OFF97: An Overview of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2

ID: Q192874

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Office 97 for Windows, Service Release 2 (SR-2)

SUMMARY

This article contains an overview of Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2). The following topics are covered in this article:

What exactly is a service release?

What is Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?

How can I get Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?

What versions of Microsoft Office 97 will the SR-2 Patch update?

What is the difference between the original SR-2 Patch, the updated SR-2 Patch, and the SR-2 Replacement CD?

How exactly does the SR-2 Patch work?

Does the SR-2 Patch work on both US English and International English versions of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?

Are there any issues installing the SR-2 Patch under Windows 98?

What preparations do I need to make before installing the SR-2 Patch?

How do I install the SR-2 Patch on my computer?

How do I use the SR-2 Patch to update an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?

How do I Install the SR-2 Patch from a shared location?

What is the SR-2 Patch log file, and where do I find it?

The SR-2 Patch failed. What do I do?

What files are updated by the SR-2 Patch?

How can I use the SR-2 Replacement CD?

How can I remove SR-2 from my computer once it has been installed?

Are there any issues using the SR-2 Replacement CD when Microsoft Outlook 98 is installed on my computer?

Are there any other articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base that I should know about?

Where can I get more information?

MORE INFORMATION

What exactly is a service release?

A service release is a collection of bug fixes that have been introduced since a product's initial release. To make it easier for you to deploy these fixes, Microsoft has centralized them all into one service release so that you get all of the latest fixes at one time. Note that there are no new program features included in service releases.

What is Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?

Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 is a collection of fixes for Microsoft Office 97. SR-2 contains fixes for many problems, including all Microsoft Excel 97 recalculation problems, as well as updates to ensure Year 2000 compliance. Because it is a service release, Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 contains no new program features.

How can I get Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?

There are three methods you can use to obtain Microsoft Office 97 SR-2:

You can download the SR-2 Patch from the Microsoft web site at the following address:

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/articles/sr2fact.htm

You can order a CD that contains the Microsoft Office 97 SR-1 Patch, the Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Patch, and the ValuPack items that are updated for SR-2. This CD is known as the Patch CD. To obtain the Patch CD, go to the following address:
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/Articles/sr2directdrive.htm

You can order a CD that contains a full install of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2. This CD is known as the Replacement CD. This version of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 is designed to install on any machine, even if no version of Office is currently installed (it is a full version of Office). However, if Microsoft Ofice 97 is currently installed, you will lose your customized settings if you use the Replacement CD to upgrade to Microsoft Office 97 SR-2. To obtain the Replacement CD, you must call the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 370-9272 and ask for the Replacement CD.

If you are using an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) version of Microsoft Office 97, you can download the SR-1 and SR-2 Patches from the Microsoft web site. However, if you need a Patch CD or Replacement CD, you must order it from your OEM.

What versions of Microsoft Office 97 will the SR-2 Patch update?

The SR-2 Patch is designed to update only Microsoft Office 97, Service Release 1 (SR-1). If you have either the original version of Microsoft Office 97 or any of the original standalone Microsoft Office 97 programs installed on your computer, you cannot install the SR-2 Patch.

Using the SR-2 Patch to upgrade your current installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1 has one particular advantage over using the Replacement CD to upgrade: if you use the SR-2 Patch, all of your customized settings are retained. If you use the Replacement CD, your settings may be lost.

What is the difference between the original SR-2 Patch, the updated SR-2 Patch, and the SR-2 Replacement CD?

The original SR-2 Patch, the updated SR-2 Patch, and the SR-2 Replacement CD all include identical versions of the programs included in Microsoft Office 97. Once they are installed, there is no difference between these three versions of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2.

Note that the SR-2 Patch CD and SR-2 Replacement CD include updated ValuPack components, while the downloaded original SR-2 Patch and updated SR-2 Patch do not.

For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q194377 OFF97: Overview of the Updated Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Patch

How exactly does the SR-2 Patch work?

When you run it, the SR-1 Patch makes changes to your current files, modifying them in order to correct problems. This process helps keep the SR- 1 Patch small in size, but certain problems arose with the release of the WinAlign feature in Windows 98.

NOTE: These problems have since been corrected. Please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information about the SR-1 Patch and Windows 98:

Q184083 OFF97: SR-1 Patch May Not Work Under Microsoft Windows 98

The SR-2 Patch uses a different process to update your files. Instead of modifying them, the SR-2 Patch backs up your current files, copies in new files, and then, once all of the new files have been installed successfully, removes the original files. This process works well and allows "rollback" (the ability to quickly and easily restore your system to its previous state) in the event that the SR-2 Patch fails.

The downloaded SR-2 Patch is 23 MB in size; you need to have approximately 60 MB of free space available on your hard disk when you run the SR-2 Patch.

Does the SR-2 Patch work on both US English and International English versions of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?

Yes. The SR-2 Patch automatically detects what version of Office you are using, US English or International English, and patches your system accordingly.

Are there any issues installing the SR-2 Patch under Windows 98?

The files included in Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 are pre-Aligned for use with Windows 98. They will still work in other OSes as well.

What preparations do I need to make before installing the SR-2 Patch?

Before you install the SR-2 Patch, you should:

Shut down all of the following programs:

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office Binder
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Access
Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar
Microsoft Outlook
Deluxe CD Player (included in Windows 98 Plus! Pack)
Microsoft PowerPoint

Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements:

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 3.51 with Service Pack 5 (SP5), or Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 (SP3)

At least 60 MB of free disk space on the drive where Microsoft Office 97 is installed

If you are installing the SR-2 Patch under Windows NT, you must be logged in with administrative rights on the computer. This applies to both FAT and NTFS partitions.

How do I install the SR-2 Patch on my computer?

Once you have downloaded the SR-2 Patch (Sr2off97.exe), from the Microsoft web site, simply double-click it. The patch will prompt you for information, including your Product ID (PID), before copying the new SR-2 files onto your computer's hard disk.

NOTE: Do not run the SR-2 Patch directly from the download web page. Instead, save the SR-2 Patch onto your computer's hard disk, and then run the SR-2 Patch from your hard disk.

Once the SR-2 Patch is complete, it is recommended that you restart your computer.

How do I use the SR-2 Patch to update an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?

You can use the SR-2 Patch to update an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1. To do this, perform the following steps:

NOTE: Before proceeding, use the Windows Explorer to map a drive letter to the server and share that contains your administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1.

Download the SR-2 Patch from the Microsoft web site, or copy it from your Patch CD.

Create a new folder on your desktop called "Sr2". Move the SR-2 Patch, Sr2off97.exe, into this folder.

On the Start menu, click Run. Type the following command line:

C:\Windows\Desktop\Sr2\Sr2off97.exe /c:"Sr2patch.exe /a"

Click OK. Then, click Yes.

Click Yes to accept the license agreement.

When all files have been extracted, click OK.

Click Change Folder. Using the list, select the folder on the server that contains the administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1. Usually, this is the Msoffice folder.

Once you have selected the folder, click OK. Click OK again to proceed.

Click Change Folder. Using the list, select the folder on the server that contains the shared applications used by Microsoft Office 97 SR-1. Usually, this is the Msapps folder.

Once you have selected the folder, click OK. Click OK again to proceed.

In the Open STF File for Patch dialog box, select the STF file that you want to patch. The STF file should be located in the Msoffice folder. When you have selected the STF file, click Open.

In the Open INF File for Patch dialog box, select the INF file that you want to patch. The INF file should be located in the Msoffice folder, and usually has the same name as the STF file. For example, if you selected Off97pro.stf in step 11, select Off97pro.inf in this step. When you have selected the INF file, click Open.

Type your Product ID (PID). Click OK to continue.

The SR-2 Patch will copy all of the new SR-2 files to your network server. Due to the size and number of files, it may take several minutes for this process to complete.

When installation is complete, click OK to quit.

If you like, you may now remove all of the remaining files in the Sr2 folder on your desktop. You may want to keep a copy of Sr2off97.exe available in case you need to use the SR-2 Patch again later.

When you patch an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97, the SR-2 Patch creates backup copies of your STF and INF files. In the event of a problem, you can restore these backup files. The STF file is backed-up into a file with the extension S1S; the INF file is backed-up into a file with the extension S1I.

After you have patched your administrative installation, there are two methods you can use to update your workstations to Microsoft Office 97 SR- 2:

On each workstation, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel. Select Microsoft Office 97, and click Remove All. Then, run Setup.exe from the administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 to reinstall Microsoft Office 97 with the new SR-2 files.

On each workstation, run the Sr2off97.exe program. This will allow you to update the Microsoft Office 97 files on the workstation to SR-2.

NOTE: You must patch your administrative installation before you use this method to patch workstations that are set to Run From Network Server.

Once you have updated each workstation, it is recommended that you restart it.

How do I Install the SR-2 Patch from a shared location?

It is possible to share the SR-2 Patch so that multiple users can install the patch from one central location, such as a shared folder on a network server. To share the patch, copy the file Sr2aof97.exe to a shared folder.

What is the SR-2 Patch log file, and where do I find it?

Each time you run the SR-2 Patch, it creates a log file in the folder where your Microsoft Office files are stored. Typically, this is the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office folder.

The name of the log file is 97sr2_<#>.log, where <#> is a number: the first log file created is 97sr2_0.log; the second log file created is 97sr2_1.log; and so on.

You can open the log file using Notepad, Wordpad, or any other text editor. If problems occur when you run the SR-2 Patch, or if you just want to make sure that everything was patched correctly, open the log file and take a look at the records written there. Search the log file for phrases like the following:

The SR2 patch will only operate when you have all the Office 97 apps upgraded to at least SR1
Sr1 is not found in the user's machine
Sr2 patch can not run without sr1 installed
The sr2 patch fails
The sr2 patch has failed

If you see phrases like these, the SR-2 Patch has not installed correctly.

The SR-2 Patch failed. What do I do?

When you run the SR-2 Patch, it may fail and display the following error message:

Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Microsoft Office SR-2 can not locate an installation of Office 97 SR-1 on this machine. If you are running Office 97 SR-2 from CD-ROM, first install Office 97 SR-1 from the CD-ROM. If you downloaded Office 97 SR-2 from the Web, first install Office 97 SR-1 from
http://www.microsoft.com/office/office97/ServiceRelease/sr1/AboutSR1.asp.

NOTE: The URL in this error message is incorrect. The correct URL is

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/articles/sr1fact.htm.

If this problem occurs, you can:

Open the SR-2 Patch log file (previously described) and try to determine what caused the SR-2 Patch to fail.

If you previously downloaded the original SR-2 Patch, go to the following address:

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/articles/sr2fact.htm

If you are running Windows 95 or Windows 98, restart your computer in Safe Mode and try running the SR-2 Patch again.

Follow the steps contained in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q192816 OFF97: SR-2 Patch Fails Even Though SR-1 Has Been Installed

What files are updated by the SR-2 Patch?

The following files are updated by the SR-2 Patch:


   Acc97.inf      Accwiz.dll     Acme.exe       Activeex.dll
   Comic.ttf      Comicbd.ttf    Compobj.dll    Contab32.dll
   Dao350.dll     Dlgsetp.dll    Dumpster.dll   Dumpster.ecf
   Emsabp32.dll   Emsmdb32.dll   Emsui32.dll    Emsuix32.dll
   Epsimp32.flt   Esconf.dll     Etexch32.dll   Excel.exe
   Excel97.inf    Exchange.dsm   Finder.exe     Frmrdrct.dll
   Gapi32.dll     Html32.cnv     Keyex32.exe    Localdv.dll
   Mapi32.dll     Mapisp32.exe   Msaccess.exe   Msconv97.dll
   Msexch35.dll   Msexcl35.dll   Msgren32.dll   Msjet35.dll
   Msjint35.dll   Msjter35.dll   Msltus35.dll   Mso7enu.dll
   Mso97.dll      Msoutl8.olb    Mspdox35.dll   Mspst32.dll
   Msqry32.exe    Msrd2x35.dll   Msrepl35.dll   Mstext35.dll
   Msthbbr.lex    Msthbus.lex    Msthenb.dll    Mswrd832.cnv
   Msxbse35.dll   Newprof.exe    Off97pro.inf   Off97std.inf
   Oladd.fae      Olappt.fae     Ole32.dll      Olethk32.dll
   Olkfstub.dll   Oltask.fae     Outllib.dll    Outlook.exe
   Outlook.inf    Outlrpc.dll    Outlvbs.dll    Pictim32.flt
   Powerpnt.exe   Ppintl.dll     Pp4x322.dll    Pp7trans.dll
   Pptview.dll    Presconf.dll   Qryint32.dll   Recall.dll
   Rm.dll         Scanpst.exe    Scanpst.hlp    Schdmapi.dll
   Schplus.sam    Scrptxtn.dll   Sendfile.exe   Tahoma.ttf
   Tahomabd.ttf   Tiffim32.flt   Transmgr.dll   Utility.mda
   Winword.exe    Winword8.srg   Word97.inf     Wrd6ex32.cnv
   Wwintl32.dll   Xlintl32.dll   _ppt.inf

How can I use the SR-2 Replacement CD?

The Replacement CD contains a complete version of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2. You can use this CD just like any other Microsoft Office 97 CD: you can install on your computer, perform a Run From CD installation, perform an administrative installation, etc.

NOTE: If you use the SR-2 Replacement CD to install Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 on top of an existing installation of Microsoft Office 97 or Microsoft Office 97 SR-1, you may lose the following settings:

Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar (OSB) customizations

NOTE: Although it is not required, Microsoft recommends that you use the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program to remove any existing installation of Microsoft Office 97 before you use the SR-2 Replacement CD to install Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 on your computer.

How can I remove SR-2 from my computer once it has been installed?

Once you have installed Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 on your computer, it becomes integrated with your installation of Microsoft Office 97. For this reason, it is not possible to undo the effects of the SR-2 Patch once it has been installed; to remove the files installed by SR-2, you must use the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program to remove and reinstall them, if necessary.

To remove Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 from your computer, run the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program:

On the Start menu, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

Double-click Add/Remove Programs.

In the list of installed programs, select Microsoft Office 97. Then, click Add/Remove.

To remove all of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2, click Remove All. To remove specific components, click Add/Remove, and use the next dialog box to select the components that you want to remove. Once you have removed components, you can reinstall them by repeating the above steps and reselecting them.

NOTE: If you use the SR-2 Patch to update your installation of Microsoft Office 97, certain Setup-related files may not be updated by the SR-2 Patch if the original installation source is not available. This does NOT affect how your programs run after installing the SR-2 Patch; however, it may prevent the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program from being able to remove all files when you click Remove All.

For more information about removing Microsoft Office 97, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q158658 OFF97: How to Completely Remove Microsoft Office 97

Q176823 OFF97: Utility to Completely Remove Remaining Office 97 Files

Are there any issues using the SR-2 Replacement CD when Microsoft Outlook 98 is installed on my computer?

If you use the Replacement CD to install Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 on a computer where Microsoft Outlook 98 is already installed, the Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 setup program may break your installation of Microsoft Outlook 98 by overwriting some of its files with Microsoft Outlook 97 files. You can prevent this problem from occurring:

When you run the Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Setup program, do not perform a Typical installation. Instead, perform a Custom installation, and turn off the option for Microsoft Outlook 97. This will prevent your Microsoft Outlook 98 files from being overwritten.

If the problem has already occurred, you will need to reinstall Microsoft Outlook 98. The Microsoft Outlook 98 Setup program will safely install all of the files it requires, even if Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 is installed on your computer.

This information is documented in the Ofread8.txt file included with SR-2, and is documented in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q191952 OL98: How to Install Office 97 SR-2 Without Removing Outlook 98

Are there any other articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base that I should know about?

The following articles contain information that is important when you are upgrading to Microsoft Office 97 SR-2:

Q151020 OFF97: List of Fixed Problems in Office 97 for Windows, SR-2

Q151261 OFF97: How to Obtain and Install MS Office 97 SR-2

Q192816 OFF97: SR-2 Patch Fails Even Though SR-1 Has Been Installed

Q192995 OFF97: How to Install ValuPack Components Updated for SR-2

Q193290 OFF97: SR-2 Patch May Fail to Update Admin Installation

Q193565 OFF97: SR-2 Patch Can't Update Admin Install Without Bookshelf

Q194377 OFF97: Overview of the Updated Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Patch

Where can I get more information?

The following web pages contain more information about some of the subjects discussed in this article:

General info and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Microsoft Office 97 SR-2:
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/articles/sr2fact.htm

Downloading SR-1:
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/articles/sr1fact.htm

Downloading NT 3.51 Service Pack 5:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt351/ussp5/

Downloading NT4 Service Pack 3:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/contents/updates/nt4svcpk3/

Additional query words: XL97 sr1 sr2 kbofficeupdate


Keywords          : kbdta 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: July 21, 1999