XL97: How to Obtain and Install the Excel 97 SYLK File Security Update (242209)

SUMMARY

Microsoft recently identified two potential security issues that malicious macro authors could exploit. The Excel 97 SYLK File Security Update addresses these issues. This article describes how to download and install the Excel 97 SYLK File Security Update.

For additional information about the problems addressed by the Excel 97 SYLK File Security Update, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

241902 XL97: Macro Virus Warning Does Not Appear When Opening SYLK File That Contains XLM Code

241900 XL97: Opening Lotus 1-2-3 File May Run Macro Without Warning

The Excel 97 SYLK File Security Update is designed to update Microsoft Excel 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2).

To correct this problem, download and install the latest update for Excel 97. The latest update includes this and all other Excel-specific updates that have been released since the latest service release (SR) of Office. The files included in this update will be included in any later SR or patch. To upgrade to the latest patch or for more information about the history of Excel 97 patches, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

232652 XL97: Overview and History of Excel Patches

MORE INFORMATION

To download and install this update:

Point your Web browser to the following Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/9798/Xl8p7pkg.aspx
Click Download Now! Click Save this program to disk, and then click OK.
Click Save.
In Windows Explorer, double-click the Xl8p7pkg.exe file.
Click Yes when you are asked whether or not to install this update.
Click Yes to accept the License Agreement.
Click OK when you see the message that indicates that the installation was successful.

How to Run the Update in Quiet Mode

Use the /q switch to run the update in quiet mode. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then click Run. Type the following command in the Open box and then click OK

location\xl8p7pkg /q

where location is the complete path to the directory in which you downloaded the file.

How to Update an Administrative Installation of Office with This Update

To install this update to your administrative installation point for Office 97:

On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then click Run.
Type the following command in the Open box and then click OK
location\xl8p7pkg /c: "xl8p7.exe /a path\msoffice /i path\msoffice\inf file"
where location is the complete path to the directory in which you downloaded the file, path is the path to your administrative installation point, and inf file is the name of the .inf file for your version of Office 97. For example, if you need to update Office 97 Professional and the patch is saved to a folder called Downloads on drive C, and your administrative installation point is named Off97 on the computer Appsvr, your command line would look as follows:
C:\Downloads\xl8p7pkg /c: "xl8p7.exe /a \\appsvr\Off97\msoffice /i \\appsvr\Off97\msoffice\off97pro.inf"
Click Yes when you are prompted to install the update.
Click Yes to accept the license agreement.
Click OK when you see the message that the install of the update was successful.

NOTE: You do not have to take any further action to update computers that are running Excel 97 from the administrative installation point.

How to Determine Whether the Update Has Been Installed

To determine whether the Excel 97 SYLK File Security Update has been installed, check the versions of the files listed in the following table:

   File name      Size        File version
   ---------------------------------------

   Excel.exe      5,621,248   8.0i
   Scanload.dll      36,864   8.2i

NOTE: The version number in the About Microsoft Excel dialog box is shown as "Microsoft Excel 97 SR-2 (i)" (click About Microsoft Excel on the Help menu).

To check the version number and file size in Windows Explorer, right-click each file where it is installed, and click Properties on the shortcut menu; check the file size on the General tab, and the version on the Version tab.