I can not use word 2002 to edit e-mail messages in outlook 2003

[Guest]

Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email editor is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor. Short of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with word
2002?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

No. Versions must match.

 

[CMM]

Which smacks of a sorta sign of laziness on the part of MS. I mean...
knowing a lot about the way Word amd Outlook work and COM, I can't see any
REAL BIG reason why this should be. "WordMail" is a bit improved in
Ol2003... but there's no reason why Outlook 2003 can't call on Word 2002 for
editing. I guess it is what it is.

No. Versions must match.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email editor
is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor. Short
of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with word
2002?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Really. Care to guess how many lines of code changed between versions?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Which smacks of a sorta sign of laziness on the part of MS. I mean...
knowing a lot about the way Word amd Outlook work and COM, I can't see any
REAL BIG reason why this should be. "WordMail" is a bit improved in
Ol2003... but there's no reason why Outlook 2003 can't call on Word 2002
for editing. I guess it is what it is.

No. Versions must match.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with
word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email editor
is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor. Short
of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with
word
2002?

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies. I wish there was something other than upgrading 50
systems to office 2003 in my future. The free Outlook 2003 upgrade that came
with the new Windows 2003 server I just installed was a clever marketing
scheme MS's part to give a taste of Outlook 2003, and now that it's on all
the systems in-house there is no turning back. So I will bite the bullet,
and purchase yet another round. When will this ever end? How many
improvements are really necessary to get the job done? Maybe the next
version will automatically do all the work telepathically. I guess the train
must keep rolling.
--
KISS

Really. Care to guess how many lines of code changed between versions?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Which smacks of a sorta sign of laziness on the part of MS. I mean...
knowing a lot about the way Word amd Outlook work and COM, I can't see any
REAL BIG reason why this should be. "WordMail" is a bit improved in
Ol2003... but there's no reason why Outlook 2003 can't call on Word 2002
for editing. I guess it is what it is.

No. Versions must match.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with
word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email editor
is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor. Short
of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with
word
2002?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

At the very least it seems that any standalone version of Outlook should
carry a clear warning that installing it with a different version of Office
will disable all integration features so you can think twice about whether
the upgrade will be worth it.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Thanks for your replies. I wish there was something other than upgrading
50
systems to office 2003 in my future. The free Outlook 2003 upgrade that
came
with the new Windows 2003 server I just installed was a clever marketing
scheme MS's part to give a taste of Outlook 2003, and now that it's on all
the systems in-house there is no turning back. So I will bite the
bullet,
and purchase yet another round. When will this ever end? How many
improvements are really necessary to get the job done? Maybe the next
version will automatically do all the work telepathically. I guess the
train
must keep rolling.
--
KISS

Really. Care to guess how many lines of code changed between versions?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Which smacks of a sorta sign of laziness on the part of MS. I mean...
knowing a lot about the way Word amd Outlook work and COM, I can't see
any
REAL BIG reason why this should be. "WordMail" is a bit improved in
Ol2003... but there's no reason why Outlook 2003 can't call on Word
2002
for editing. I guess it is what it is.

No. Versions must match.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with
word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email
editor
is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor.
Short
of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with
word
2002?

 

[CMM]

"Lines of code?" Um, that doesn't matter. Outlook calls on Word via OLE
Automation... and Object Models don't change significantly between versions.
It's a black box. I mean, ANY Windows programmer can sit down and write a
demo app in FIVE minutes that wraps around Word and uses it as an "Editor."
It's that easy.

I'm not saying Ol2003 should support every feature with Word 2002 that it
would otherwise have with Word 2003 (though I'm hardpressed to even think of
what they are)... just that they should support it... especially if they're
offering Outlook 2003 as a standalone part of Exchange Server 2003.

Really. Care to guess how many lines of code changed between versions?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Which smacks of a sorta sign of laziness on the part of MS. I mean...
knowing a lot about the way Word amd Outlook work and COM, I can't see
any REAL BIG reason why this should be. "WordMail" is a bit improved in
Ol2003... but there's no reason why Outlook 2003 can't call on Word 2002
for editing. I guess it is what it is.

No. Versions must match.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with
word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email
editor is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor.
Short of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with
word
2002?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Not so sure your contention is correct, but I sure agree with the premise.
Microsoft needs to fix this.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

"Lines of code?" Um, that doesn't matter. Outlook calls on Word via OLE
Automation... and Object Models don't change significantly between
versions. It's a black box. I mean, ANY Windows programmer can sit down
and write a demo app in FIVE minutes that wraps around Word and uses it as
an "Editor." It's that easy.

I'm not saying Ol2003 should support every feature with Word 2002 that it
would otherwise have with Word 2003 (though I'm hardpressed to even think
of what they are)... just that they should support it... especially if
they're offering Outlook 2003 as a standalone part of Exchange Server
2003.

Really. Care to guess how many lines of code changed between versions?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Which smacks of a sorta sign of laziness on the part of MS. I mean...
knowing a lot about the way Word amd Outlook work and COM, I can't see
any REAL BIG reason why this should be. "WordMail" is a bit improved in
Ol2003... but there's no reason why Outlook 2003 can't call on Word 2002
for editing. I guess it is what it is.

No. Versions must match.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with
word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email
editor is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor.
Short of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with
word
2002?

 

[CMM]

The "contention" I assure you is correct.

Even if Outlook had some proprietary "hooks" into Word (only one noticeable
is the stripped down Formatting bar in "WordMail" 2003) it still doesn't
mean that MS couldn't have at least tried to create a "general purpose"
solution for other versions of Word. It's ridiculously easy... And, I man
RIDICULOUSLY! That they chose not to is totally a marketing decision and not
one based on technological limitations.

It basically takes 5 lines of COM oriented code to do it: CreateObject and
ShowWindow (even better drop Word as an OLE object onto your custom window
(MFC C++ *OR* VB form) then you can customize the look & feel to your hearts
content), Create "Send" toolbar buttons (also ridiculously easy), [wait for
user to click Send], and you know the rest. I've done it for a custom CRM
app at a previous company. There's NO reason why MS can't do it.

Not so sure your contention is correct, but I sure agree with the premise.
Microsoft needs to fix this.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

"Lines of code?" Um, that doesn't matter. Outlook calls on Word via OLE
Automation... and Object Models don't change significantly between
versions. It's a black box. I mean, ANY Windows programmer can sit down
and write a demo app in FIVE minutes that wraps around Word and uses it
as an "Editor." It's that easy.

I'm not saying Ol2003 should support every feature with Word 2002 that it
would otherwise have with Word 2003 (though I'm hardpressed to even think
of what they are)... just that they should support it... especially if
they're offering Outlook 2003 as a standalone part of Exchange Server
2003.

Really. Care to guess how many lines of code changed between versions?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Which smacks of a sorta sign of laziness on the part of MS. I mean...
knowing a lot about the way Word amd Outlook work and COM, I can't see
any REAL BIG reason why this should be. "WordMail" is a bit improved in
Ol2003... but there's no reason why Outlook 2003 can't call on Word
2002 for editing. I guess it is what it is.

No. Versions must match.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Hi, Can anyone provide a fix for this problem? I have a system with
word
2002 and outlook 2003. The option to use word (2003) as an email
editor is
grayed out and I am unable to use word (2002) as my e-mail editor.
Short of
upgrading word to 2003 is there a way to make outlook 2003 work with
word
2002?