MS Office 97 Service Release 1
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Date Released: July 1998
Click here to access sr1off97.exe
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About Office 97 Service Release 1
About Office 97 Service Release 1
Office 97 Service Release 1 (SR-1) is an update for Office 97 that enables users of the different versions of Office to share files. The Office 97 SR-1 Patch combines Office 97 product updates into a single download. Of particular interest to Office 97 users is this download's inclusion of the Microsoft Word 6.0/95 Binary Converter for Word 97, which enables Word 97 users to save files in the Word 6.0/95 native file format. Office 97 SR-1 also provides enhanced support for POP3 and SMTP Internet e-mail in the Outlook⢠97 messaging and collaboration client, for Intel's MMX technology, and for various new viewers, converters, enhancements, and updates.
The Word 6.0/95 Binary Converter (https://www.dundee.ac.uk/itservices/select/wrd6ex32.htm) mentioned above is available for download separately.
Office SR-1 Information:
Outlook
If you have both Outlook and Microsoft Exchange e-mail clients installed on your computer, the U.S. English Office 97 SR-1 Patch will not install the E-mail Forms Fix Utility (https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E49415F1-7D86-4DB9-BF1C-05D033A86050&displaylang=EN) properly. If you use both the Microsoft Outlook 97 and Microsoft Exchange e-mail clients on the same computer, and need to switch between them, you may want to download and install the E-mail Forms Fix Utility after installing the SR-1 Patch. You should consider installing this utility even if you've installed Outlook, but only use the Exchange client. However, you don't need the E-mail Forms Fix Utility if you've upgraded permanently to Outlook (and do not need to switch back to the Exchange client), or if you've installed SR-1 from the CD. For more information, see the Knowledge Base article OL97: Office 97 SR-1 Patch Form Extension Not Registered (174401) (https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;254140).
Excel 97
Microsoft Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Issue: We have discovered an issue in Excel 97 which under specific circumstances causes certain cells within a worksheet to not automatically recalculate. If you have experienced this problem, install the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch (https://officedupdate.microsoft.com/downloaddetails/xl8patch.htm). To use this patch, you must first install the U.S. or the International English Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 1 Patch.
Access
For Access Developers: A new version of the ODBC 3.0 Driver Manager provides enhanced security features for sites requiring heightened controls when using ODBC. The ODESP2 (https://www.microsoft.com/officedev/prodinfo/odesp2.htm) provides an update to the ODE Setup Wizard to work with this latest version of the ODBC Driver Manager.
Internet Explorer 4.0
If you are currently running Internet Explorer 4.0 Preview 1 on Windows NT 4.0, install the final release of Internet Explorer 4.0 (https://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.asp) before installing the Office 97 Service Release 1 Patch.
How to Identify Which English Version of Office 97 You Have
If you purchased Office 97 in the U.S. or Canada, you are running the U.S. English version. If you purchased English Office 97 outside of the U.S. or Canada, you are running the International English version. If you're uncertain whether you need the U.S. or International English Patch, install the International English Patch, which is designed to work on U.S. English and International English versions of Office 97.
Service Release 1 FAQ
What is the Office 97 Service Release?
The Office SR-1 is an update for Office 97 designed primarily to address product compatibility (migration) issues. Office SR-1's main benefit is its combination of Office 97 product updates (some of which are currently available on the Web) into a single patch. The most significant component of the Office SR-1 is the new Word 6.0/95 Binary Converter (https://www.dundee.ac.uk/itservices/select/wrd6ex32.htm) for Word 97. Other components include several performance enhancements for the Outlook⢠97 desktop information manager and updated file viewers, converters, and filters for Microsoft Office.
How do I know if I need Office SR-1?
Many Microsoft Office customers will not need to update to the Office 97 SR-1, which is designed primarily for larger customers who are migrating to Office 97. The following is a list of the updates that may benefit you, depending on your environment and how your use of Office. Where noted, some of these updates are currently available from the Microsoft Web site separately; you might not need to wait for the Office SR-1 to get them. The SR-1 includes these components:
Word 6.0/95 Binary Converter (https://www.dundee.ac.uk/itservices/select/wrd6ex32.htm) enables Word 97 documents to save to the native Word 6.0 or Word 97 format.
E-mail Forms Fix Utility (https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E49415F1-7D86-4DB9-BF1C-05D033A86050&displaylang=EN) offers improved performance in handling electronic forms.
Microsoft Access Snapshot Technology Allows users to take a static "picture," or "snapshot" (.snp file) of a Microsoft Access report and distribute just the report in e-mail. Users will be able to protect the confidentiality of their database by sending others only a picture of the report, and by sending a much smaller file, which will be easier for non-database users to view. Recipients need only the freely distributable Snapshot Viewer to see the information. The Snapshot Viewer does not require Microsoft Access to be installed on the user's machine and is not included in the Service Release Patch. Instead, you can install the viewer at: Using Microsoft Access 97 SR-1 report snapshots and the Snapshot Viewer (https://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/articles/snapshot.htm)
Support for Intel's MMX technology Support for Intel's MMX technology in OfficeArt improves rendering performance of JPEG files.
For a complete list of Outlook 97 enhancements available in SR-1, please consult: OL97: Summary of Changes in Outlook Version 8.02 (CLN 5.0 SP1) (https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;166022&sd=tech)
How and when will I be able to get the Office Service Release?
The Office Service Release is available now on the Microsoft Web site as a downloadable patch that can be installed directly on top of your existing Office 97 installation. No reinstallation is required to install the Office SR-1 patch.
How do I know if I've already installed SR-1?
In the Help/About dialogue box, "SR-1" will appear after the product name and version. For example, "Microsoft Word 97" will appear as "Microsoft Word 97 SR-1" after installing the Service Release. Outlook will not display "SR-1" but the new version number as "Outlook 97 8.02" instead. Also, the Office Shortcut Bar and Binders will not display "SR-1" as no files are updated with these components.
Can I install the SR-1 patch over Office 97 Standard, or the individual Office 97 applications?
Yes, the SR-1 patch can be installed over Office 97 Professional/Standard/Small Business Edition as well as the individual Office 97 applications Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook 97.
I share documents with users of different versions of Word. What converter do I need?
The Word converter you require depends on which version of Word you are using. Use the following chart to determine which solution is best for you.
Who I am |
What I want to do |
What I need |
|---|---|---|
Word 97 user |
Share files with Word 6.0 or Word 95 users by saving in the native Word 6.0/95 format |
Word 6.0/95 Binary Converter* |
Word 6.0 or Word 95 user |
Open and use Word 97 files |
Word 97 Converter for Word 6.0/95 |
I do not have Word |
Open and print Word 97 files |
Word Viewer |
* https://www.dundee.ac.uk/itservices/select/wrd6ex32.htm
What issues are addressed with the new Word 6.0/95 Binary Converter for Word 97?
The Word 97 Binary Converter enables Word 97 users to save files in the Word 6.0/95 native file format. This solves the following file compatibility issues that some large organizations have experienced while deploying Office 97:
Confusion over the .rtf file extension when Word users choose Save As for a file that had been previously Saved As Word 6.0/95 format with Word 97.
Graphic-intensive files saved to Word 6.0/95 RTF resulted in large size increases. When these files are saved using the new Word 6.0/95 Binary converter for Word 97, they will be smaller relative to the RTF format.
Custom solutions or applications that rely on the native Word 6.0/95 file format will be able to read documents created by Word 97 users because of the new Binary Converter.
If I currently own Outlook 97, how should I upgrade to the most current version of Outlook? What are my options?
Microsoft provides users with four different ways to upgrade to the improved version of Outlook. Users can use the Exchange Server Service Pack 1, Office 97 Service Release 1 Patch or the Office 97 Service Release 1 (Full Retail Version), or upgrade to Outlook 98 (after first installing the Service Release Patch). For additional information, please read OL97: Summary of Changes in Outlook Version 8.02 (CLN 5.0 SP1). (https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;166022&sd=tech)
Why did Microsoft change the file formats in Office, knowing this could cause migration or compatability problems?
File format changes were required to deliver rich new features such as in-document hyperlinking, drawing capabilities with OfficeArt, greater charting ability in Microsoft Excel and a common programming language across Office 97. Microsoft is always concerned about the impact file format changes will have on customers and has introduced tools to help you manage the transition. In addition, Office applications are designed to make moving to new versions a smooth and seamless operation.