How to fix Microsoft Office XP on Windows Vista

For few reasons, MS Office 2007 may not suit to decide to downgrade, uninstall MS Office 2007 and revert back to MS Office 2003. If you are Windows XP user, the downgrade procedure must go smoothly without staggering problem. However most of the Vista users may experience difficulties during the installation and need to resort for solution that works on operating system.

There are a few occasions for the installation to take place. First is to install several versions of MS Office on the same system. For example, install MS Office 2003 along with the newer Windows 2007. Microsoft had already written technical details on how to achieve this. The idea is to install MS Office in subsequent order from the oldest to the newer one. In order to install MS Office XP, 2003, and 2007 on the same machine, install MS Office XP first followed by Office 2003 and Office Suite 2007 respectively.

There is another situation, to get rid of your Office 2007 and replace it with Office 2003 so that it can still exchange documents with colleagues since they haven’t bought their copy of MS Office 2007. As we know, MS Office 2007 uses the new open XML document format so that the default file type name for the document will have ‘x’ as the suffix (e.g.: .docx).

First is to uninstall MS Office 2007. Simply click Default Programs menu from Startup Menus and search the link to the list of installed programs. The uninstallation should be easy and it should bring no problem at all.

Next is to simply install MS Office 2003 after the installation. Although the installer removes MS Office 2007 files from system, it still retains the registry. The reason is MS Office is shipped as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) but it should be installed on a single computer for a single license (or as what the license says). In case of reinstallation, it may violate the original purpose of the license hence Microsoft keeps the registry after the uninstallation procedure. So, while downgrading MS Office after past installation, check whether the registry is still kept in the machine. If it’s simply installing without checking the registry, it may encounter the following error:

Installation Error: File not found

A required installation file CS561404.CAB cannot be found

Now back to the registry editing, use regedit to check the registry entry of earlier MS Office versions:

1. Go to Start Menu > Run (or Windows + R from keyboard)

2. Type regedit

3. Search for these entries

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office11.0 (or 12.0)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office11.0

4. Right click on the every entry and choose Rename. Then rename it to whatever name is suitable, for example BlahOffice11.0

The point here is, by renaming the registry into a different one, MS Office installer will consider the installation as fresh install in which no previous MS Office installed so that it will simply go with default installation procedure.

5. Restart the computer

After restarting computer, begin the installation for MS Office 2003 from CD smoothly.Now a day, more users are shifting their document processors from Office 2003 to Office 2007.

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How to fix network security issues on Windows Vista-based PC

Here are the steps for quickly fixing network security issues:

1. First we have to search the name of the network adapter that you are using to connect, you can skip this if you already know the name of  network adapter.
   1. Open the Network and Sharing Center (Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center)
   2. Click on “Manage network connections” under “Tasks” on left side.
   3. Note the name of  device in “Device Name” column for the connection that you are using (e.g. Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection)
2. Now find the GUID of this adapter.
   1. Open the registry editor: Start > type in ‘regedit’
   2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkCards\
   3. Look through the numbered sub-keys and write down the “ServiceName” for the one that has the name of your network card in the “Description.”
   4. Keep the registry editor open because we will be changing another key in the next step.
3. Once you have the GUID of the network then we have to toggle the broadcast flags.
   1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces
   2. Make sure to set the DhcpConnForceBroadcastFlag as described in the “More Information” section of the knowledge base article.
4. Finally, restart your computer.

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Comparison between Windows xp and Windows vista

Windows XP and Windows Vista were 2 succeeding versions of Microsoft’s Windows computer operating system. Microsoft marketed both versions as main updates of Windows with new features, improved security and better overall consistency. Each system came already loaded on personal computers from many different manufacturers and was also available as an advance for existing Windows computers.

History

Windows XP went on sale around the globe in October 2001. It replaced the existing Windows Me (Millennium Edition), which had appeared about one year before. Windows XP was the major operating system offering from Microsoft until Windows Vista went on sale in early on 2007. Windows XP’s life duration of more than five years makes it one of the longest releases of any version of Windows. In October 2009, Microsoft released Windows 7 to swap Windows Vista, giving Vista a more distinctive two-to-three year life cycle.

Appearance and Versions

Windows XP retains most of the visual cues and icons from previously editions like Windows Me and Windows 2000. Microsoft created three different versions of Windows XP, targeting various users: Windows XP Home Edition was design for casual users, Windows XP Professional for businesses and users with more highly developed systems, and Windows XP Media Center Edition came with unique features for playing DVD video, recording music and viewing television programs.

Windows Vista was a visual exodus from its predecessor, giving Windows an extra streamlined appearance (known as the Windows AERO scheme) and replacing the common “Start” rectangular icon in a circle Windows logo in the bottom left-hand corner of the home screen.

Security

Though Windows XP came standard with basic security features, Internet safety was a main concern and criticism of the operating system. In particular this was because of the number of viruses to which Windows XP was susceptible, along with the huge amount of control given through an Administrator account kind (which could make the entire system vulnerable if accessed without authorization). Microsoft highlighted improved security with Windows Vista, including a User Account Control feature which removes administrative privileges that hackers might be able to use.

Features

Moreover enhanced security, Windows Vista includes some other notable features lacking in Windows XP. One of the features is Windows Sidebar, which gives Windows right to use small applications known as Desktop Gadgets. One more feature exclusive to Vista is the Instant Search feature, which displays predictive results while the user is still typing a search word. Windows Vista also brought updates of popular programs as well as Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and Windows Calendar.

Performance

Both Windows XP and Windows Vista consist of built-in support for both 32- and 64-bit applications. In terms of user opinions and standard testing, the operating systems reveal same performance capabilities. In a few tests, including 3D graphics tests, Windows XP in fact outperformed its newer counterpart. In real-world scenarios, users are much more likely to experience improved or worse performance due to hardware and application differences rather than which of the two Windows systems they run.

 

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