# Solved: Run Office 2003 and office 2007 on the same machine?



## caraewilton (Nov 7, 2007)

Hi all. 
Is it possible to run MS Office 2003 and MS office 2007 on the same machine.
I teach I.T. and many of my students, as well as the school computer labs have office 2003. For this reason I need 2003 on my machine.
That said I also am seen as the computer guru by fellow collegues, so often find myself sorting out their computer problems or giving advice on how to merge tables in word or create mark shedules in excel. Many of them have 2007, which is very different. Thus running 2007 seems like a good idea.
So is it possible to have both versions running on the same machine?
At this point I am using windows XP - tablet edition.


----------



## kimsland (Oct 22, 2007)

Well I do have both running, but one is portable office 2003 so I suppose that's why it worked

The other point of interest is, it might be better for you to have one machine Xp + Office 2003. With another Vista + Office 2007.

I'd like to know if others have had both Office versions running together as well.


----------



## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

I know of some problems others have had trying to have both versions on one PC, particularly concerning Outlook. You may only have one version of Outlook installed, and, given that Outlook 2007 is hardly changed (not like all the other Office products) I would keep 2003.
There are known issues of the two versions of Word and the two versions of Access "fighting" to control which gets to open files. The last I knew, there was no workaround for Access, but the these 2 links address the Word problem.
http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/20/110
http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com/2007/04/15/word-2007-and-word-2003-coexisting/


----------



## caraewilton (Nov 7, 2007)

Thanks. Maybe I can only install, excel07, word07 and powerpoint07. I gather from a thread I answered last night that publisher remains unchanged and slurpee says the same about outlook. I am the only person who uses access at the office so does not matter what version I use.
I am going to try computer and see what happens. I mean what is the worst that can happen?

Where are those DVD's so I can backup?????


----------



## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

caraewilton said:


> I mean what is the worst that can happen?


You could crash your HDD and lose all data, spin your HD so fast it starts a fire, burns your computer up and continues to the rest of your house, consuming everything you own and leaving you homeless. Then mysteriously your car disappears. Unrelated? I think not. It could be much worse...

Okay, well, on a more serious note, I've had 2003 and 2007 (both professional versions) installed simultaneously and only had little reprocussions. As slurpee said, only one Outlook per OS instance, this is just in lieu of the way Outlook works. Technically speaking, Outlook is probably the most complicated of all the Office products. I've not had issues with Access, although I don't use it that much. Visio works beautifully. When using Word, going back and forth between vesions, I get the Office configuration screen as it has registry mismatches. Excel the only problem can be with the Personal.xls and some reference [vba] libraries, but I did develop just fine in that atmosphere. Never had any issues with Publisher, Powerpoint or OneNote. Did not try InfoPath until 2007.

HTH


----------



## nappymonster (Nov 11, 2007)

I am unsure, but don't think that you can run it unless you somehow modify one or the other.

When i first had office 03 on this laptop, it worked fine. I installed office 07, and office 07 worked fine. I (for some reason i can't remember) loaded up office 03, and was given error after error!

Something along the lines of 

"windows installer" for a minute or so, then an error about a file not being found i think.

There were more, but can't remember them all.

This was only with the default installation though, there me be options in the install, addons, etc, 

Nappymonster


----------



## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Well Cara, lets just you have better luck than firefytr rambles on about (makes you wonder about him a bit, doesn't it?)


----------



## caraewilton (Nov 7, 2007)

Thanks guys For now it is a mute point as the guy who is suppose to renew the microsoft licenses has not done his job. HEADS are going to roll!!!!!! Anyway when I went online to retrieve my seriel number, microsoft licensing got a little narkey. Lapsed subscription and all. Anyway, at least I don't have to worry about my car exploding. Of course I might go to jail. I better get back to my pleading letter to microsoft Ireland


----------



## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Heck, I wonder about myself all the time. It's the only thing that keeps me sane.


----------



## caraewilton (Nov 7, 2007)

At least you don't have to worry about going to jail
Would Bill send me to jail because of this?


----------



## TheOutcaste (Aug 8, 2007)

From other threads it seems the biggest problem is the Windows Configuration pops up every time you switch. This link is supposed to have the cure. Note that I don't have office 2007, so have no idea if this works or not:

http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/...-for-vista-and-other-versions-of-windows.aspx

HTH

Jerry


----------



## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

No, I wouldn't think so. Especially as Bill retired last year and is solely a philanthropist now. I believe Steve Ballmer (CEO, Microsoft) is running the show now, although Bill still does own the company. If he does send you to jail, tell you what, I know where he lives...


----------



## caraewilton (Nov 7, 2007)

Oh well, send my grovelling letter to Ireland. At least I have it on record that I tried to rectify the situation.


----------



## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Hey Zack, I have been by Bill's island, does that count? Didn't get invited to drop by or anything though.... 
And Cara, we will maybe drop by and visit you in prison....


----------



## caraewilton (Nov 7, 2007)

TheOutcaste said:


> From other threads it seems the biggest problem is the Windows Configuration pops up every time you switch. This link is supposed to have the cure. Note that I don't have office 2007, so have no idea if this works or not:
> 
> http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/...-for-vista-and-other-versions-of-windows.aspx
> 
> ...


It works perfectly


----------

