Some Things to Consider Before
Upgrading to Office 2007
by Tony Quallen
Upgrading to a new version of software is a lot like upgrading to a new car. Some people like to take their time and do some research, kick a few tires, just to make sure they are making the right decision and getting their money’s worth. On the other hand, some people like to just jump right into the newest and flashiest model and take off down the road. What most people don’t realize is that jumping into a new version of software can cause big headaches for themselves and others.
Recently, Microsoft unveiled its newest addition to the Microsoft Office family, Office 2007. Articles on this subject tend to focus primarily on the new features and redesigned interface that save you time and maximize your productivity. These articles neglect to inform you of potential setbacks you could cause by upgrading to this new and flashy product. The first thing you might consider when upgrading to Office 2007 is: who else will be affected by this upgrade? The most common misconception is that “this upgrade will affect only me.” The problem lies with the new file types in Office 2007.
Office 2007 utilizes a new file type when saving documents, spreadsheets, and any other file that you may come across in the Office 2007 Suite. These file types are denoted with an X at the end of their extensions. For example, Word documents which we know as .doc files, become .docx files in Office 2007. The problem with this new extension is that previous versions of Office (Office 2000, XP, and 2003) do not recognize this new extension. Therefore, anyone you send a file will not be able to view it unless he or she has Office 2007, too.
The most obvious solution is for everyone to whom you send documents, to upgrade, as well, with all deliberate speed. This solution is the least likely to happen. Due to budgets and IT policies, not everyone has the option to upgrade to a new version of Office. It may happen eventually, but don’t count on it anytime soon.
There are special “viewers” available from Microsoft that will allow users to view the new filetypes, but this solution requires each person receiving your documents to download and install the appropriate viewer. However, not everyone’s IT policies allow for the installation of additional software.
The simplest solution? When saving a document, you have the option to save it as the new .docx file type or the previous .doc file type. The downside to the save-as-the-older-type-document solution is that you lose the metadata (which aids in searching) that would be attached to the docx file. But if you have just upgraded from a previous version of Office, it won’t be like you are losing anything. It will just be a feature that you can’t use, yet.
While the temptation is there to hop right into Office 2007 and take off down the road, you might want to reconsider. After all, it isn’t much fun to cruise around by yourself.
Talk to your IT Administrator before you decide to upgrade to a new version of any software; there are always hidden issues that may make things harder than you expect.
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