Sharing Publisher 2007 files between computers with XP and Vista

[Kasey156]

I was emailed a Publisher 2007 document created on a system using Vista. I
was able to open and edit the document using my XP version of Publisher 2007.
I sent it back to the originator for review, and was told that she was
unable to open the file. I asked a tech support worker I know (not
Microsoft, just a techie) about the issue, and he just said, "It's a known
issue."

Does this mean that Microsoft has done something so that collaboration is
not allowed between two people using the same program on two different
operating systems? Why would I be able to open her document, but she is
unable to open mine?

She is not very computer savvy, but we would like to collaborate. Is this
just a question of updates? Is there a patch I can tell her to get? Is
there something I can do on my end? (i.e., save to another format?)

 

[Mary Sauer]

I'd send it again. Could be the file you sent was corrupt. I have Publisher
documents on every OS Microsoft ever developed and never had a problem opening
publications between Window versions. Ask your techie friend how he knows it is
a known issue.

What is the error your recipient is getting? Is her firewall allowing her to
open the file? Does she have Norton virus software?

 

[Kasey156]

Mary:

I used the term "techie friend" when actually it was a rep who does tech
support for another company and wasn't really supposed to be answering MS
questions on company time. *smile*

The problem my friend Danielle had was that when I told her to open the
document, she said it was asking her what program to open it with. I thought
I asked at that time if she had Publisher 2007, but I will check again.
Anyway, she's not that computer savvy, so I asked her what was in the box
that came up. Publisher was not on the list as a program to open it with. I
don't know Vista, but used what I knew about XP to tell her how to make it
use Publisher to open the file (going into programs and finding the .exe file
for Publisher) and she said it didn't work. I then tried telling her to save
the document to another location and we would try again but by then she was
frustrated and said it had disappeared. I didn't dig deeper, she was pretty
mad.

I hadn't thought about AV issues or anything like that - I'm a hardcore
Vista hater, and just assumed it had something to do with the OS, especially
after hearing the same thing from the tech support agent - I sent the file a
couple days later to my mom's house where Danielle was working, and that
computer runs Publisher 2007 and XP. She was able to open 3 different files
just fine - all Publisher, all versions originating from that same document
she had sent me at first.

I'll investigate further because it would be nice to be able to collaborate
with her. I've been real sick for a week now, but when I get well I should
just go over there and check it out for myself. If I find out more before
then, I'll add it to this thread. In the meantime, though, it's nice to know
it's probably not the OS.

 

[Rob Giordano [MS MVP]]

sounds like she doesn't have Publisher installed

 

[Kasey156]

sounds like she doesn't have Publisher installed

Yes, she has it installed - she used that computer to create and send me the
document. I still have the email saved in Outlook, and I just doublechecked
- the file extension IS *.pub, and my system opened it just fine to make the
initial changes. It was when I sent the EDITED version BACK to her that she
couldn't open it any longer.

When I am no longer taking breathing treatments, I will be able to go to her
house and take a look at her system to see if there is anything stopping
those attachments from opening.

 

[John G.]

Good chance the Pub she has installed is a lower level than 2003 and cannot
open 2007 files.

John G.

 

[Kasey156]

Thanks John, I'll check that along with the other stuff when I get over to
Danielle's house.

Kasey

 

[Rob Giordano [MS MVP]]

If so you will have to re-save the file as a lower version .pub file so she
can open it....make a backup first.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rob Giordano
Microsoft MVP Expression

 

[Kasey156]

You know, if this is the problem, I'm going to feel real stupid.

I've never used Publisher before - I use Word, FrontPage, practically every
Office program, but am clueless about Publisher. The reason I didn't "get
it" about the Publisher version is because ALL the versions are saved with
the same extension! I had no idea ... Now I'm fairly certain that this is
the issue.

How she can be so computer illiterate yet so creative, I have no idea - but
she really created some pretty documents - business cards, brochures, etc. -
and all I was doing was cleaning them up. Even though I've never used
Publisher, it was easy to do since she had already created the basic
framework.

She's not answering her phone - but now this is really getting under my skin
- I'm going to stay after her until I find out what version she's got. I'll
leave this string as open until after I talk to her, but I'm pretty sure
that's what's happening.

Two noobs do NOT make a whiz!!!! LOL!!!!

 

[Kasey156]

She has Office 2007 Enterprise and I have Office 2007 Ultimate. So now we're
back to ... OS and/or antivirus?

 

[Mary Sauer]

Norton has an Office plug-in that in some circumstances will block opening
files.

How to use Office programs with the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329820/en-us

 

[John G.]

Just to be sure.
Even though she says she has OFFICE 2007, she must check - Help > ABOUT
actually in the running PUB application before she can be sure that PUB is
2007.
Some OFFICE packages did not come with Publisher and even if this one did it
may have not been installed and the old version is still there.
Office has several components and they are independent and can be installed
or not and a newbie may not be aware.

John G.