Perhaps this a stupid question. However, it is worrying me. I asked it in my other recent thread (about how to get a newer version than I have cheaply) but did not get any answer to this part.
I currently have MS Office Professional 2003 running on my Windows 7 machine, but I have a need to get a newer version of Word (2007, at least), and am very short of money. There is no way I can afford the full professional suite again. (When I got the 2003 I was able to get a special student deal, but I can’t get any special deals now.) The problem is that I make extensive use of Access 2003 (which meets my database needs adequately) so I do not want to lose it. I am concerned that if I install one of the lower powered versions of a newer version of Office, that does not include Access, it might wipe out the old Office Suite, including Access.
I know this would not be a problem with most software, which will readily let you install multiple versions, but IME installers for Microsoft stuff, under Windows, and Office in particular, tend to be different and give you less control over the installation process.
Can someone either reassure me that my fears are groundless, or tell me a safe way to install a new version (it is probably going to have to be Home and Student 2013, or maybe stand-alone Word 2013) without putting the old version (or the old Access, at any rate) at risk? Will the stand-alone version of Word be less likely to cause trouble than the Home suite? (Buying stand-alone does not seem to save much if any money. :()
I do not really care about any of the programs except Word and Access.
If you install it in a different folder you will be ok. If you are installing the new one and it says “do you want to remove the old version” then click on NO.
BTW, I answered your previous thread by saying that “Kingsoft” is identical to word. you can’t tell the difference, and it is compatible with Microsoft word. Did you check it out? As it’s free you will save money. This is what they say,
***Writer Free 2013
Dependable & fast word processing app.
Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, it can read & edit .doc and .docx format documents.
Writer 2013 adds many new features, such as a new interface, a section tab,
paragraph adjustment tools, & a cover page setting.***
Thanks, that sounds sensible. I know I could do that with differing versions of most programs. I just had an idea in my head that Office, in particular, would not let you do that.
I have never heard of Kingsoft before, but, like Libre Office, I rather doubt that it is going to satisfy the people I am working with, who are making a fuss about the difference between Word 2003 and 2007. The issue isn’t anything to do with missing features (and I have the free add-on that allows you to import .docx files into 2003). What they say is that there is some sort of minor file incompatibility between Word 2003 and 2007 and higher which occasionally causes some of the spaces between words to be lost when transferring files between different versions. () It sounds unlikely to me, but I have to do things the way they want. I will be editing their files and then sending them back, and they do not want their formatting screwed up.
Should you have enough space you could install a copy of XP + SP3 ( with a cd or cd image of XP and a validation number ) ( or any other version of Windows ) on to VirtualBox; and install Office 2010 in that — with a shared folder to save files into — and it won’t affect your computer’s operating system at all.
Installing Windows 7 or 8.1 in a virtual machine would cover all the different types of Office; but if you had to pay for it wipe out any savings. Some people seem to clone the underlying OS identification for Windows 7 ( since it is running in only one physical machine ) but that seems very complicated.
For XP it would have to be a 32-bit operating system, as for reasons as clear as mud, Microsoft chose to not allow Office 2010 with XP 64-bit, but did allow it with 32-bit — however for Office 2010 a Virtual Vista would be fine.
“Office 365 Home” will prevent you from using the older version, but it does not actually delete the old version. If you uninstall 365 you can go back to your old version.
The incompatibility only exists in Word 2007 and it was patched years ago. Whether you use Office 2013 (which is the version MS currently has for sale), OpenOffice, or Kingsoft, any DOCX file you create will be readable by them with no problems.
I’ve had two different versions of Office Professional on my home computer so that I could better support working on the older Access database mdb files and the newer Access accdb files.
I do remember that I could only have one version of Outlook on the computer when I installed Office Pro 2007 for some reason.
) It sounds unlikely to me, but I have to do things the way they want. I will be editing their files and then sending them back, and they do not want their formatting screwed up.