Could Microsoft's Office 2003 update strategy be any more user hostile? Office update disables MS files | The Register
Microsoft cleverly disabled old file compatibility in Microsoft Office 2003 because it claims, "...these formats are less secure. They may pose a risk to you."
The funny part: Microsoft is blaming the file formats, but those files don't actually contain executable code. What Microsoft is actually saying is that they didn't fix the vulnerabilities in its own Office software that occur when it reads these file formats, but to live up to its security claims, it is prohibiting users who paid for their software from opening up their own files. Ironically, this includes some files created by the Office 2003 suite itself. I think that makes this service pack a trifecta: bad software practices, bad marketing, and bad customer experience, all rolled into one.
Yes, Microsoft has published a workaround, provided you are comfortable editing your registry. But here's a better one: download a copy of OpenOffice and continue to compute normally. Sheesh.
UPDATE: Scott Gilbertson has a similar article at Wired.com noting the big problems that this update poses for corporate customers. Notable among them: there's no way to identify which files won't open without trying and failing to open them. Perhaps user-hostile was too kind a description.
The funny part: Microsoft is blaming the file formats, but those files don't actually contain executable code. What Microsoft is actually saying is that they didn't fix the vulnerabilities in its own Office software that occur when it reads these file formats, but to live up to its security claims, it is prohibiting users who paid for their software from opening up their own files. Ironically, this includes some files created by the Office 2003 suite itself. I think that makes this service pack a trifecta: bad software practices, bad marketing, and bad customer experience, all rolled into one.
Yes, Microsoft has published a workaround, provided you are comfortable editing your registry. But here's a better one: download a copy of OpenOffice and continue to compute normally. Sheesh.
UPDATE: Scott Gilbertson has a similar article at Wired.com noting the big problems that this update poses for corporate customers. Notable among them: there's no way to identify which files won't open without trying and failing to open them. Perhaps user-hostile was too kind a description.
Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Office 2003, Security
posted by Carl Howe at
9:37 AM
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