Keep Office 2000 as default, use 2003 just for SIMS

[pete]

I have a 2003 SP3 admin install point set up with ORK to save as 2000-compatible format by default* - this installs and works fine.

I plan to remove the Word re-registration issue by calling and then closing the 2000 version of winword.exe in a user login script and then merging the following registry key to prevent Word 2003 re-registering itself as the default handler for .doc every time SIMS uses a Word 2003 feature:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options]
"FirstRun"=dword:00000000
"NoRereg"=dword:00000001

Any obvious flaws in my plan?

*we have the usual converter packs installed and yes, it probably would work fine 99% of the time, but I'm fed up of the calls saying office is broken when what they mean is it's 2003, not 2000.

[Butuz]

I have a 2003 SP3 admin install point set up with ORK to save as 2000-compatible format by default* - this installs and works fine.

I plan to remove the Word re-registration issue by calling and then closing the 2000 version of winword.exe in a user login script and then merging the following registry key to prevent Word 2003 re-registering itself as the default handler for .doc every time SIMS uses a Word 2003 feature:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options]
"FirstRun"=dword:00000000
"NoRereg"=dword:00000001

Any obvious flaws in my plan?

*we have the usual converter packs installed and yes, it probably would work fine 99% of the time, but I'm fed up of the calls saying office is broken when what they mean is it's 2003, not 2000.

If you are doing this to avoid upgrading to Office 2003 then your still doing it illegaly. As soon as you install Office 2003 on a PC you need one Licence for it no matter if you use it or how often.

[pete]

No, really?

We have licences for Office 2000, 2003 and 2007. Of those we can legally install 2000 and either 2003 or 2007.

We're installing them side-by-side because we're only putting 2003 on the machines that need to use SIMS (that already have a Office 2000 licence). Those people who want to use 2003 can choose to do so and those who are happy with 2K are unaffected.

So enough with the "OMG Theft!" accusations.