TIFF files - part two

[Adrian]

Hi

I recently posted about problems displaying TIFF files on one or two
computers using an Access application. I was advised to source and
install the Office XP version of the Office converter pack, which I did
and successfully used on a PC which was exhibiting the symptoms despite
running Office 97. Great - one PC fixed...

I have just attempted to use the same fix on a PC with Office 2007.
No-go. The installer for the converter pack reports that Office (list of
versions) was not found on this computer, then exits.

Can anyone suggest a way of fooling the PC into thinking it has Office
XP or earlier on it?

Thanks in advance,

Adrian

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Sounds like you're trying to install from an upgrade version of Office
which, as you've discovered, requires that a qualifying product be
installed.

 

[Adrian]

Sounds like you're trying to install from an upgrade version of Office
which, as you've discovered, requires that a qualifying product be
installed.

No, I have a full (OEM) copy of Office Pro 2007 installed. Microsoft, in
their wisdom withdrew the ability to handle TIFF files from Office 2003
onwards. I have an application written in Access 97 which relies on
20,000 scanned documents which are held as TIFFs.

The conventional wisdom on this problem seems to be to install the
Office Converter Pack that was issued for Office XP (you can find it on
the net if you look hard enough). Sadly, while that may work for Office
2003, it doesn't seem to work for 2007. The installer detects that there
is no copy of Office 4.x, 97, 2000 or XP and exits.

Converting 100s of scans to another format isn't something I'd like to
contemplate, especially since TIFF is otherwise the best format for the job.

Adrian

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

If my assumption that your Office Converter Pack is part of an Office XP
Upgrade edition, it doesn't matter what version of Office 2007 you've got.
Upgrade versions always have specific requirements for what software must be
present in order for the installer to proceed, and the requirements NEVER
include newer versions of the product!

 

[Adrian]

If my assumption that your Office Converter Pack is part of an Office XP
Upgrade edition, it doesn't matter what version of Office 2007 you've got.
Upgrade versions always have specific requirements for what software must be
present in order for the installer to proceed, and the requirements NEVER
include newer versions of the product!

Douglas

Yes, I would have assumed exactly that, but in a previous thread, I was
advised as follows :

The Tiff Office Graphics filters(among others) are not installed with
Access 2003. This is a change from all previous versions of Access.
The solution is to get hold of the Office XP Legacy Converter Pack (it
will work for Office 2003 as well). The problem is that you can no
longer download the XP Converter Pack due to security concerns.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/appndx/appc00.htm
Instead you are directed to download the Office 2003 Legacy Converter
Pack but as I said it no longer contains the TIF Filters!!!!aarrgghh
The solution is to contact MS PSS and request the XP Pack.

Unfortunately, it seems that the same doesn't hold true for Office 2007,
so I'm up a proverbial inland waterway without means of propulsion.

Quite frankly I'm amazed that Microsoft seem to have decided that nobody
needs TIFF support in Office. Windows itself displays and prints TIFF
files without a problem. So, it seems I need to start looking for a
third-party control, or convert thousands of images to a less-efficient
format. Great.

Anyway, thanks for your help.

Adrian

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Looks like you got that advice from Stephen, who's definitely an expert on
that topic.

Did you try following the last bit of his advice: contact MS PSS and request
the XP Pack?