OFF97: An Overview of Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2)

This article is an overview of Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2). The following topics are covered:

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What is a service release?   What is Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?   How can I get Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?   What versions of Microsoft Office 97 does SR-2 update?   What is the difference between the original SR-2, the updated SR-2, and the SR-2 Replacement CD?   I already applied the Sr2aof97.exe update to my system. Should I run Sr2bof97.exe to update to the current SR-2 level?   How does the SR-2 Update work?   Does the SR-2 Update work on both U.S. English and International English versions of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?   Are there any issues about installing the SR-2 Update on Microsoft Windows 98?   What preparations must I make before I install the SR-2 Update?   How do I install the SR-2 Update on my computer?   How do I use the SR-2 Update to update an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?   How do I install the SR-2 Update from a shared location?   What is the SR-2 Update log file, and where do I find it?   The SR-2 Update installation did not work when I tried to install it. What can I do?   What files are updated by the SR-2 Update?   How can I use the SR-2 Replacement CD?   How can I remove SR-2 from my computer after it is installed?   Are there any issues about using the SR-2 Replacement CD when Microsoft Outlook 98 is installed on my computer?   Are there any other articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base that apply to this subject?   Where can I get more information?

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What is a service release?

A service release is a collection of bug fixes that have been introduced since a product was initially released. To make it easier for you to install these fixes, Microsoft centralizes the fixes into one service release, so that you receive all of the latest fixes at one time. Note that there are no new program features included in service releases.

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What is Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?

Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 is a collection of fixes for Microsoft Office 97. SR-2 contains fixes for many problems, including all Microsoft Excel 97 recalculation problems, as well as updates to ensure Year 2000 compliance. Because it is a service release, Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 contains no new program features.

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How can I get Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?

You can download the SR-2 Update from the following Microsoft Web site: NOTE: Microsoft Office 97 Service Release CD-ROMs and replacement CD-ROMs are no longer available from Microsoft. If you are using an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) version of Microsoft Office 97, you can download the SR-1 Update and SR-2 Update from the Microsoft Web site.

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What versions of Microsoft Office 97 does SR-2 update?

The SR-2 Update is designed to update only Microsoft Office 97, Service Release 1 (SR-1). If you have either the original version of Microsoft Office 97 or any of the original standalone Microsoft Office 97 programs installed on your computer, you cannot install the SR-2 Update.

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What is the difference between the original SR-2 Update, the updated SR-2 Update, and the SR-2 Replacement CD?

The original SR-2 Update, the updated SR-2 Update, and the SR-2 Replacement CD all include identical versions of the programs that are included in Microsoft Office 97. After these updates are installed, there is no difference between these three versions of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2.

NOTE: The SR-2 Update CD and the SR-2 Replacement CD include updated ValuPack components, and the downloaded original SR-2 Update and updated SR-2 Update do not include updated ValuPack components.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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I already applied the Sr2aof97.exe update to my system. Should I run Sr2bof97.exe to update to the current SR-2 level?

No. It is easier to apply the Outlook update and Jet Year 2000 update separately. To obtain these updates, click the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article numbers:

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How does the SR-2 Update work?

When you run the SR-1 Update, it modifies your current files to correct issues. This process helps keep the SR-1 Update small in size, but certain issues arose with the release of the WinAlign feature in Windows 98.

NOTE: These issues have since been corrected.

The SR-2 Update uses a different process to update your files. Instead of modifying them, the SR-2 Update backs up your current files and installs new files. After all of the new files are installed, the SR-2 Update deletes the original files. This process allows "rollback" (the ability to quickly and easily restore your system to its previous state), in the event that the SR-2 Update fails.

The downloaded SR-2 Update is 23 MB in size; you must have approximately 60 MB of free space available on your hard disk when you run the SR-2 Update.

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Does the SR-2 Update work on both U.S. English and International English versions of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?

Yes. The SR-2 Update automatically detects what version of Office you are using, U.S. English or International English, and updates your system accordingly.

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Are there any issues about installing the SR-2 Update on Windows 98?

The files that are included in Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 are pre-aligned for use with Windows 98. They work in other operating systems as well.

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What preparations must I make before I install the SR-2 Update?

Before you install the SR-2 Update, follow these steps:

Quit all of the following programs: Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office Binder Microsoft Word Microsoft Exchange Microsoft Access Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar Microsoft Outlook Deluxe CD Player (included in Windows 98 Plus! Pack) Microsoft PowerPoint

Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements:   Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 with Service Pack 5 (SP5), or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 (SP3)   At least 60 MB of free disk space on the drive where Microsoft Office 97 is installed   If you are installing the SR-2 Update on Windows NT, you must be logged on with administrative rights on the computer. This applies to both FAT partitions and NTFS partitions.

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How do I install the SR-2 Update on my computer?

After you download the SR-2 Update (Sr2bof97.exe) from the Microsoft Web site, double-click it. The update then prompts you for information, including your Product ID (PID), before it copies the new SR-2 files onto your computer's hard disk.

NOTE: Do not run the SR-2 Update directly from the download Web page. Instead, save the SR-2 Update onto your computer's hard disk, and then run the SR-2 Update from your hard disk.

After the SR-2 Update is finished, restart your computer.

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How do I use the SR-2 Update to update an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?

To use the SR-2 Update to update an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1, follow these steps.

NOTE: Before you proceed, use Microsoft Windows Explorer to map a drive letter to the server and share that contain your administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1.

1.	Download the SR-2 Update that is listed in the "How can I get Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?" section of this article.
2.	Create a new folder on your desktop called "Sr2". Move the SR-2 Update, Sr2bof97.exe, into this folder.
3.	Click Start and then click Run. Type the following command line: C:\Windows\Desktop\Sr2\Sr2bof97.exe /c:"Sr2patch.exe /a"
4.	Click OK, and then click Yes.
5.	Click Yes to accept the license agreement.
6.	When all files are extracted, click OK.
7.	Click Change Folder. Using the list, click the folder on the server that contains the administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1. Usually, this is the Msoffice folder.
8.	Click OK, and then click OK again.
9.	Click Change Folder. Using the list, click the folder on the server that contains the shared applications used by Microsoft Office 97 SR-1. Usually, this is the Msapps folder.
10.	Click OK, and then click OK again.
11.	In the Open STF File for Patch dialog box, select the .stf file that you want to update. The .stf file is generally located in the Msoffice folder. After you click the .stf file, click Open.
12.	In the Open INF File for Patch dialog box, select the .inf file that you want to update. The .inf file generally is located in the Msoffice folder. Generally, the .inf file has the same name as the .stf file. For example, if you clicked Off97pro.stf in step 11, click Off97pro.inf in this step. After you click the .inf file, click Open.
13.	Type your Product ID (PID). Click OK to continue. The SR-2 Update will copy all of the new SR-2 files to your network server. Because of the size and number of files, it may take several minutes for this process to be completed.
14.	When installation is finished, click OK to quit.

If you want to, you now can delete all of the remaining files in the Sr2 folder on your desktop. You may want to keep a copy of Sr2bof97.exe, in case you must use the SR-2 Update again.

When you update an administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97, the SR-2 Update creates backup copies of your .stf and .inf files. In the event of an issue, you can restore these backup files. The .stf file is backed up into a file with the extension S1S; the .inf file is backed up into a file with the extension S1I.

After you update your administrative installation, there are two methods you can use to update your workstations to Microsoft Office 97 SR-2:

	On each workstation, double-click Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Click Microsoft Office 97, and then click Remove All. To reinstall Microsoft Office 97 with the new SR-2 files, run Setup.exe from the administrative installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2.
	On each workstation, run the Sr2bof97.exe program. This enables you to update the Microsoft Office 97 files on the workstation to SR-2. NOTE: Update your administrative installation before you use this method to update workstations that are set to "Run From Network Server."

After you update each workstation, restart it.

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How do I install the SR-2 Update from a shared location?

It is possible to share the SR-2 Update, so that multiple users can install the update from one central location, such as a shared folder on a network server. To share the update, copy the file Sr2bof97.exe to a shared folder.

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What is the SR-2 Update log file, and where do I find it?

Each time you run the SR-2 Update, it creates a log file in the folder where your Microsoft Office files are stored. Typically, this is the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office folder.

The name of the log file is 97sr2_<#>.log (where <#> is a number: the first log file created is 97sr2_0.log; the second log file created is 97sr2_1.log; and so on).

You can open the log file by using Notepad, WordPad, or any other text editor. If problems occur when you run the SR-2 Update, or if you just want to make sure that everything was updated correctly, open the log file and see the records written there. Search the log file for phrases such as the following: If you see phrases such as these, the SR-2 Update was not installed correctly.

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The SR-2 Update installation did not work when I tried to install it. What can I do?

When you run the SR-2 Update, it may not be installed at all, and you may receive the following error message: NOTE: The Web site in this error message is incorrect. The correct Web site is If this behavior occurs, you can do the following:

	Open the SR-2 Update log file (described earlier in this article), and then try to determine what caused the SR-2 Update installation not to work.
	If you previously downloaded the original SR-2 Update, see the following Microsoft Web site: (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010449981033.aspx) Download and run the Microsoft Office 97 Version Checker. Then download the updated SR-2 Update (Sr2bof97.exe), and install it on your computer.
	If you are running Windows 95 or Windows 98, restart your computer in Safe mode, and then try to run the SR-2 Update again.
	Follow the steps in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: 192816 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/192816/EN-US/) OFF97: SR-2 Patch Fails Even Though SR-1 Has Been Installed If you cannot install the SR-2 Update correctly after you follow the instructions in this article, contact Microsoft Technical Support for additional assistance.

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Which files does the SR-2 Update update?

The SR-2 Update updates the following files: In October 1999, the SR-2 Update was updated again to include the Year 2000 changes for Microsoft Outlook 97 and for Microsoft Jet 3.5 Service Pack 2. The files updated for the re-release include those listed in the following table.

   File name        New version
   ----------------------------

   Msexcl35.dll     3.51.2723.3
   Msjet35.dll      3.51.2723.0
   Msrepl35.dll     3.51.2404.0
   Rm.dll           1.0.0.104
   Transmgr.dll     1.0.0.100
				

If you are not sure which version of the update you have, use the Find feature in Windows to search for one of these files. When you find the file, right-click the file, and then click Properties to determine which version of SR-2 is installed. To obtain the latest versions of the files, download the latest version of the SR-2 Update from the following Microsoft Office Web site: For additional information about the updated files, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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How can I remove SR-2 from my computer after it was installed?

After you install Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 on your computer, it becomes integrated with your installation of Microsoft Office 97. For this reason, it is not possible to undo the effects of the SR-2 Update after you install it. To remove the files installed by SR-2, use the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program to remove and reinstall the files, if necessary.

To remove Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 from your computer, run the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program:

1.	Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2.	Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3.	In the list of installed programs, click Microsoft Office 97, and then click Add/Remove.

To remove all of Microsoft Office 97 SR-2, click Remove All. To remove specific components, click Add/Remove, and then click the components that you want to remove, in the next dialog box. After you remove components, you can reinstall them by repeating the previous steps and clicking the components again.

NOTE: If you use the SR-2 Update to update your installation of Microsoft Office 97, the SR-2 Update may not update certain Setup-related files, if the original installation source is not available. This does not affect how your programs run after you install the SR-2 Update; however, it may prevent the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program from removing all files when you click Remove All.

For additional information about removing Microsoft Office 97, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 176823 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/176823/EN-US/) OFF97: Utility to Completely Remove Remaining Office 97 Files

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Are there any issues about using the SR-2 Replacement CD when Microsoft Outlook 98 is installed on my computer?

The Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 2 CD-ROMs and Replacement CD-ROMs are no longer available from Microsoft. For more information about how to obtain the service release, please see the "How can I get Microsoft Office 97 SR-2?" section of this article.

If you already have and use the Replacement CD to install Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 on a computer that runs Microsoft Outlook 98, the Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Setup program may break your installation of Microsoft Outlook 98 by overwriting some of its files with Microsoft Outlook 97 files. To prevent this behavior, do the following:

When you run the Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Setup program, do not perform a Typical installation. Instead, perform a Custom installation, and turn off the option for Microsoft Outlook 97. This prevents your Microsoft Outlook 98 files from being overwritten.

If the behavior already occurred, you must reinstall Microsoft Outlook 98. The Microsoft Outlook 98 Setup program safely installs all of the files that it requires, even if Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 is installed on your computer.

This information is documented in the Ofread8.txt file that is included with SR-2 and is documented in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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Are there any other articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base that apply to this subject?

The following articles contain information that is important when you are upgrading to Microsoft Office 97 SR-2:

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Where can I get more information?

The following Web pages contain more information about some of the subjects discussed in this article:

	General Information and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Microsoft Office 97 SR-2: (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010449981033.aspx)
	Downloading SR-1: (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010449921033.aspx)
	Downloading Windows NT 3.51 Service Pack 5: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt351/ussp5/ (ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt351/ussp5/)
	Downloading Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3: 152734 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/152734/EN-US/) How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

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