Office 2007, Office 2003 and Clean Slate on same computer

[M Keener]

I'm teaching in a lab with two versions of Office and Clean Slate on all of
the computers. Access is not behaving well in either version -- can't use
the Form Wizard or do command buttons in the 2003 version, and opening but
locking up as soon as anything is clicked in the 2007 version. Also get the
2003-style title bar popping up over the 2007-style title bar, covering the
top half of the Office button, when you click anywhere on the screen after
opening Access 2007. We need to have both Office versions so that we can
teach both to businesses in the community. There are other computers in the
building running both Office 2003 and Office 2007 running seamlessly. They
do not have Clean Slate loaded. Anyone have info on using Clean Slate with
Office?

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:48:24 -0700, M Keener <M
(e-mail address removed)> wrote:

What did the people behind Clean Slate have to say about this topic
when you asked them?

-Tom.

 

[M Keener]

Thanks for responding, Tom. Unfortunately, I don't have the necessary
"permissions" to ask them. The makers of Clean Slate allow questions only
from registered contacts (same requirement for searching their knowledge
base) -- and the IT dept at the college has given up on trying to solve this
issue. Their plan is to remove one of the Office versions. So my only
option is to gather "evidence" and try to present a solution that allows all
three applications to run. I'm guessing that the issue is with the registry
edits that Access requires at startup and that Clean Slate apparently frowns
upon.

Michelle K.

 

[David W. Fenton]

I'm teaching in a lab with two versions of Office and Clean Slate
on all of the computers. Access is not behaving well in either
version -- can't use the Form Wizard or do command buttons in the
2003 version, and opening but locking up as soon as anything is
clicked in the 2007 version. Also get the 2003-style title bar
popping up over the 2007-style title bar, covering the top half of
the Office button, when you click anywhere on the screen after
opening Access 2007. We need to have both Office versions so that
we can teach both to businesses in the community. There are other
computers in the building running both Office 2003 and Office 2007
running seamlessly. They do not have Clean Slate loaded. Anyone
have info on using Clean Slate with Office?

I just browsed the Knowledge Base for Clean Slate and it looks to me
as though it's likely that one of two things may be happening (based
on the references to MS Office there):

1. Office was not properly installed in relation to Clean Slate.

2. The duelling re-registering of A2K3 and A2K7 is screwing up the
environment.

This should be resolvable, seems to me, but I know nothing about
Clean Slate.

 

[M Keener]

I just browsed the Knowledge Base for Clean Slate and it looks to me
as though it's likely that one of two things may be happening (based
on the references to MS Office there):

1. Office was not properly installed in relation to Clean Slate.

2. The duelling re-registering of A2K3 and A2K7 is screwing up the
environment.

This should be resolvable, seems to me, but I know nothing about
Clean Slate.

Thanks for the encouragement, David. I've also been through the Knowledge
Base and have talked to a tech. The tech says that it should work. He
couldn't give me specific help, but said that the IT dept at the college
certainly could call to get help. IT says no thanks -- one version of Office
has to go. Some in the community say they need to learn Access 2003, others
are ready for Access 2007. Guess this is one of those times where you can't
please everyone!

 

[John W. Vinson/MVP]

Some in the community say they need to learn Access 2003, others

are ready for Access 2007. Guess this is one of those times where you
can't
please everyone!

You might want to consider using a "Virtual PC" environment so you can have
two different instances of Windows running - one for your 2003, one for
2007.

 

[David W. Fenton]

The tech says that it should work. He
couldn't give me specific help, but said that the IT dept at the
college certainly could call to get help. IT says no thanks --
one version of Office has to go. Some in the community say they
need to learn Access 2003, others are ready for Access 2007.
Guess this is one of those times where you can't please everyone!

Your department chairman should be contacting IT to get this
straightened out. It's completely obvious that you must have both
versions of Access available to teach.

 

[David W. Fenton]

You might want to consider using a "Virtual PC" environment so you
can have two different instances of Windows running - one for your
2003, one for 2007.

In a lab environment running the software that's causing the
problem, that's unlikely to be an option. Were it an option, the
problem wouldn't likely be present in the first place!

 

[M Keener]

Your department chairman should be contacting IT to get this
straightened out. It's completely obvious that you must have both
versions of Access available to teach.

Apparently IT rules. My dept chair has done what she can. The need is
obvious to you and I and everyone except those with the magic password. I
thank you for your response and support. My next approach is to ask for a
few computers to be left with Access 2003 and the rest with Access 2007 --
then my challenge will be to teach mixed classes. Ought to keep life
interesting, at least. Again, my thanks!

 

[David W. Fenton]

Apparently IT rules. My dept chair has done what she can.

Then it needs to go to the administrative level immediately above
the chair, and so on up the chain to a dean or provost who happens
to outrank IT. IT is a *service* and especially when it's a computer
programming class, it seems senseless for IT to be telling the
instructors how the software they are teaching is supposed to work.

The need is
obvious to you and I and everyone except those with the magic
password. I thank you for your response and support. My next
approach is to ask for a few computers to be left with Access 2003
and the rest with Access 2007 -- then my challenge will be to
teach mixed classes. Ought to keep life interesting, at least.
Again, my thanks!

No that is not the correct approach. I have been a teacher at the
undergrad level, and your department should support you and escalate
this right up the chain of command until IT gets told what they are
supposed to do. If you don't do it, IT will always control what you
can and can't teach.