IT Queries: Computer problems answered

I’ve bought a new Vista machine, can I run my old Office XP software on it?

The short answer is yes. Office XP is listed as being compatible with Microsoft Vista.

There are a few provisos to this. We’ve found Office XP hates running as a Limited User unless you’ve run it first with the user being an Administrator, this is common with most versions of Office on Windows XP and Vista.

Instructions on setting up XP for a Limited User are here. The procedure is similar for Vista.

One thing we would strongly suggest before installing any software is to remove the Office 2007 trial if it has been included on your system. We’ve found a number of machines running terribly because it wasn’t removed before installing another version of Office.

I have had some trouble with my computer, It seemed to be some type of virus, which has left me limted use of my computer. The CD ROM will not work, so I cannot reload my windows, when I try to open word, excel etc, it opens but windows installer come up saying installing excel feature,and asked me to insert xp disk,which I can\’t because CD Rom not working, I also have external drive but also not work now,Also have trouble with upgrades from Microsoft.

It doesn’t sound like a virus but a problem with the motherboard drivers. Drivers are the software that translates commands from Windows to the hardware. In this case it sounds like your USB and IDE drivers have a problem.

It’s always worthwhile checking for a virus. The Trend Micro Housecall is a good online tool.

If you find the housecall doesn’t work, then downloading and installing the Windows Scripting Host might resolve both this and your Windows Update problem.

There are two other Windows Update problems we’ve addressed previously and it may be worth checking these.

The “insert disk” message is an irritating problem that plagues Microsoft Office users. The simplest solution is to fix the CD problem so you can insert the installation disk to keep the system happy.

You might find the Local Installation Source Tool might help, but our experience is that easier to get the disk.

Overall, it sounds like you need a computer tech to have a look at your system as there are a number of things going wrong with your system.

Which version of Microsoft Office should I buy?

Microsoft have made their office range incredibly complex with seven different versions available. Each version has different programs and some have some severe licensing restrictions.

For home users, we recommend the Home and Student edition. This includes Word, Excel and Powerpoint which are the applications most households use. This version is also licensed to go onto three different computers, which makes it an even deal.

One thing to watch with versions of Microsoft Office are the OEM versions that are available. These are tied to the original computer and can’t be used on any other machine, which makes the boxed product better value if you are going to install it on three computers.

For business users, you need to consider carefully which version to get. Office Basic is fine you don’t expect to every use Powerpoint, for most businesses Office Standard is fine, but if you need products like Microsoft Access then you’ll need Office Professional.

You can add features later, but it can become expensive.

Microsoft have the full range of their Office products and their features on their website.