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Microsoft Updates Office 2008 and Office 2004
- Thread starter walnuts
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Can you point to some "instructions" on how to go about this? I have shut down Macaroni (which was removing localized files) and reinstalled Office and 12.0.1 but I have not been able to reinstall 12.1.1 or the newest update.
I think the problem is either completely random, or based on some other factor, one not related to Office.
Hold on while I get on my soapbox...
In 2006 when I switched from a PC to Mac it was because my machine was eternally unstable, the OS drove me nuts and a host of other reasons but basically it all boiled down to function not form. I decided to get a MacPro so I wouldn't have to author a post like yours for 5 years or more. Sure the cost was steep but no matter whether you get a MB Air, a Mini or a MacPro it's all got the same wonderful OS just what kind of hardware you want wrapped around it. In real estate it's all about location, location, location. IMHO, unless you have money to burn, buying any computer is about being able to perform needed tasks in an acceptable timeframe for as long as possible before deciding the machine has reached a tipping point and a new one is needed. The bottom line is that nothing says future-proofing like a MacPro. And, with 1T drives now on sale in my area for $159 and my 500GB drives bursting at the seams, I'll be doubling my HD capacity in the near future.
Working Solution
To anyone having trouble installing the update, the following directions from the AppleInsider forums did the trick for me:
Note that you will have to authenticate when you're saving the file. Other than that, running the installer after these modifications made 12.1.2 install on my MacBook Pro just fine.
To anyone having trouble installing the update, the following directions from the AppleInsider forums did the trick for me:
-- Download the update from MS
--Right click on the update file and click "Show Package Contents"
--Navigate to Contents -> Resources
--You need to modify the script: package_updatable. Remove these lines using Text Edit:
if not found_valid_version:
sys.exit(48)
--Save then close. Now it will update.
--Right click on the update file and click "Show Package Contents"
--Navigate to Contents -> Resources
--You need to modify the script: package_updatable. Remove these lines using Text Edit:
if not found_valid_version:
sys.exit(48)
--Save then close. Now it will update.
Note that you will have to authenticate when you're saving the file. Other than that, running the installer after these modifications made 12.1.2 install on my MacBook Pro just fine.
Issues updating Office
Greetings and Salutations
As has been mentione in other posts, if you modify your Office install you could find yourself unable to update.
For those who feel that Office has not been modified, please try the following:
1) Did you restart after the last update you installed before trying update 12.1.1? The issue here is that there is a temp file location that is written to when the installation takes place, and the Apple Installer does not always clean up after itself. Thus when the next updater runs, it tries to write to that same location, but cannot because the location is locked. A restart will clear that temp space and allow the next update to work.
2) Did you rename the Microsoft Office folder or the Office applications? That will prevent the updater from finding Office.
3) Did you move the Microsoft Office folder? Some of the spots you can move to will prevent the updater from finding it.
While it may not be of comfort for those who modify Office, other than an issue we found with 12.0.1 (which was rectified prior to the AutoUpdater coming out) we have yet to find an inability to update Office where it has not been one due to the caveats stated in the read me (basically modifying your Office install from where and how you installed it originally).
I will keep watching the forums in case we have missed something, and alert folks if we find something.
David Pelton
Microsoft, MacBU
Greetings and Salutations
As has been mentione in other posts, if you modify your Office install you could find yourself unable to update.
For those who feel that Office has not been modified, please try the following:
1) Did you restart after the last update you installed before trying update 12.1.1? The issue here is that there is a temp file location that is written to when the installation takes place, and the Apple Installer does not always clean up after itself. Thus when the next updater runs, it tries to write to that same location, but cannot because the location is locked. A restart will clear that temp space and allow the next update to work.
2) Did you rename the Microsoft Office folder or the Office applications? That will prevent the updater from finding Office.
3) Did you move the Microsoft Office folder? Some of the spots you can move to will prevent the updater from finding it.
While it may not be of comfort for those who modify Office, other than an issue we found with 12.0.1 (which was rectified prior to the AutoUpdater coming out) we have yet to find an inability to update Office where it has not been one due to the caveats stated in the read me (basically modifying your Office install from where and how you installed it originally).
I will keep watching the forums in case we have missed something, and alert folks if we find something.
David Pelton
Microsoft, MacBU
Office 12.1.2 is an incremental update
Like Office 2004, we release Combo and Incremental updates.
A Combo updater includes all updates since the original release; an incremental updater has only the changes from the last update to this update.
Office 12.1.2 is an incremental updater. It requires the 12.1.0 updater (a combo updater) and 12.1.1 updater.
It is recommended that after installing each updater you restart your machine before installing the next updater.
Like Office 2004, there will only be a few incremental updaters before there will another combo updater.
David Pelton
Microsoft MacBU
Like Office 2004, we release Combo and Incremental updates.
A Combo updater includes all updates since the original release; an incremental updater has only the changes from the last update to this update.
Office 12.1.2 is an incremental updater. It requires the 12.1.0 updater (a combo updater) and 12.1.1 updater.
It is recommended that after installing each updater you restart your machine before installing the next updater.
Like Office 2004, there will only be a few incremental updaters before there will another combo updater.
David Pelton
Microsoft MacBU
So we have to download the combo update, then each following increment update individually?
Why make it so difficult?!
Also, during the installation I got this error in both 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 (it appeared behind the actual installation window so had to move it in order to be able to click anything). The installation wouldn't continue until I clicked OK.
Why make it so difficult?!
Also, during the installation I got this error in both 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 (it appeared behind the actual installation window so had to move it in order to be able to click anything). The installation wouldn't continue until I clicked OK.
Attachments
I agree. Why not make a combo updater that actually works? I had to download 12.1.1 (which is around 150MB) and now I'm downloading 12.1.2 (again, ~150MB). Thats 300MB of updates, just for Office? Apple makes updates for Mac OS X which are smaller than that and they're upgrading an operating system! The MacBU really needs to start again with Office, its a total disaster. Office 08 is slow, bloated and buggy. Office needs to be rewritten into a 64-bit Cocoa app with *no* legacy code whatsoever.
David: the MacRumors and the greater Mac community greatly appreciates you coming online and helping out when things break. It's good to see that you care about your users when things break, unlike other companies.
For those who have problems because you de-localized:
1) Download the 12.1.2 update directly from Microsoft's Mactopia website.
2) Mount the downloaded DMG file and copy the installer to your desktop.
3) Right-click the installer and select "show package contents"
4) Navigate to Office 2008 12.1.2
Update/Contents/Resources/package_updatable and open the file in TextEdit
5) Scroll to the bottom and find the line "found_valid_version=False"
6) Change False to True
7) Then delete all the text below until the start of "if not
found_valid_version:" Making sure that line is not deleted!
8) Close the window, it will ask if you want to overwrite the file. Say yes.
9) Close the finder window and then run the installer like normal.
10) Reboot.
1) Download the 12.1.2 update directly from Microsoft's Mactopia website.
2) Mount the downloaded DMG file and copy the installer to your desktop.
3) Right-click the installer and select "show package contents"
4) Navigate to Office 2008 12.1.2
Update/Contents/Resources/package_updatable and open the file in TextEdit
5) Scroll to the bottom and find the line "found_valid_version=False"
6) Change False to True
7) Then delete all the text below until the start of "if not
found_valid_version:" Making sure that line is not deleted!
8) Close the window, it will ask if you want to overwrite the file. Say yes.
9) Close the finder window and then run the installer like normal.
10) Reboot.
Although in saying that, I've remembered that Apple too does this. I had to download iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb updates through Software Update, it would download and install individually (like 7.1.2, 7.1.3, 7.1.4).
At least they are small updates though!
And +1 on Office being rewritten in Cocoa as a 64 bit application. Something that better be done for the next release of Office (2009?).
It's not really the number of updates, its more of the size of them that I'm bothered about. I'm on a slow connection so it takes half an hour to download each Office update, and then to find out that the update doesn't actually work is just frustrating.
Issues where Installer appears hung (see thread 36) - alert that does not make sense
Due to a recent Apple update, the Apple Installer (which we use for our updaters) will block AppleScripts run in an installer payload from having the Installer bring up a dialog.
Our updaters prior to this current updater used an AppleScript to have the Installer bring up a dialog telling you if still had a Microsoft Application running when you were trying to update.
Therefore, if you have updated Leopard with the latest update (available at the beginning of August) and you try to run the Office 12.1.0 or 12.1.1 updaters while leaving Office Applications running you will see the alert described in Thread 36.
If you continue through the installation (after clicking OK on the alert 3 times or so) there is a chance that your installation will not work right (because you were updating a running application).
It is strongly recommended that you quit all your Microsoft applications prior to running the updater. If you do this, then you will not hit the alert with 12.1.0 and 12.1.1.
We were made aware of Apple's change in the functionality of the Installer too late to make any changes to 12.1.1 and 12.1.0 and still get 12.1.2 out on time, but we are looking to see what we can do there with those patches.
David Pelton
Microsoft MacBU
Due to a recent Apple update, the Apple Installer (which we use for our updaters) will block AppleScripts run in an installer payload from having the Installer bring up a dialog.
Our updaters prior to this current updater used an AppleScript to have the Installer bring up a dialog telling you if still had a Microsoft Application running when you were trying to update.
Therefore, if you have updated Leopard with the latest update (available at the beginning of August) and you try to run the Office 12.1.0 or 12.1.1 updaters while leaving Office Applications running you will see the alert described in Thread 36.
If you continue through the installation (after clicking OK on the alert 3 times or so) there is a chance that your installation will not work right (because you were updating a running application).
It is strongly recommended that you quit all your Microsoft applications prior to running the updater. If you do this, then you will not hit the alert with 12.1.0 and 12.1.1.
We were made aware of Apple's change in the functionality of the Installer too late to make any changes to 12.1.1 and 12.1.0 and still get 12.1.2 out on time, but we are looking to see what we can do there with those patches.
David Pelton
Microsoft MacBU
Given that there was no published release date, I dont think any of us would have minded if you 'slipped' on release date to get a bug fixed.
Do not install this update if you used Monolingual
I encountered the error message mentioned above. From AppleInsider I found a tip to modify the install package by removing a couple of lines of code. The Install then proceeded successfully. But the updated versions for Word & Entourage now crash after starting up. They successfully start up and then crash around the JapaneseProofing module. I presumably removed that via Monolingual.
Looks like I have to back up my Entourage DB and reinstall Office from scratch. Nice work, Microsoft!
I encountered the error message mentioned above. From AppleInsider I found a tip to modify the install package by removing a couple of lines of code. The Install then proceeded successfully. But the updated versions for Word & Entourage now crash after starting up. They successfully start up and then crash around the JapaneseProofing module. I presumably removed that via Monolingual.
Looks like I have to back up my Entourage DB and reinstall Office from scratch. Nice work, Microsoft!
You removed lines of code from the installer, and you're blaming Microsoft for causing your Office installation to muck up?
I completely agree, but honestly, if Office 2008 wasn't such frigging bloatware, folks wouldn't be tempted to go this route.
So far we've had 3 150+MB updates to Office 2008, none of which are a combo updater (gods only know how large *that* would be), and gods help you if you're not on broadband. For the amount of updating Office 2008 has required, M$ should be giving it away at this point -- especially since none of these updates have brought back Macros, which you know M$ is going to force-upgrade sell rather than admit its blunder and put it back in Office 2008.
Sorry M$, but these kinds of business decisions and practices are going to be rendered obsolete in the very near future. Good luck with that Ballmer guy in charge - you're going to need it.
It seems like the MBU is lost in direction.
As someone who likes and uses Office for the Mac and PC, and other Microsoft products, having Balmer in charge is scary.
David,
Another quick question - since Microsoft Messenger:Mac is part of the MacBU and Office 2008, when are we going to see video and audio capabilities? This was posted on the MacBU blog nearly a year ago, saying it will get rolled out this year. We're up to version 7 (which I thought was meant to include A/V, but only rolled out for the corporate version) and still no signs.
Out of all the instant messaging applications out there, I really do think Windows Live Messenger/Messenger:Mac is the best. It has the nicest and slickest interface, and the display picture locations and GUI are ideal and functional.
I'm just sick of waiting for this!
Another quick question - since Microsoft Messenger:Mac is part of the MacBU and Office 2008, when are we going to see video and audio capabilities? This was posted on the MacBU blog nearly a year ago, saying it will get rolled out this year. We're up to version 7 (which I thought was meant to include A/V, but only rolled out for the corporate version) and still no signs.
Out of all the instant messaging applications out there, I really do think Windows Live Messenger/Messenger:Mac is the best. It has the nicest and slickest interface, and the display picture locations and GUI are ideal and functional.
I'm just sick of waiting for this!
