Office Viewers That work on all operating systems including Win98

[PhantomR]

just downloaded the office word & excel viewer to view files that i have
downloaded of the web after taking ages to download on 56k and it goes and
tells me i need a newer operating system that windows 98se and i dont agree
with that considering i used to use office 97 on windows 98se before my disc
broke.

Please Direct me to the old viewers or fix this stupid error

Kind Regards

PhantomR

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...fc8db470274b&dg=microsoft.public.officeupdate

 

[Timothy L]

You should have taken note of the "System Requirements" on the "Download details" page for any software that
you download on Microsoft.com. Case in point, the Microsoft Word Viewer 2003 and Microsoft Excel Viewer 2003
says "Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003; Windows XP". Given that,
you shouldn't have even downloaded them in first place.

There is no "fix" for the newer Microsoft Word Viewer 2003 or Microsoft Excel Viewer 2003, you'll just need to
find, download, and install the older viewers (which I have provided links to below).





Download details: Microsoft Word Viewer 97
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...44-38f6-4eb5-aca6-8bd280d5e6b1&DisplayLang=en




The old Microsoft Excel Viewer 97 can be downloaded at one of these locations. Please note that the
Microsoft.com link is a direct download link.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/excel2000/Xlviewer/2000/WIN98/EN-US/xlViewer.exe

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download.asp?fid=5257

The system requirements for the old Microsoft Excel Viewer 97 can found here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/273711/




The PowerPoint Viewer 2003 should work if is run under Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) or later Windows
operating system. If you have problems, use the old PowerPoint Viewer 97.


Download details: PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...27-43AB-4F24-90B7-A94784AF71A4&displaylang=en

Fix it: I want to open a presentation but I don't have PowerPoint
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011684351033.aspx

Install and run PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP030784121033.aspx

Run a presentation with PowerPoint Viewer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052419601033.aspx

About the PowerPoint Viewer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052419591033.aspx

New features of the PowerPoint Viewer in PowerPoint 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827110/

PowerPoint Viewer will not open my presentation (PowerPoint 95 files)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011980701033.aspx

How to use a presentation playlist file in PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827766/

List of command line switches for PowerPoint 2003 Viewer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830040/

How to use PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to create a Windows autorun CD slide show for earlier versions of PowerPoint
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830286/




If a user is running an earlier version of Windows, can't get Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to install/run,
or if you need to view a Microsoft PowerPoint 95 Presentation (.ppt), Microsoft PowerPoint 95 Slide Show
(.pps), and/or Microsoft PowerPoint 95 Template (.pot), then you need to download and install the free
Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 97.

PPT97: How to Obtain PowerPoint Viewer 97
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/170801/

Download details: PowerPoint Viewer 97 for PowerPoint 97, 2000, and 2002 Users
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...8e-5513-46c4-aa4f-058a84a37df1&DisplayLang=en

PPT97: Using Command-Line Switches with Playlist Files
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/176678/

PPT: How to Write and Use a List File in PowerPoint Viewer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/93702/





Or you could download a free open source office suite alternative such as OpenOffice.org which can create,
open, edit, and
save Microsoft Word Documents (.doc), Microsoft Word Templates (.dot), Microsoft Excel Worksheets (.xls),
Microsoft Excel Templates (.xlt), Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations (.ppt), Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Shows
(.pps), and Microsoft PowerPoint Templates (.pot).

You find more information about OpenOffice.org at, well...
http://www.openoffice.org/

The latest stable release (at the time of this post) is OpenOffice.org 1.1.5. You can download it here:
http://download.openoffice.org/1.1.5/index.html


Other downloads can be found here:
http://download.openoffice.org/

And if you need a manual for OpenOffice.org (i.e. an installation manual), you can find them here:
http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/

To view PDF files, you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

--
Please post all replies to the newsgroup for the benefit of others.
Requests for assistance by email will NOT be acknowledged!

just downloaded the office word & excel viewer to view files that i have
downloaded of the web after taking ages to download on 56k and it goes and
tells me i need a newer operating system that windows 98se and i dont agree
with that considering i used to use office 97 on windows 98se before my disc
broke.

Please Direct me to the old viewers or fix this stupid error

Kind Regards

PhantomR

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...fc8db470274b&dg=microsoft.public.officeupdate

 

[PhantomR]

Hi Tim

Thanks for the links to the older viewers but
just for a follow up where i downloaded the viewer
from on microsoft there was no mention of supported
operating systems or not for the word & excel viewers
2003 it just mentioned that it was an upgraded version
to previous versions and was in the office 97 viewers
section so how was i supposed to know

if you dont believe me check for yourself. !!!!!

main office page:-
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226281033.aspx

Word 97 Viewer:-
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226251033.aspx

Excel 97 viewer :-

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226281033.aspx

also the operating systems link was not viewable on a 640 x 480 monitor
setting.

kind regards

PhantomR

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi PhantomR,

When you click on the link in your message for the
Word and Excel file viewers under the Office 97 downloads
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226251033.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226281033.aspx
It takes you to pages that are entries to the related download pages.

The download page does show the Windows requirements of 2000 or XP
lower down on the download page. I'm not sure I'm following
the comment on the 640x480 page. The System requirements were visible
in that resolution when I went to those pages. ?

You can also open MS Word files in Windows 98 in MS Windows Wordpad
(Start=>Programs=>Accessories). Although it doesn't support all of
the features it will open the files.

=======
Hi Tim

Thanks for the links to the older viewers but
just for a follow up where i downloaded the viewer
from on microsoft there was no mention of supported
operating systems or not for the word & excel viewers
2003 it just mentioned that it was an upgraded version
to previous versions and was in the office 97 viewers
section so how was i supposed to know

if you dont believe me check for yourself. !!!!!

main office page:-
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226281033.aspx

Word 97 Viewer:-
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226251033.aspx

Excel 97 viewer :-

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officeupdate/CD010226281033.aspx

also the operating systems link was not viewable on a 640 x 480 monitor
setting.

kind regards

PhantomR>>
--
Let us know if this helped you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

For Everyday MS Office tips to "use right away" -
http://microsoft.com/events/series/administrativetipsandtricks.mspx

 

[PhantomR]

Hi Bob

Thanks for the reply what i meant about the 640x480 cmment was i didnt see
the op sys requirements because my monitor was in 640x480 mode at the time i
clicked on it to download.

microsoft should however make the woord 2003 viewer multi- platform
compatible or at least have the link available to older versions in the links
i went to.

kind regards

PhantomR

 

[Timothy L]

Heh, I'm on 1024x768 and can't even see the "Supported Operating Systems:" information on some (if not, most)
of the Download Center download pages.

If you scroll down to end of the page, you'll see the "What Others Are Downloading" section. This section has
a link to the "Word 97-2000 Viewer", but NOT the "Excel 97-2000 Viewer" since it cannot be found in the
Download Center (for some apparent reason I do not know).



The "PowerPoint Viewer 97 for PowerPoint 97, 2000, and 2002 Users" link is the easiest to find as it can be
found in many of the Microsoft Office Assistance articles under "See Also" (such as the ones I've linked to
below).


Fix it: I want to open a presentation but I don't have PowerPoint
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011684351033.aspx

Install and run PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP030784121033.aspx

Run a presentation with PowerPoint Viewer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052419601033.aspx

PowerPoint Viewer will not open my presentation (PowerPoint 95 files)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011980701033.aspx


And is found here under "What Others Are Downloading".

Download details: PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...27-43AB-4F24-90B7-A94784AF71A4&displaylang=en



In other words, you should have been able to find the "Word 97-2000 Viewer" (old Microsoft Word Viewer) and
"PowerPoint Viewer 97 for PowerPoint 97, 2000, and 2002 Users" (old Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer) links easily
if you just scrolled up and down the page a little more or used your web browser's search/find function
(generally found under the Edit menu).

 

[PhantomR]

Yeah Tim i agree withe the supported operating systems line,they should make
things easier to find and if the newer version doesnt support what is
required then they should provide the older version link in the office
download centre aera in my opinion, i eventually got the viewers from
www.pcworld.com which was a link on one of the replies that i have recieved.

hopefully microsft will take notice of this and add legacy windows
support to newer viewers and programs.

for example why release internet explorer 7 beta when they could finish
fixing all the bugs in internet explorer 6 and make it service pack 2 like
they did with ie 5.5
just like when windows vista comes along we dont need newer versions every 2
years they should concentrate on what the have already.

kind regards

PhantomR

 

[Timothy L]

Do you know why Microsoft is doing this?

To get users to use updated versions of their Windows operating system. (for example, Windows 2000, Windows
XP, and Windows Server 2003)

At some point, even I will need to upgrade to Windows XP.

 

[PhantomR]

Tim

I use a variety of Operating systems and i hate to say it but you casnt't
beat windows 98se for stabilys far better than windows Me,Xp Home & Pro Is
Good
but im not easily impressed because of all the virus attacks even though my
laptop has XP Home SP1 on it thats as far as im willing to go on it as XP SP2
has got a bad reputation so i aint doing it.

every one else is happy with Win98se (Only Genuine Licences Though)

Kind Regards

PhantomR

 

[judibugg]

I have XP Professional SP2 and Microsoft Office 2000 - I lost my viewer
somewhere and cannot retrieve it - I do not know what version it was and need
help in finding it to download again. Thank you for any help.
Judibugg

 

[Timothy L]

I can't tell you what versions they were either, however, I can provide you with links and information about
the viewers that are compatible with your version of Microsoft Windows (which you stated is Microsoft Windows
XP Professional SP2).




Microsoft Word Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: Word Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...87-8732-48d5-8689-ab826e7b8fdf&DisplayLang=en

View or print Word documents without Word
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011496951033.aspx

View this: Opening a file when you don't have the program
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA012309001033.aspx




Microsoft Excel Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: Excel Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...F4-996C-4569-B547-75EDBD03AAF0&displaylang=en

Share Excel files by using Excel Viewer 2003
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011620741033.aspx





Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...27-43AB-4F24-90B7-A94784AF71A4&displaylang=en

Fix it: I want to open a presentation but I don't have PowerPoint
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011684351033.aspx

Install and run PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP030784121033.aspx

Run a presentation with PowerPoint Viewer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052419601033.aspx

About the PowerPoint Viewer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052419591033.aspx

New features of the PowerPoint Viewer in PowerPoint 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827110/

PowerPoint Viewer will not open my presentation (PowerPoint 95 files)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011980701033.aspx

How to use a presentation playlist file in PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827766/

List of command line switches for PowerPoint 2003 Viewer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830040/

How to use PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to create a Windows autorun CD slide show for earlier versions of PowerPoint
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830286/




Microsoft Visio Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: Visio Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...5C-FED1-46CF-BD53-DA23635AB2DF&displaylang=en

Open Visio drawings even if you don't have Visio installed
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010352431033.aspx

Share a drawing with someone who doesn't have Visio
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP010413071033.aspx

Share Visio drawing files with everyone
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010352421033.aspx

Share process diagrams with coworkers who don't use Visio
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011100301033.aspx




Snapshot Viewer information and links:

Download details: Snapshot Viewer for Access 2003, 2002, 2000, and 97
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...3f-6d74-423d-8274-8b7e6313edfb&DisplayLang=en

Open a report snapshot
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052612331033.aspx

About report snapshots and Snapshot Viewer (Microsoft Office Online article)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052612151033.aspx

About report snapshots and Snapshot Viewer (MSDN article)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...2000/html/acrefAccessAboutReportSnapshots.asp





To view Publisher documents (.pub), you will need to:

A) Order the Microsoft Publisher 2003 Trial CD (or Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 Trial CD)

Trial versions contain all the functionality of the regular (full) version, but can only be used for a limited
time. When the trial period ends, the software will go into reduced functionality mode. Essentially, you will
be able to view Publisher Documents (.pub) even after the trial period ends.

Microsoft Publisher 2003 Trial Software
http://www.microsoft.com/office/publisher/prodinfo/trial.mspx

Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 Trial Software (includes Microsoft Publisher 2003 Trial)
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/trial.mspx



B) Buy Microsoft Publisher 2003 (or Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003)

How to buy Microsoft Publisher 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/office/publisher/howtobuy/default.mspx

How to buy Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/howtobuy/professional.mspx



C) Have the sender convert the Publisher Document (.pub)

Save a publication as a PDF file
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP062074021033.aspx

How to configure Acrobat Distiller to work with Publisher 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826360/

To view PDF files, you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html


Save Publisher 2003 files in formats that others can view
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011111451033.aspx

Save a publication as a Word document
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011667581033.aspx

File formats that Publisher converts
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051241461033.aspx




Microsoft Publisher 2003 System Requirements
http://www.microsoft.com/office/publisher/prodinfo/pubreq.mspx

Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 System Requirements
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/proreq.mspx

 

[judibugg]

Thank you Timothy L. I now have a viewer that works and opens everything for
me. Sorry I took so long in extending my thanks but I just returned to work
after being out due to illness for 6 months and I am exhausted. Last thing I
want to deal with is items acting up. I just posted a question regarding my
Outlook 2000 taking away mail and putting in items that were deleted to the
Outlook 2000 VRG - Again thank you and forgive my lateness.
--
Live life to the fullest and never look back

I can't tell you what versions they were either, however, I can provide you with links and information about
the viewers that are compatible with your version of Microsoft Windows (which you stated is Microsoft Windows
XP Professional SP2).




Microsoft Word Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: Word Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...87-8732-48d5-8689-ab826e7b8fdf&DisplayLang=en

View or print Word documents without Word
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011496951033.aspx

View this: Opening a file when you don't have the program
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA012309001033.aspx




Microsoft Excel Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: Excel Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...F4-996C-4569-B547-75EDBD03AAF0&displaylang=en

Share Excel files by using Excel Viewer 2003
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011620741033.aspx





Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...27-43AB-4F24-90B7-A94784AF71A4&displaylang=en

Fix it: I want to open a presentation but I don't have PowerPoint
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011684351033.aspx

Install and run PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP030784121033.aspx

Run a presentation with PowerPoint Viewer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052419601033.aspx

About the PowerPoint Viewer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052419591033.aspx

New features of the PowerPoint Viewer in PowerPoint 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827110/

PowerPoint Viewer will not open my presentation (PowerPoint 95 files)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011980701033.aspx

How to use a presentation playlist file in PowerPoint Viewer 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827766/

List of command line switches for PowerPoint 2003 Viewer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830040/

How to use PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to create a Windows autorun CD slide show for earlier versions of PowerPoint
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830286/




Microsoft Visio Viewer 2003 information and links:

Download details: Visio Viewer 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...5C-FED1-46CF-BD53-DA23635AB2DF&displaylang=en

Open Visio drawings even if you don't have Visio installed
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010352431033.aspx

Share a drawing with someone who doesn't have Visio
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP010413071033.aspx

Share Visio drawing files with everyone
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010352421033.aspx

Share process diagrams with coworkers who don't use Visio
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011100301033.aspx




Snapshot Viewer information and links:

Download details: Snapshot Viewer for Access 2003, 2002, 2000, and 97
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...3f-6d74-423d-8274-8b7e6313edfb&DisplayLang=en

Open a report snapshot
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052612331033.aspx

About report snapshots and Snapshot Viewer (Microsoft Office Online article)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052612151033.aspx

About report snapshots and Snapshot Viewer (MSDN article)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...2000/html/acrefAccessAboutReportSnapshots.asp





To view Publisher documents (.pub), you will need to:

A) Order the Microsoft Publisher 2003 Trial CD (or Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 Trial CD)

Trial versions contain all the functionality of the regular (full) version, but can only be used for a limited
time. When the trial period ends, the software will go into reduced functionality mode. Essentially, you will
be able to view Publisher Documents (.pub) even after the trial period ends.

Microsoft Publisher 2003 Trial Software
http://www.microsoft.com/office/publisher/prodinfo/trial.mspx

Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 Trial Software (includes Microsoft Publisher 2003 Trial)
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/trial.mspx



B) Buy Microsoft Publisher 2003 (or Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003)

How to buy Microsoft Publisher 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/office/publisher/howtobuy/default.mspx

How to buy Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/howtobuy/professional.mspx



C) Have the sender convert the Publisher Document (.pub)

Save a publication as a PDF file
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP062074021033.aspx

How to configure Acrobat Distiller to work with Publisher 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826360/

To view PDF files, you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html


Save Publisher 2003 files in formats that others can view
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011111451033.aspx

Save a publication as a Word document
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP011667581033.aspx

File formats that Publisher converts
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051241461033.aspx




Microsoft Publisher 2003 System Requirements
http://www.microsoft.com/office/publisher/prodinfo/pubreq.mspx

Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 System Requirements
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/proreq.mspx