Optical media can be very unreliable. Have you tried the disc with another drive? Sorry for the off-topic.
So you have a valid key, but can't install? Well, if you can find exactly the same version for download on the MS website then the key should work with it. But as Cog says, if the disk doesn't work take it back to the vendor.
another major pain for me in the 2007 is that i can't increase/decrease pt size in single increments anymore, only by 2s!... grrrrr!!!
Sure you can. The dropdown list may not contain the intermediate point sizes, but you can type in the point size you want anyway.
I have a 'day job' with state government and can get 2007 for $9.99 through them (for home and office!) I've been kind of hesitant because I just got through with therapy after upgrading IE8 some time ago and was traumatized by the process of having to re-program for my IE7. Yes, even at $9.99 I was a bit skeptical, and I love MSWord. I've been working on XP for umpteen forevers. My question: Is it worth the upgrade? Is it really better? Or just different?
The interface takes some getting used to if you're familiar with earlier versions. But it also supports a new document format that will probablyt become the new standard, so it's worthwhile for that reason alone. And once you get used to the new user interface, it's pretty convenient.
As Cog says, there's a new document format, but there's a plugin to support that available for Word 2003, so that probably isn't reason enough to upgrade. Whether it's worth it depends on how you use it, I think. Microsoft's stated purpose in the major redesign of the interface was to help users find features that they didn't know were there, because lots of the support requests they received were requests for features that were actually already there. To do that they've made it a lot easier for beginners. In my view it's probably about the same for intermediate users (after a bit of a learning curve) and a lot worse for advanced users. A lot of the new features are to do with design -- applying colour schemes to tables, doing fancy font effects, changing page layouts and so on. If you're in a visually creative environment, where every document you produce has a radically different look then that might be helpful. If, though, you work with a standard set of templates and only very rarely if ever design a new document look (my situation) then that is just so much clutter and you'll probably prefer to have it hidden away (as it is in 2003) rather than having it in your face all the time and having to search through it all every time you want something routine. The other thing I find with 2007 is that keyboard shortcuts are longer and much less mnemonic than 2003 (that's a continuing trend, because I said the same of the switch feom 2000 to 2003, although that wasn't so bad). That really pushes you towards using the mouse instead of the keyboard, which I think is natural in a graphics design context but a nuisance in a text entry context -- I don't like having to keep moving my hands from keyboard to mouse; it slows me down. If either: You could already find the advanced features; A lot of your use of word is for DTP; or You don't need the advanced features and can find everything you need, thanks; then I don't see any point in the upgrade. I'd suggest you at least wait for Word 2010, because one of the annoyances of the new interface is that in Word 2007 it's not configurable. MS say that was because they ran out of time, and in 2010 it is configurable. The beta of 2010 is available online. As Cog has sensibly pointed out, you don't want to be running a beta on your main machine, but if you have a spare computer lying around then you could try that for free. If you find that you really love the interface then it might be worth the tenner. Personally I think that MS have lost the distinction between word processing and DTP and produced something that is the worst of both worlds, but you may come to a different conclusion.
Did anyone else have to poke around 2007 for ages to find a Save As icon and opt for it to be permanently displayed at the top left along with the print icon etc? I mean, come on, the Save As icon should be default! Getting used to it after changing a few months ago. I can't see any benefits to the new interface yet.
I don't agree with you there. "Save" brings up "Save As" if you've already given it a name, and after that I use Word's own revision management, so I hardly ever "Save As". Anyway, who wants an icon? Alt-F-S and Alt-F-A are mercifully a pair of keystrokes that have stayed the same (and yes I know Ctrl-S does the same as Alt-F-S, but the latter is so instinctive that I've never bothered with the former). I hate the icon you use to get at the save menu, etc, though. I don't mind using it myself, but it's really a nuisance explaining to somebody over the phone "Click on the round sort of button in the top-left corner". I see that in 2010 it's gone back to being labelled "File". I suspect MS tech support had the same problem and had a word with the developers. It's much easier to tell somebody to click on a word than to have to describe an icon! Now, if they'd only do that for everything else on the ribbon. And maybe make organise stuff into a hierarchy. Perhaps lists of relevant words culd drop down when you click a word, with a letter in the word underscored to show you the shortcut....
thanks, cog!... i had no idea i could do that... but it's still a major pain, compared to being able to just keep hitting the 'grow/shrink font' icon... why the bleep do they have to take something that works so nicely and make it unwork!??
I preferred 2003, but they keep upgrading the software on the computers at University, makes it difficult when trying to print with the different formats etc. So I gave up and swapped over! Once you get used to the features though, it's quite easy to use.
I have problems with margins too. There is no top margin when I open a new document from the desktop icon. So, typing starts at the very top of the page. The side margin ruler doesn't seem to work, and there is no slider visable. I've played with page setup many many a time, with no change. However, if I open an existing file, and then make a new document, everything is normal. Not a big deal really, just annoying. I'm considering a re-install to see if it will solve the glitch/problem. Apart from that, I like the program. I hide the interface controls at the top of the page, so when I'm writing the blank page fills most of the screen. And, I always save files in compatability mode, just to save the hassle of sending the file to someone who might not be able to open it.
It may be a problem with your default template, not the program itself. I'm not sure whether a reinstall will update your templates, because most users prefer to keep changes they have made to their default template. The location of your templates will vary according to what version of Windows you have, and have previously had, als what version of Office you started with, but look for My Blank Document and Normal, with extensions of .dot, .dotx, and .dotm. You can open the .dot and .dotx files for editing, get your layout right, and save them. Chances are you already had a messed up .dot template, and the Word installer derived your .dotx and .dotm from that.
Is there actually no margin, or is it just not showing the margin? If you add a header, does the margin then appear? When you print does it come out with normal margiuns? If it does then this is a view setting, not a page setting. I can't remember how to change it, but if that is the problem then it won't be under page settings and I don't think changing templates will make any difference.
I'm still still using Word 2003 because I hate Word 2007 new look, it drives me crazy and the layout is all over the place. But maybe that's just because I dont like change, lol. It took me sooooo long to find the double space button! I do know how to use but if I had a choice I'd stick with 2003.
