WD2000: How to Resolve Problems with Running Multiple Versions of Word on the Same Computer (244170)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word 2000
This article was previously published under Q244170

SUMMARY

This article addresses some of the problems you may encounter when you do one of the following:
  • Use Microsoft Word 2000 with any earlier version of Microsoft Word on the same computer.

    For example, if you use Word 2000 on a computer that has one of the following versions of Word also installed:

    Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

    Microsoft Word for Windows 95

    Microsoft Word 6.0 for Windows

    -or-
  • Share files between different versions of Word, using the same computer or using different computers.

The problems described in this article can occur with all object types that are updated by Word 2000. Some of the object types that are updated by Word 2000 include the following:
  • Microsoft Equation Editor
  • Microsoft Graph
  • Microsoft Word Document
  • Microsoft Word Picture

MORE INFORMATION

  • When I use an earlier version of Word to edit an object that was created on a system with Word 2000 installed, why do I get a message that Word cannot edit it?

    When you work on a system that has Word 2000 installed, and you insert an object (for example, a Microsoft Equation object or Microsoft Graph object) in a document in an earlier version of Word, save the document in Word Document format or in Rich Text Format, and then open the document in an earlier version of Word on another computer, you receive a message similar to the following when you double-click the object to edit it:
    Word cannot edit the...
    When you insert a Microsoft Equation Editor object or Microsoft Graph object into an earlier-version Word document on a system that has Word 2000 installed, the object is inserted as a Word 2000 object.

    Example 1: If you insert a Microsoft Equation Editor object into an earlier-version Word document, the object is inserted as an Equation Editor 3.01 object with a field similar to the following:

    {EMBED Equation.3}

    Example 2: If you insert a Microsoft Graph object into an earlier-version Word document, the object is inserted as a Microsoft Graph 2000 object with a field similar to the following:

    {EMBED MSGraph.Chart.8 \s}

    NOTE: To view the field code of the inserted object, click to select the object and then press SHIFT+F9.

    This object (field) is created because when you have multiple versions of Word installed on the same computer, the OLE server (for example, Microsoft Equation Editor or Microsoft Graph) was updated to the newest version when you installed Word 2000.

    When you open the Word document in an earlier version of Word (earlier than Word 97 for Windows) on a different computer and attempt to edit the object, one of the following may occur:

    • The object type may be lost. When you attempt to edit the object, you may receive the following message:
      Word cannot edit the UNKNOWN.


      -or-

      Word cannot edit the object.
      -or-
    • The object type is retained, but you cannot edit the object in an earlier version of Word. When you attempt to edit the object, you may receive the following message:
      Word cannot edit the MSGRAPH.CHART.8

      -or-
      Word cannot edit the EQUATION.3
    For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    115150 WD: Cannot Edit Equations and Graphs in Earlier Versions of Word

    To work around this problem, edit the object in Word 97 for Windows or Word 2000.

  • When I use an earlier version of Word to edit an object in a Word 2000 document, why do I get a message that Word cannot edit it?

    When you use an earlier version of Word to edit an object in a document that was created in Word 2000, you receive a message similar to the following:
    Word cannot edit the...
    When you insert a Microsoft Equation Editor object or Microsoft Graph object in a Word 2000 document, the object is inserted as a Word 2000 object.

    Example 1: If you insert a Microsoft Equation Editor object in a Word document, the object is inserted as an Equation Editor 3.01 object with a field similar to the following:

    {EMBED Equation.3}

    Example 2: If you insert a Microsoft Graph object in a Word document, the object is inserted as a Microsoft Graph 2000 object with a field similar to the following:

    {EMBED MSGraph.Chart.8 \s}

    NOTE: To view the field code of the inserted object, click to select the object, and then press SHIFT+F9.

    This object (field) is created because when you installed Word 2000, the OLE server (for example, Microsoft Equation Editor or Microsoft Graph) was updated to the newest version if you upgraded an existing installation of Word.

    When you open the Word 2000 document in an earlier version of Word (earlier than Word 97 for Windows) on a different computer and attempt to edit one of the objects, one of the following may occur:

    • The object type is lost during the conversion of the Word document. When you try to edit the object, you may receive one of the following messages:
      Word cannot edit the UNKNOWN.

      -or-
      Word cannot edit the object.
      -or-
    • The object type is retained during the conversion of the Word 2000 document, but you cannot edit the object. When you attempt to edit the object, you may receive the following message:
      Word cannot edit the MSGRAPH.CHART.8

      -or-
      Word cannot edit the EQUATION.3
    For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    115150 WD: Cannot Edit Equations and Graphs in Earlier Versions of Word

    To work around this problem, edit the object in Word 97 for Windows or Word 2000.

  • When I try to open a file, why do I get a message that the file is in use or is locked for editing?

    When you open a document in an earlier version of Word, and the document also is currently open in Word 2000, you receive the following message:
    filename is being used by username. Do you want to make a copy?
    When you open a document in Word 2000, and the document also is currently open in an earlier version of Word, you receive the following message:
    filename is locked for editing

    by 'username'.

    Click 'Notify' to open a read-only copy of the document and receive notification when the document is no longer in use.
    This functionality is by design in Word. When a Word document is opened, an "owner" file is created. If the file is opened a second time by a different person or in a different version of Word, a message appears that states that the file is in use.

    To work around this problem, do one of the following:

    • Click Cancel and wait for the document to become available.

      -or-
    • Click Read Only and open the document as a copy. When you save your changes to the copy of the document, type a different file name in the Save As dialog box and click Save.

      NOTE: Using this method creates two separate and different copies of the Word document.
  • When I open a Word 2000 document in an earlier version of Word, why does the Convert File dialog box appear, with Text Only selected?

    When you attempt to open a Word 2000 document in an earlier version of Word (prior to Word 97 for Windows), the Convert File dialog box appears with Text Only selected.

    NOTE: This problem occurs even if the Confirm Conversion at Open check box is not selected in the earlier version of Word.

    To open a Word 97 for Windows or Word 2000 document in an earlier version of Word, you must install a Word converter in your earlier version of Word that is capable of opening documents in later versions of Word. The file format of Word files has changed occasionally between versions in order to accommodate the advanced features of newer versions.

    For more information about features and formatting that are lost or changed when you open or save a document in a different version, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type formatting lost when saving in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

    To correct this problem, install the Word converter that is appropriate for your earlier version of Microsoft Word.

    For additional information about how to open a Word 97 or Word 2000 document in an earlier version of Word, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    162214 WD: How to Obtain the Word 97-2000 Import Converter

    212267 WD2000: How to Open Documents into an Earlier Version of Word

    212265 WD: Additional Converters/Filters Available in Converter Pack

  • Why do I get a message that the Normal.dot file is in use by another application or user?

    When you open a new blank document in Word 2000, start an earlier version of Word, and then try to change a setting that is saved in the Normal.dot file, you receive the following message:
    This file is in use by another application or user.
    (path\Normal.dot)
    This problem occurs when you have multiple versions of Word installed on the same computer and the User Templates (Workgroups Templates) paths are pointed to the same folder that contains the global template (Normal.dot).

    The first version of Word that is started locks the global template, so that only that version can make changes to the template. When the second version of Word is started, it can read the template, but if you attempt to make changes that affect the global template, the message is displayed.

    To work around this problem, make sure that the User Templates path for each version of Word that is installed on the computer is pointed to a different folder and a different Normal.dot template.

    For additional information about the global template and how to change its location, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    214215 WD2000: Understanding the Template Path and Normal.dot

    198039 WD97: Understanding the Template Path and Normal.dot

    94732 WD: Understanding the Template Path and Normal.dot

  • When I start Word 2000, why does it sometimes "install and configure" my system again?

    When you start Word 2000 after you run an earlier version of Word on the same system, you receive the following message:
    Windows Installer

    Preparing to install...
    followed by a message similar to the following:
    Please wait while Windows configures Microsoft Office 2000 Premium
    This problem occurs when the version of Word that you are using changes the "current version" key for Word in the Windows Registry. Later versions of Word "re-register" themselves, so that when a document is opened outside of Word, the operating system knows which application the file belongs to.

    When Word 2000 is started, it detects that the "current version" setting is not set to Word 2000, and the Setup program runs to reset the registry settings.

    This functionality is by design, and there is no workaround to prevent this from occurring.

REFERENCES

For additional information about the interactive desktop in the Win32 SDK, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

327618 INFO: Security, Services and the Interactive Desktop

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/9/2006
Keywords:kbdta kbinfo kbother kbusage wd2000 KB244170
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