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March 11, 2008 11:35 AM PDT
Microsoft Office 2008 12.0.1: fixes launch, user permission issues
[Tuesday, March 11th]
As promised, Microsoft has delivered Office 2008 12.0.1. This update is designed to resolve a series of significant issues with the original iteration including incredibly slow launch times (up to several minutes) for Office 2008 applications under Mac OS X 10.5.2 -- previously confirmed as a known issue by Microsoft.
The update also fixes an issue that could give a local user who does not have administrator permissions access Office 2008 program files. This issue occurs when the non-administrative user account was assigned User ID (uid) 502.
The new release is available as a 114MB standalone download.
A long list of specific improvements includes:
- Word Stability is improved when you start Word 2008: This update fixes an issue that causes Word 2008 to quit unexpectedly when you try to start it. The issue occurs when Word 2008 tries to import settings from earlier versions of Word that might have been installed on your computer.
- Blank pages are no longer printed when you print to a high resolution printer: This update fixes an issue in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard that causes blank pages to print when you print to a high resolution printer.
- Excel Stability is improved: This update fixes several issues that cause Excel 2008 to quit unexpectedly. Additionally, this update improves overall stability during regular use such as copying and pasting data.
- Support for secondary displays is improved.: This update fixes an issue for users of computers that have more than one display. This issue prevents users from moving workbook windows to a position greater than the maximum height of the primary display on the secondary screen. This issue affects users who position a secondary display above the primary display.
- Reliability is improved for ledger sheets: This update fixes an issue that causes the width settings for columns in a ledger sheet to be lost when the workbook is saved in the following file formats: .xlsx, .xlsb, .xltx, or .xltm. This update also fixes an issue that causes calculated columns such as the Balance column to incorrectly display a sheet error when the column is inserted.
- Performance is improved when you open PowerPoint 2008: This update fixes an issue for users of Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard that causes PowerPoint 2008 to open slowly.
- Reliability is improved when you save to an SMB network volume: This update fixes an issue for users of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard that causes problems and potential data loss when you save a PowerPoint Presentation to a network volume that uses the SMB protocol. The following is an example of the protocol: smb://computer-name/volume-name
- Notification sounds now play when you use Entourage in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: This update fixes an issue for users of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard that prevents notification sounds such as New mail sound and Send mail sound from playing when you use Entourage 2008.
- Stability is improved when synchronizing data with devices and other applications: This update fixes an issue that causes the Sync Services component to quit unexpectedly while synchronizing calendar and contact information to iCal, to Address Book and to mobile devices that are connected through iSync or iTunes.
Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.
Resources
"Cant find" or "no update available at this time" thru AU
Based on the feedback collected from helping users out and trying to find the causes for Office not being found during the update installation, here are some troubleshooting ideas:
<b>NAME</b>
-----
The Apple Installer technology that we are using requires that the application and the folder they reside in maintain their original names. If you have renamed the applications or the folder they reside in, you'll need to revert it to the original names.
<b>LOCATION</b>
------------
While you drag Office anywhere after an install, the Apple Installer technology will not find a copy of Office that is not on a bootable partition. So if you have Office on a spare partition with no OS on it, you'll need to move it to a partition that has an OS on it.
<b>LANGUAGE</b>
-----------
The updater only works on the language it was intended for; therefore, if you installed Italian Office, the German updater will not work for it. Because we use Apple's Installer the UI will match the UI of your OS so judging which updater you got by the UI of the Installer will not work.
<b>MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGES</b>
------------------------------------
If you have multiple language versions of Office on your machine, then you'll want to put the one you wish to update in your Application folder; update it; then either rename it or move it out and put the next language in the Application folder.
The Installer will search for Office, and if the first one it finds is a different language than the updater it will not keep searching for copies with the matching language.
I hope this helps,
Alejandro Ramirez
Microsoft MacBU
I have tried all these suggestions, and it still cannot find a copy to update. I even uninstalled, re-installed, restarted, and it still cannot find a copy to update.
I am using the English, student/teacher edition. Neither the stand-alone installer or the MS Auto Updater will work.
It does seem to take forever to get to the point where it says it cannot find any product to update, because like I have seen in these threads, it is searching all mounted volumes. In my case, my iDisk is slowing it down.
What else can I try to update it? I think I am going to try the individual package install, like someone posted here, when the showed the package contents of the installer, and installed them individually.
I don't know what else to try!
Thanks in advance for any help!
Take care,
Bruce
I have checked all of these and I still can't update via Microsoft AutoUpdate.
I have not moved, changed or change language on my system since my initial install. Is there any other reason I cannot update via Microsoft AutoUpdate?
Strange thing is that the update worked fine on my iMac, but not my MacBook Pro. I am having the same issues still. I just don't understand why this will not install, saying there is no product available to update. It also takes *forever* "Examining Additional Volumes".
This just does not make any sense. I wonder if there is a way from the command line to *force* the install of this update. My copy is there, and in the /Applications folder, and has the correct name.
Can anyone help?
Best Regards,
Bruce
Finally got it applied! After using the included removal tool for Office, and trashing the files, I removed all traces in:
~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft*
~/Library/Application Support
I then installed it again, and the update went smooth.
Best of luck to all..
If you have multiple partitions and external disks attached to your computer, it might help if you unmount the disks while you perform the installation.
The installer looks inside each mounted partition or disk available, so if your boot partition is the only one mounted the search process will take less time.
Hope this helps,
Alejandro Ramirez
Microsoft MacBU
I was finally able to install the updates by Control-clicking the installer to show Package contents then installing each individual updater. It took a while and I had to give my password each time.
Please read my reply to a post from another user who reported the same issue. The reply has troubleshooting suggestions.
<a href="http://www.macfixit.com/comment.php?mode=display&sid=20080311113528221&title=Microsoft+Office+2008+12.0.1%3A+fixes+launch%2C+user+permission+issues&type=article&order=&pid=31208">http://www.macfixit.com/comment.php?mode=display&sid=20080311113528221&title=Microsoft+Office+2008+12.0.1%3A+fixes+launch%2C+user+permission+issues&type=article&order=&pid=31208</a>
Alejandro Ramirez
Microsoft MacBU
It fixed sync problems on one computer, but continues to "unexpectedly quit" on another on with no proper sync between iCal and Entourage.
---
psr
Still unbelievably slow starting. Seems to have font problems . . . Update did not seem to resolve performance Issues on MacBook Pro (Core2Duo)
- by March 21, 2008 10:01 AM PDT
- Thank you all for your patience with the recent issues you have had with the Microsoft Office 12.0.1 update. Many of us here at the MacBU have been hard at work trying to resolve the issues you have reported to us.
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
Showing 1 of 2 pages (21 Comments)We found an issue in our installation logic that, in some instances, prevents the installer from properly updating Entourage 2008. We have corrected the issue and released a new version of the installer that is available for download right now.
In addition, we?re pleased to announce that the Office 2008 12.0.1 Update is now available via AutoUpdate.
If your copy of Entourage 2008 was not updated, the best way to ensure that it?s updated properly is to use the Remove Office tool, which is included in the /Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Additional Tools folder. Remove Office does not remove any documents or personal settings you have saved.
After you run the Remove Office tool, reinstall Office 2008 from your original DVD, and then restart your computer. It?s important that you restart your computer before you install the 12.0.1 update, so don?t forget to do it. After your computer restarts, use AutoUpdate to check for updates, and then download and install the 12.0.1 Update.
If you run into problems during installation of the update, try any of the following:
? Move the Microsoft Office 2008 folder back to the Applications folder on your startup drive
? Change the Microsoft Office 2008 folder back to its original name
? Restore any files or other items that were removed from the Microsoft Office 2008 folder
? Do not run scripts or engage in processes that modify the applications in the Microsoft Office 2008 folder.
? Any change to an Office 2008 application can prevent an upgrade for installing successfully
Alejandro Ramirez
Microsoft MacBU