Getting started with the 2007 Office system
Updated: April 28, 2009
Applies To: Office Resource Kit
This Office product will reach end of support on October 10, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see , Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.
Topic Last Modified: 2016-11-14
In this article:
About the 2007 Office Resource Kit
What's new for IT professionals in the 2007 Office system
Setup architecture
Language-neutral architecture
Customization model
System requirements for the 2007 Office system release
Migration from previous versions of Office
About the 2007 Office Resource Kit
The Office Resource Kit for the 2007 Microsoft Office system provides information about new features and changes in deployment strategies for the 2007 Office system. The 2007 Office Resource Kit documentation is intended for IT professionals who plan, implement, and maintain Office installations in their organizations. New and updated content is published on a regular basis. The Getting Started with the 2007 Office system section provides a basic overview about what is new in the 2007 Office system, describes system requirements, and provides a roadmap of the 2007 Office Resource Kit content.
Note
The primary administrative tools for deploying the 2007 Office system are now included with the product and are no longer available as a download as in previous versions of Office. To view the Office Resource Kit for previous versions of Office, see the "See Also" links in 2007 Office Resource Kit.
The Office Resource Kit for the 2007 Office system is organized into the following sections:
Product evaluation for the 2007 Office release. This section includes white papers about migrating to Microsoft Office Access 2007 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007, and about the fluent user interface.
Planning and architecture for the 2007 Office release. This section describes how Setup for the 2007 Office system works, and provides planning information for: migration from previous versions of Office, Group Policy for the 2007 Office system, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, and Information Rights Management.
Deployment for the 2007 Office release. This section provides how-to information for specific deployment tasks, such as customizing the installation, installing the 2007 Office system on users' computers, implementing the deployment in multiple languages, and migrating to the new file format. It also includes Office Outlook 2007 deployment tasks.
Operations for the 2007 Office release. This section provides information about maintaining and managing an installation after deploying the 2007 Office system, including up-to-date information about the 2007 Office system administrative updates and how-to information for distributing product updates.
Security and protection for the 2007 Office release. This section provides an overview of the security model for the 2007 Office system, and security planning and deployment information.
Troubleshooting for the 2007 Office release. This section presents are a collection of troubleshooting resources for the 2007 Office system.
Technical reference for the 2007 Office release. This section provides technical details in these areas of the 2007 Office system: Setup, file formats, fonts, migration resources, international languages, messaging, and security.
Content in the 2007 Office Resource Kit is also available in downloadable and printable form. For more information, see Downloadable content for the 2007 Office Resource Kit.
What's new for IT professionals in the 2007 Office system
The 2007 Office system provides new features and enhancements that help IT administrators configure, deploy, and maintain their Office installations. These features provide benefits that allow administrators to work more efficiently and help reduce administrative costs. The changes include:
A new Setup architecture that supports a more efficient installation process.
A language-neutral architecture that simplifies deployment in multiple languages.
A streamlined customization model to install, customize, and maintain Office.
New Extensible Markup Language (XML) default file format for Microsoft Office Word 2007, Office Excel 2007, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007. Based on open standards, the XML file format enables users to quickly create documents from disparate data sources, accelerating document assembly, data mining, and content reuse.
New 2007 Office system security features which are designed based on the following principles:
Make application functionality secure by default.
Avoid asking questions that users might not be able to answer.
Maintain user productivity by mitigating threats without limiting application functionality.
Provide a flexible security model that can be modified to suit specific situations.
New Microsoft Office Fluent user interface, which is designed to make it easier for people to find and use the full range of features these applications provide.
In this section:
Setup architecture
Language-neutral architecture
Customization model
System requirements for the 2007 Office system release
Migration from previous versions of Office
Setup architecture
The Setup program for the 2007 Office system has been redesigned to support a more efficient installation process. Most of the tools and procedures are new but the overall objective is the same as it was for any previous deployment of Office: to install the correct configuration on users' computers as efficiently as possible.
In the 2007 Office system release, much of the complexity of this process has been absorbed by the new Setup program. Setup handles the most difficult parts for you behind the scenes, and the steps you take to customize and distribute the product are simpler than in any previous version.
Setup features comparison
The following table compares Setup features in the 2007 Office system release to their closest counterparts in previous versions (Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003).
| Previous version | 2007 Office system release | Function |
|---|---|---|
Windows Installer (Msiexec.exe) |
Setup program (Setup.exe) |
Installation program |
Administrative installation point |
Local installation source (LIS) |
Location of stored program files |
One MSI file per product |
Multiple MSI files per product |
Windows Installer files |
Core English version plus MUI Pack |
Language-neutral architecture |
Deploy multiple languages at once |
Setup.ini file |
Config.xml file |
Customize installation file |
Setup command line |
Config.xml file |
Customize installation file |
Custom Installation Wizard |
Office Customization Tool (OCT) |
Customize installation of products |
Custom Maintenance Wizard |
Office Customization Tool |
Customize installation of products |
Office Profile Wizard |
Group Policy settings |
Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and Group Policy Object Editor Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins are used to manage policy settings |
Setup files
In previous versions of Office, each product consisted of a single Windows Installer package (MSI file). The chief role of Setup.exe was to call Windows Installer (Msiexec.exe) to install the package. Because Setup passed its command line to Windows Installer, it was possible to manage the installation process by setting Window Installer properties on the command line.
In the 2007 Office system release, a single Office product consists of multiple MSI files. Setup—not Windows Installer—combines the language-neutral core product package with one or more language-specific packages to create a complete product. No individual MSI file represents a product that anyone can install or use, and Setup is required to assemble the correct set of MSI files and to coordinate the installation process from beginning to end.
The Office product that you install is defined in the XML files on the installation point. Setup reads data in these XML files, assembles the required set of MSI files for the product, copies all the necessary files to the local installation source, and only then calls Windows Installer to complete the installation process.
Note
You cannot use the Windows Installer command line (Msiexec.exe) to install any product in the 2007 Office release, nor can you set Windows Installer properties on the Setup command line. You can, however, use the new deployment tools to customize all aspects of the installation process, just as you did in previous versions. For more information, see Setup architecture overview for the 2007 Office system.
Language-neutral architecture
If you installed previous versions of Office in an international setting, you first installed the core English version and then deployed one or more Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Packs to provide additional language versions to users. You may have used the Custom Installation Wizard to configure the MUI Pack, and then edited the Setup.ini file to chain the MUI Pack installation to the primary English installation.
The language-neutral architecture of the 2007 Office release eliminates the need to chain language packs and condenses the process to a single installation. After you create your initial network installation point (which always includes a core product), you copy all the additional language folders you need to the same location. These language folders contain the language-specific packages, or building blocks, that Setup combines with the core product to create a complete product in any language (including English). After you create a network installation point with multiple languages, you can allow Setup to manage the process of assembling the correct language version for each user automatically from the available language options.
When users run Setup for a particular Office product, Setup detects that there is more than one language available and automatically combines the core package with the language that matches the user locale, which is set in Windows. Only one language version is copied to the local installation source; only one product appears in Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Without additional steps on your part, other than dragging language folders to the network installation point, you ensure that users in New York get the English language version, users in Tokyo get the Japanese language version, users in Paris get the French language version, and so on.
Customizing a multi-language installation is similarly streamlined. You create only one customization file per product, regardless of the number of languages you are deploying. Most configuration options apply to the core product. The minority of language-specific customizations—for example, the feature installation state for the Japanese Input Method Editor (IME)—are applied where appropriate and otherwise ignored.
Note
When you customize the installation, you can specify that Setup install more than one language on users' computers or that Setup install a particular language regardless of the user locale setting. For more information about the new multi-language architecture, see "Language-neutral design" in Setup architecture overview for the 2007 Office system.
Customization model
In previous versions of Office products, several tools were required to customize Setup and to manage Office after installation. However, the 2007 Office system provides a consistent, streamlined customization model. You can use one of several methods to customize the installation, although the best method depends upon what you are customizing and whether you want users to be able to change the default configuration.
Choosing a customization tool
The following table summarizes the differences between the customization methods for the 2007 Office system and describes the recommended or required scenarios for each method.
| Tool or method | Scenarios | Results |
|---|---|---|
Use the Office Customization Tool to create a Setup customization file (MSP file). |
Recommended for most customizations, including:
|
Setup installs a default configuration on all computers to which this MSP file is applied. Users can modify most settings after the installation. |
Edit the Config.xml file. |
Required for the following customizations:
|
Setup installs the specified products and languages on all computers installed with this Config.xml file. Settings specified in Config.xml take precedence over duplicate settings in the Setup customization file. |
Add options or properties to the Setup command line. |
Available for only the following customizations:
|
Setup applies your customizations when it initially installs Office or when it runs in maintenance mode. You cannot set Windows Installer properties on the command line. |
Use the Group Policy Object Editor Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in to specify policy settings. |
Used to configure highly restricted or lightly managed configurations for user and computer settings. |
Administrators use Group Policy to define configurations once and then rely on the operating system to enforce that state. Group Policy for computers is applied at computer startup and Group Policy for users is applied when users log on. Group Policy is also applied subsequently in the background on a periodic basis. |
In this section:
Office Customization Tool
Config.xml file
Setup command-line options
Group Policy
Office Customization Tool
The Office Customization Tool (OCT) is built into the Setup program and is the primary tool for customizing the installation of products in the 2007 Office system. You do not need to install a separate tool. Instead, you run Setup with the /admin command-line option to start the tool:
setup.exe /admin
Using the OCT, create a Setup customization file, which you store in the Updates folder (for new or initial installations) at the root of the network installation point. Setup applies the file when it installs the relevant product. A Setup customization file is an expanded form of a Windows Installer MSP file. Each file is configured for a specific product, such as Microsoft Office Professional 2007 or Microsoft Office OneNote 2007. You do not need to specify the MSP file on the Setup command line. When you run Setup to install an Office product, Setup looks in the Updates folder for a Setup customization file that corresponds to the product you are installing. As Setup installs the product, it applies the customizations from this file.
The OCT is available only with volume licensed versions of the 2007 Office system. Office Standard 2007, Office Small Business 2007, Office Professional Plus 2007, and Office Enterprise 2007 are available for purchase through volume licensing. For more information, see How to buy the 2007 Microsoft Office suites (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=121942).
You can create more than one Setup customization file to configure Office for different groups or users. When you run Setup, you specify the appropriate customization file to use for each installation by using the Setup command-line option /adminfile, or by using the Config.xml file.
For more information about the OCT, see Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system.
Config.xml file
The Config.xml file is used to configure installation options such as the following:
Specifying the path of the network installation point.
Specifying the products to install.
Customizing Setup options such as logging and the location of the Setup customization file and software updates.
Specifying installation options, such as user and company name.
Copying the local installation source (LIS) to the user's computer without installing Office.
Adding or removing languages from the installation.
If you use both the OCT and the Config.xml file to customize an installation, the settings defined in the Config.xml file take precedence over those in the Setup customization MSP file. For more information about using the Config.xml file, see Config.xml file in the 2007 Office system.
Setup command-line options
The Setup.exe command line is used for the following tasks:
Running the Office Customization Tool to create a Setup customization (MSP) file.
Specifying a path to a specific customization file (MSP file) or to the folder where you store customization files.
Specifying the Config.xml file that Setup uses during the installation.
Running Setup in maintenance mode and making changes to an existing Office installation.
Running Setup to repair the specified product from the user's computer
Running Setup to remove the specified product from the user's computer.
For detailed information about how to use the Setup command-line options, see Setup command-line options for the 2007 Office system.
Group Policy
Group Policy is an infrastructure that administrators can use to implement specific computing configurations for users and computers. Policy settings can also be applied to member servers and domain controllers within the scope of an Active Directory forest. Group Policy settings are contained in Group Policy objects (GPOs), which are linked to selected Active Directory directory service containers — sites, domains, or organizational units (OUs). The settings within GPOs are evaluated by the affected targets using the hierarchical nature of Active Directory.
To configure Group Policy settings in GPOs, administrators use the Group Policy Object Editor Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in from the Group Policy Management Console snap-in. The 2007 Office system policy settings are contained in Administrative Template files (.adm and ADMX files). You can download the Administrative Template files for the 2007 Office system from the Microsoft Download Center at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=78161. For more information, see Group Policy overview (2007 Office system) and Enforce settings by using Group Policy in the 2007 Office system.
Most of the settings available in the OCT are included in the Office Administrative Template files, but the Group Policy settings are recorded in different areas of the Windows registry. The 2007 Office system policy settings are stored in the Policies branch of the registry, and these settings have access control list (ACL) restrictions that prevent non-administrator users from changing them. In contrast, OCT settings can be changed by users.
System requirements for the 2007 Office release
A hardware upgrade should not be necessary when you upgrade from Microsoft Office 2003 to the 2007 Office system. You may need to upgrade to a supported operating system. When you upgrade from Microsoft Office 2000 or Microsoft Office XP to the 2007 Office system, you must ensure that your hardware and operating system meet the minimum system requirements for the 2007 Office system.
It is strongly recommend that you evaluate your computer to verify that it meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements before you install applications in the 2007 Office system.
Note
The 2007 Office system client is a 32-bit application that runs on a Windows 64-bit platform (Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista). There may be feature limitations, as noted in the system requirements listed in the following sections.
In this section:
Microsoft Office Basic 2007
Microsoft Office Standard 2007
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
Microsoft Office Professional 2007
Microsoft Office Small Business 2007
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007
Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007
Microsoft Office Accounting 2007
Microsoft Office Access 2007
Microsoft Office Excel 2007
Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007
Microsoft Office Groove 2007
Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
Microsoft Office Publisher 2007
Microsoft Office Word 2007
Microsoft Office Multi-Language Pack 2007
More information
Microsoft Office Basic 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Microsoft Office Basic 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 megahertz (MHz) processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 megabyte (MB) RAM or higher. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Outlook Instant Search. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word do not turn on unless the computer has 1 gigabyte (GB) of memory. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB of memory. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. The Office Clean-up wizard is not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced functionality. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Standard 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Standard 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Outlook Instant Search. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word are not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB of memory. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB of memory. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. The Office Clean-up wizard is not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Home and Student 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. 2 GHz processor or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. Close-talking microphone required. Audio Search not available in all languages. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word are not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB of memory. 1 GB RAM or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Send to OneNote 2007 print driver not available on 64-bit operating systems. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. Some features require Windows Desktop Search 3.0, Windows Media Player 9.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0b, Microsoft Active Sync 4.1, microphone1, audio output device, video recording device (such as a Web cam), TWAIN-compatible digital camera or scanner, Windows Mobile 2003 powered Smartphone or Windows Mobile 5 powered Smartphone or Pocket PC, or a router that supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). Users must be on the same network to share notebooks. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Professional 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Professional 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. 1 GHz processor or higher recommended for Business Contact Manager. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Business Contact Manager. Business Contact Manager not available in all languages. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Outlook Instant Search. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word are not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB of memory. |
Hard disk |
2 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. The host computer must run Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows XP Professional with SP2, or later to share data among multiple computers. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Small Business 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Small Business 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. 1 GHz processor or higher recommended for Business Contact Manager. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Business Contact Manager. Business Contact Manager not available in all languages. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Outlook Instant Search. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word is not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB of memory. |
Hard disk |
2 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. The host computer must run Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows XP Professional with SP2, or later to share data among multiple computers. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Professional Plus 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Outlook Instant Search. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word is not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB of memory. |
Hard disk |
2 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Enterprise 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. 2 GHz processor or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. Close-talking microphone required. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. 1 GB RAM or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. Close-talking microphone required. Audio Search not available in all languages. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Outlook Instant Search. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word is not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB of memory. |
Hard disk |
2 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Send to OneNote 2007 print driver not available on a 64-bit operating system. Microsoft Office Groove 2007 Folder Synchronization not available on 64-bit operating systems. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. Connectivity to Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for browser-enabled Office InfoPath forms and additional collaboration functionality. Office Groove 2007 Messenger integration requires Windows Messenger 5.1 or later or Microsoft Office Communicator 1.0 or later. Includes 5-year subscription to the Office Groove 2007 relay service. Some features require Windows Desktop Search 3.0, Windows Media Player 9.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0b, Microsoft Active Sync 4.1, microphone1, audio output device, video recording device (such as a Web cam), TWAIN-compatible digital camera or scanner, Windows Mobile 2003 powered Smartphone or Windows Mobile 5 powered Smartphone or Pocket PC, or a router that supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). Users must be on the same network to share notebooks. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Ultimate 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. 2 GHz processor or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. Close-talking microphone required. Audio Search not available in all languages. 1 GHz processor or higher recommended for Business Contact Manager. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. 1 GB RAM or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. Close-talking microphone required. Audio Search not available in all languages. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Business Contact Manager. Business Contact Manager not available in all languages. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Outlook Instant Search. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word is not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB memory. |
Hard disk |
3 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Send to OneNote 2007 print driver not available on 64-bit operating systems. Office Groove 2007 Folder Synchronization not available on 64-bit operating systems. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. Connectivity to Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for browser-enabled InfoPath forms and additional collaboration functionality. Office Groove 2007 Messenger integration requires Windows Messenger 5.1 or later or Office Communicator 1.0 or later. Includes 5-year subscription to the Office Groove 2007 relay service. Some features require Windows Desktop Search 3.0, Windows Media Player 9.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0b, Microsoft Active Sync 4.1, microphone1, audio output device, video recording device (such as a Web cam), TWAIN-compatible digital camera or scanner, Windows Mobile 2003 powered Smartphone or Windows Mobile 5 powered Smartphone or Pocket PC, or a router that supports UPnP. Users must be on the same network to share notebooks. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Accounting 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Accounting 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
1 GHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
512 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
2 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003 or later is required to create customized invoices, sales orders, quotes, customer credit memos, customer statements, and purchase orders. Microsoft Office XP or later is required to export data to Microsoft Office Word or Excel. Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager SP2 or later is required to share financial data. The host computer must run Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows XP Professional SP2, or later to share data among multiple computers. Office Accounting analysis pack requires Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and Office Access 2003 or later. Online Accounting Transfer requires Office Live. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. Third-party services are available for additional fees. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Note
Microsoft Office Accounting 2007 is available in the U.S. only.
Microsoft Office Access 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Access 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system1. |
Other |
Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Collecting data via e-mail requires Office Outlook 2007. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Excel 2007
The following components are required to use Office Excel 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Office Outlook 2007 required for e-mail-based collaboration. Sending forms as e-mail messages requires Office Outlook 2007. Conversion of Office Word documents requires Office Word 2007. Conversion of Office Excel documents requires Office Excel 2007. Office SharePoint Server 2007 required for browser-enabled Office InfoPath forms and additional collaboration functionality. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Groove 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Groove 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
1 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Groove 2007 Folder Synchronization and some other features not available on 64-bit operating systems. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Integration with Windows SharePoint Services requires connectivity to a computer running Office SharePoint Server 2007 or Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. Built-in Office InfoPath 2007 Forms Tool requires Office InfoPath 2007. Office Groove 2007/messenger integration requires Windows Messenger 5.1 or later or Communicator 1.0 or later. Includes a 5-year subscription to the Office Groove 2007 relay service. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Important
Installation of Office Groove 2007 upgrades your Office Groove account. There is no support for downgrading or reverting to a previous version of your Office Groove account after the upgrade process starts. Each computer must be upgraded to Office Groove 2007 to run Office Groove accounts on multiple computers. Review the readme document for further information on Office Groove 2007 before you upgrade your account.
Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office OneNote 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. 2 GHz processor or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. Close-talking microphone required. Audio Search not available in all languages. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. 1 GB RAM or higher recommended for OneNote Audio Search. Close-talking microphone required. Audio Search not available in all languages. |
Hard disk |
1 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Send to OneNote 2007 print driver not available on 64-bit operating systems. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some features require Windows Desktop Search 3.0, Windows Media Player 9.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0b, Microsoft Active Sync 4.1, microphone1, audio output device; video recording device (such as a Web cam), TWAIN-compatible digital camera or scanner, Windows Mobile 2003 powered Smartphone or Windows Mobile 5 powered Smartphone or Pocket PC, or a router that supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). Users must be on the same network to share notebooks. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for some advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2007. Instant Search requires Windows Desktop Search 3.0. Dynamic Calendars require server connectivity. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. Connectivity to Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for some advanced functionality. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
1 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Information Rights Management features require access to a Windows 2003 Server with SP1 or later that is running Windows Rights Management Services. Connectivity to Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is required for some advanced collaboration functionality. PowerPoint Slide Libraries require Office SharePoint Server 2007. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Publisher 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Microsoft Office Publisher 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Publications can be sent using Office Outlook 2007, Outlook Express 6.0, or Windows Live Mail. Recipients can view publications in a variety of e-mail clients and Web-based services. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Word 2007
The following table lists the system requirements for Office Word 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. Grammar and contextual spelling in Office Word 2007 is not turned on unless the computer has 1 GB of memory. |
Hard disk |
1.5 GB. A portion of this disk space is free after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive. |
Drive |
CD-ROM or DVD drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. Office Clean-up wizard not available on 64-bit operating systems. |
Other |
Some inking features require Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later. Speech recognition functionality requires a close-talk microphone and audio output device. Publications can be sent using Office Outlook 2007, Outlook Express 6.0, or Windows Live Mail. Recipients can view publications in a variety of e-mail clients and Web-based services. Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32-bit browser only. Internet functionality requires Internet access. Fees may apply. |
Additional |
Requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. |
Microsoft Office Multi-Language Pack 2007
The following components are required to use Office Multi-Language Pack 2007.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Computer and processor |
500 MHz processor or higher. |
Memory |
256 MB RAM or higher. |
Hard disk |
2 GB of hard disk space necessary for installation. A portion of this hard disk space is free after installation. |
Drive |
DVD-ROM drive. |
Display |
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor. |
Operating system |
Windows XP with SP2 or later, or Windows Server 2003 or later. |
Other |
One or more of the following 2007 Office system products installed: Office Home and Student 2007, Office Standard 2007, Office Basic 2007, Office Small Business 2007, Office Professional 2007, Office Professional Plus 2007, Office Enterprise 2007, Office Ultimate 2007, Office Word 2007, Office Excel 2007, Office Outlook 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, Office Access 2007, Office OneNote 2007, Microsoft Office Visio 2007, Microsoft Office Project 2007, Office InfoPath 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, Office Publisher 2007, Office Groove 2007. |
More information
Servers and programs that are not included in the 2007 Office suites require higher system memory and supporting software.
Refer to the Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution system requirements (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93530) for details on requirements for the EPM Solution, which includes Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Microsoft Office Project Web Access, Microsoft Office Project Portfolio Server 2007, and Microsoft Office Project Portfolio Web Access.
Refer to the Microsoft Office Groove 2007 system requirements (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93531) for integration and deployment requirements for products such as Office Groove 2007 and Microsoft Office Groove Enterprise Services 2007.
Refer to the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 system requirements (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93532) for integration and deployment requirements for products such as Office SharePoint Server 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 for Search, and Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007.
Migration from previous versions of Office
The 2007 Office system changes most likely to affect your migration from previous versions of Office are in the following areas:
Installing, customizing, and updating the 2007 Office system
File format
Security
User Interface
Object model
Access 2007
Excel 2007
Outlook 2007
Word 2007, PowerPoint 2007, and OneNote 2007
For information about feature changes, see Differences in the 2007 Office system. For information about migrating to the 2007 Office system, see Migrating to the 2007 Office system.
Installing, customizing, and updating the 2007 Office system
Previous versions of Office required several tools to customize Setup and to manage Office after installation. As mentioned previously, the new Setup architecture in the 2007 Office system simplifies the process of installing and maintaining Office. This change mainly affects administrators, and is important to consider because it might represent a change in your deployment methods.
Installation. In the 2007 Office system, all language-neutral components are in one core package, and all language-specific components are in separate packages. A basic 2007 Office release installation consists of the core package plus one language. Adding more languages is as simple as copying additional language-specific packages to the network installation point. All of the packages plug into the global core in exactly the same way. For more information about the Setup architecture for the 2007 Office system, see Evaluating the new Setup architecture.
Customization. You can use the Office Customization Tool (OCT), a component of Setup in the 2007 Office system, to create a Setup customization file. You can use customization files to configure the 2007 Office system for different groups of users. For more information about configuration files, see Create different configurations of the 2007 Office system for different groups of users. For more information about how to use the OCT, see Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system.
Updates. In Microsoft Office 2003, you used an administrative installation point to install the product. The 2007 Office system requires a local installation source. The process of distributing software updates is more efficient and reliable, because a complete installation source is always available on the local computer. In the 2007 Office system, you create a network installation point that you never have to update, so client computers never become out-of-sync with the installation source. Keeping new installations current is as simple as copying updates to a folder on the network installation point. For more information about the local installation source, see Required local installation source for the 2007 Office system. For more information about updating Office, see Consolidated update process for the 2007 Office system.
File format
The default file format for Office Word 2007, Office Excel 2007, and Office PowerPoint 2007 has changed to Extensible Markup Language (XML). This change is in response to customer requests, and provides the following benefits:
Enables more rapid document creation from different data sources
Enables easier data mining and content reuse
Reduces the size of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
Improves data recovery in corrupted files
Several factors help to ease transition and coexistence issues with the new file format:
The file formats used in Office 2003 and previous versions are still available in the 2007 Office system. You can change the default file format during deployment, or a user can change the default file format after installation.
Updates are available for Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 to enable customers using older versions of Office to read, edit, and save files by using the new format.
Converters are available for Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003. Customers using previous versions of Office can open files created with the new file format.
The Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM) helps you assess the impact of the change on your environment and allows bulk conversion of files.
For more information about the new file format, see File format reference for the 2007 Office system. For more information about file coexistence, see Collaborating with previous versions of Office and other programs. For more information about OMPM, see Migrating to the 2007 Office system and Office Migration Planning Manager reference for the 2007 Office system.
Security
The Trust Center is new to the 2007 Office system, and hosts all security settings for Office applications in one place. The Trust Center also provides a document action bar that replaces the security prompts when a file opens. By default, potentially dangerous content is blocked in the file without prompting, so there are no security decisions when the file opens. If content is blocked, the document action bar appears and informs the user. Clicking the document action bar displays a dialog box with the disabled content and the options to enable or disable the content.
The Trust Center also has new security settings (previously Low, Medium, High, and Very High) that are more descriptive and provide more flexibility.
This change requires user education and planning. For more information about security features that have changed, see Differences in the 2007 Office system. For detailed information about planning for and deploying security features for the 2007 Office system, see the resources in the Security and protection for the 2007 Office release section.
User Interface
Office Word 2007, Office Excel 2007, Office Access 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, and Office Outlook 2007 have a new ribbon interface (Microsoft Office Fluent user interface) instead of the menu bar in previous versions. The ribbon is an area across the top of the screen that is divided into tabs. Commands are organized within each tab. This change greatly improves the user's ability to use and find features in the 2007 Office system. User education is required.
Most commands continue to work as before. There is minimal need to change macros or application code due to the new ribbon interface. Because some commands are changed, see Differences in the 2007 Office system to determine whether you need to revise macros or application code.
For more information about the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface, see the Microsoft Office Fluent User Interface Resource Center (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=111045).
Object model
Because of improvements in the 2007 Office system, there are differences in the object model. Because of these changes, you should test all applications to ensure they are compatible with the 2007 Office system. Some features of the object model are added, changed, or removed. In some instances, the functionality might still be available, but might be removed in future versions of Office. For more information about object model changes, see Differences in the 2007 Office system.
Access 2007
Office Access 2007 introduces a new file format. While previous versions used the MDB format, Office Access 2007 saves files in the new ACCDB format. One key feature of the ACCDB format is the ability to store complex data. Storing complex data requires the presence of a new system table, MSysFlattenedMapping, plus a series of built-in schema tables. The MSysFlattenedMapping table and the built-in schema tables are automatically created when a new ACCDB file is created.
You can use the Office Custom Installation Wizard (CIW) to set a policy so that all new databases default to the MDB format instead of ACCDB. This setting can be used to prevent users from creating ACCDB files until your Office Access 2007 deployment is complete.
Users can convert their MDB databases to ACCDB format with the Convert Database command on the Database tab of the ribbon in Office Access 2007. Once it is converted, the database can only open in Office Access 2007. In Office Access 2007, users can use the Save Database As option to save the database in a previous format. If the database was created as an ACCDB file, and if it contains complex data, offline data, or attachments created in Office Access 2007, the user cannot save the database as a prior version.
For more information about feature changes in Office Access 2007, see Changes in Office Access 2007.
Excel 2007
In addition to the new user interface and file format changes, Office Excel 2007 features major changes in the following areas:
Grid size. The grid size for Office Excel 2007 worksheets is greatly expanded to 1,000,000 rows by 16,000 columns (compared to 65,536 rows by 256 columns in Office Excel 2003). This change could result in Range Names that conflict with the new references, and can also affect the ability to save a worksheet to a previous version.
Formulas and functions. The Analysis ToolPak is integrated into Office Excel 2007 to improve the installation process. This requires that calls to Analysis ToolPak functions are changed so that the syntax is the same as the syntax used for built-in functions. Also, some of the integrated functions might conflict with user-defined functions. Changes to statistical functions provide more precision. With multi-threaded calculation, Office Excel 2007 provides increased performance when it runs on computers with more than one logical processor.
Charting. Charts created in Office PowerPoint 2007 or Office Word 2007 (not in compatibility mode) are native charts, not Microsoft Graph OLE objects. The data for a Graph in PowerPoint or Word is now in Office Excel 2007, rather than in the Graph datasheet. Macros written to use the Microsoft Graph object model must be changed. Existing macros continue to work in Office Excel 2007, but charts should transition to the new object model.
Charting. Charts created in Office PowerPoint 2007 or Office Word 2007 (not in compatibility mode) are native charts, not Microsoft Graph OLE objects. The data for a Graph in PowerPoint or Word is now in Office Excel 2007, rather than in the Graph datasheet. Macros written to use the Microsoft Graph object model must be changed. Existing macros continue to work in Office Excel 2007, but charts should transition to the new object model.
For more information about feature changes in Office Excel 2007, see Changes in Office Excel 2007.
Outlook 2007
Office Outlook 2007 includes improvements in the Calendar, Tasks, and other features. One of the biggest changes is that instead of using the Exchange Security Form (ESF), a custom form for administering Office Outlook 2007 security options when you are connected to an Exchange Server mailbox, you use Group Policy. This changes the method you use to lock down Office Outlook 2007 in a network environment. Some situations still require use of the ESF, due to Group Policy restrictions. For example, hosted Exchange situations still require using the ESF to lock down Office Outlook 2007.
For more information about feature changes in Office Outlook 2007, see Changes in Outlook 2007.
Word 2007, PowerPoint 2007, and OneNote 2007
There are changes that you should review for Office Word 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, and Office OneNote 2007 to determine whether files or applications might need modification during migration. For more information about feature changes, see Differences in the 2007 Office system.
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See Also
Concepts
Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system
Config.xml file in the 2007 Office system
Group Policy overview (2007 Office system)
Enforce settings by using Group Policy in the 2007 Office system
Planning for migration to the 2007 Office system
Migrating to the 2007 Office system
Migration reference for the 2007 Office system
Setup architecture overview for the 2007 Office system
Customize and deploy multiple language versions of the 2007 Office system
Deploying the 2007 Office system