Chicago" style, that would be a
reason to update ... but normally they offer exciting explanations
along the line of "this update adds functionality."

 

[Tony Jollans]

The KB article specifically states SP3 suggesting it may be some time before
it's rolled into anything.

 

[Tont]

I'm not sure what other information is available for this. One of the other
work arounds is to save the document/template in Word 2003 ".doc" ".dot"
format. It seems like it's only the Word 2007 document formats (docx, docm,
dotx and dotm) that are affected. I realise that this impractical for many
organisations.

Could someone with the appropriate Microsoft contacts keep this tread
updated so that we're aware of when a fix (other than removing KB969604) is
available to this issue.

Many thanks to all - Peter Hewett

 

[Jay Freedman]

Peter, you missed Graham Mayor's posts in this thread on 2 July:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/970942/
Now tested - and it does appear to fix the problem with the variables.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all
may benefit.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Note, however, that the hotfix does not "fix" any variables that have
already been corrupted.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Tont]

Cheers Jay

Your right, I missed Grahams response. KB970942 does seem to have resolved
the issue. Apart from all the existing screwed documents!

Cheers + All the best - Peter

Glad to see there's still some Word MVP's around.

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

I still wish someone would explain _why_ I should install SP2, which
is still sitting there in "Available Updates" labeled "important."
What does it do?

Then I would of course immediately install the hotfix.

Or will there be an SP2A that fixes the problem in the first place?

 

[Tony Jollans]

Or will there be an SP2A that fixes the problem in the first place?

I am still waiting for any official word on this, but that, actually, is an
interesting question to which I would guess the answer is no, but I don't
know for sure.

SP2 causes a problem.
There is a hotfix.
The hotfix causes a serious problem.
There is another hotfix.

So, you would need to install two hotfixes if the protected forms problem
affected you.

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Enjoy,
Tony

www.WordArticles.com

I still wish someone would explain _why_ I should install SP2, which
is still sitting there in "Available Updates" labeled "important."
What does it do?

Then I would of course immediately install the hotfix.

Or will there be an SP2A that fixes the problem in the first place?

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

I don't use or expect to use protected forms, but maybe I do use other
stuff that's affected by SP2.

Why won't anyone say what it does?

 

[Jay Freedman]

Please don't go all paranoid on us. <g>

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953195 says what SP2 does. Unfortunately, it
does so in typical Microsoft fashion -- everything it says is true, and you
won't understand most of it unless you have an encyclopedic background knowledge
of Office features and foibles.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all
may benefit.