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Warning On Office 2007 "Try-Before-You-Buy"
walterbyrd writes with a warning: "Microsoft is pushing Office 2007 with 'try-before-you-buy.' Please don't let your friends and relatives install Microsoft 'trial' software. When Microsoft tells you 'try-before-you-buy,' the 'buy' part is not meant to be an option. Once you 'try' a Microsoft 'upgrade' you can not easily go back, because your files will be replaced by new versions that you need the new software to read." The ChannelRegister article also notes how Microsoft's push goes against the grain of the consumer revolt against "crapware." Read on for an account of walterbyrd's experience with a previous Microsoft trial upgrade.
I remember when my brother-in-law decided to try Office-2003. It was a complete mess. I didn't think I'd ever get it fixed. Here is the story:
Office-2003 installed over his Office-2000. His Outlook-2000 email was reformatted to the new-and-improved Outlook-2003. And Outlook-2003 format is incompatible with everything except Outlook-2003. So when his trial period was over, he could no longer access his email — unless he wanted to buy Office-2003.
Of course, I could not fully remove the "trial" version of Office-2003. Once Office-2003 has been installed, it can not overwritten with an earlier version of Office. Also, you cannot remove Office-2003 and re-install Office-2000, unless you know how to hack the registry. And you can not easily install Office-2000 and Office-2003 on the same PC.
What I eventually did to correct the situation:
- Signed up for my own trial version of Office-2003
- Used my trial version to import my brother-in-law's email file
- Saved my brother-in-law's email in another format
- Backed up his data
- Wiped his HDD
- Restored everything
In fairness, I have not used the trial version of Office-2007. But, after my experience with the trial version of Office-2003, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Please make sure your friends don't touch it either.
I remember when my brother-in-law decided to try Office-2003. It was a complete mess. I didn't think I'd ever get it fixed. Here is the story:
Office-2003 installed over his Office-2000. His Outlook-2000 email was reformatted to the new-and-improved Outlook-2003. And Outlook-2003 format is incompatible with everything except Outlook-2003. So when his trial period was over, he could no longer access his email — unless he wanted to buy Office-2003.
Of course, I could not fully remove the "trial" version of Office-2003. Once Office-2003 has been installed, it can not overwritten with an earlier version of Office. Also, you cannot remove Office-2003 and re-install Office-2000, unless you know how to hack the registry. And you can not easily install Office-2000 and Office-2003 on the same PC.
What I eventually did to correct the situation:
- Signed up for my own trial version of Office-2003
- Used my trial version to import my brother-in-law's email file
- Saved my brother-in-law's email in another format
- Backed up his data
- Wiped his HDD
- Restored everything
In fairness, I have not used the trial version of Office-2007. But, after my experience with the trial version of Office-2003, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Please make sure your friends don't touch it either.
By "via the control panel" did you really mean "via megahaxin' the registry and using voodoo magics"?
IOU one (1) signature
IT excellent the way Microsoft are doing a great job promoting reasons to switch to Linux.
Clearly their remaining users are all windows fanboys who will put up with absolutely anything and then come back for more. So Microsoft, how about using that for some really intrusive stuff like putting advertising functionality directly in the kernel or add even more snooping software?
Oh its all ready gone live on windows update you say...
Hey /b/,
/b/. She's still passed out, and there's still a slimy coil of pork sausage on the floor. The barbecue is supposed to start in about an hour, but that was the last of my sausage and I don't have time to deal with her and get some more sausage. Do you think cooking the sausage over a hot flame would get rid of the KY flavour?
My mom is hot. Seriously hot. And she's also a giant drunk. So last night, after finishing off a bottle of Bacardi 151 and starting on another, she had the bright idea to put some porn on in my living room while I was taking a shit. She was passed out with her pants off by the time I finished. I'm fed up with the drunk bitch doing this sort of shit, so I figured I'd play a joke on her.
I got a bottle of KY and started pouring it all over her. She was a sticky mess by the time I was done, but she still didn't wake up. I remembered the four pounds of pork sausage I had in the refrigerator for a barbecue I'm having later today. I started stretching my mom's snatch out. I managed to get my fist in there without rousing her. The sausage was in a plastic bag, so I cut one of the corners off so that the sausage would be "pooped" out. I inserted the bag in her pussy, and squeezed until all the sausage was in her body.
What I am about to say might shock and offend the weak of stomach. Not yet satisfied with my prank, I decided to see if I could make her give birth to four pounds of pork sausage. So I started to flick my tongue on her clit. She started moaning, gyrating her hips, and finally had an orgasm. She woke up to seeing me laughing as sausage slid out of her vagina, and my mom got scared. She said, you sick son of a bitch, what the fuck is wrong with you before she passed out again.
I need your advice,
i'd say you're just an incompetent. probably a linux fanboi too.
you have been owned, bitch.
TEH OMG!!! I upgraded to a new version of software, and now I can't go back!!!
Maybe there should be a warning that installing a new version means... um... you are installing a new version.
Or maybe you FOSSies would prefer it be like Mozilla, AOL, and Java, where every single point release installs fully, upgrading nothing and leaving the old version. So eventually, after about a year of auto-updates, your hard drive is completely filled and the computer is crashing because you are out of disk space. Um yeah... real quality programming there.
BTW, if you can't open Office 2007 files with previous versions, MS has a FREE download which allows you to use those formats. Assuming you have a legit copy of the software, of course. But we all know FOSSies would NEVER pirate software... right?
You can set the default format to be .DOC, twitter. Word Options.
Of course, given that you've never used it, it's probably too much to expect from you.
How are new formats designed to make sure people buy a new word processor when Microsoft release compatibility packs for older versions so they can open the new formats?
Because the "compatibility packs" are never perfect and usually work best as translators into the new format. The ultimate cost of their making money is you doing more work. This is why their supposedly "open" xml format specification has goofey things like, "do this exactly like Word 5 for Mac" without further advice. Their formats never were portable because they never have cared about your effort.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.