Office 2007 Migration Information

As you may know, over the summer the College began the process of moving to Office 2007, the new version of Microsoft's Office Suite for Windows PCs.  Most of the administrative offices and some faculty members have already been moved, and the 2007 version will be on lab and public computers around campus.  We will be continuing this migration through the fall, with the intention of completing it by the end of December.  Mac users will receive a separate message about Office 2008 once it is released (currently scheduled for January).

However, as students will assuredly be arriving with Office 2007, and colleagues elsewhere may be using it, we feel that those who need it should be able to access this software promptly.  As such, we are providing two options for people who would like more immediate access:

Self Install (for College-owned Computers)

If you are comfortable doing so, you can easily install this software yourself via a pre-configured installer

• Start by rebooting your computer, do not open any applications. 
• Anyone logged into a College-owned PC via his or her Novell login will have on his or her desktop the Application Explorer.  Double-click the Application Explorer, then Double-click "All". 
• Find the icon entitled "2007 Office Professional Plus" and double-click it. It may take a moment or two for the installer to visibly begin.  Do not click again.
• Office 2007 will take several minutes to install.  You will not be asked to select any options, you will just see an installation progress bar. 
• When complete, you will be able to start using Office 2007.

Request Appointment

Desktop Support Specialists will be happy to make appointments to install this software for you at your convenience.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why Is This Migration Necessary?  Why Now?
There are several reasons why prompt migration to Office 2007 is necessary. 

• Office 2007 uses a new file format, which is not compatible with older versions. While Microsoft does provide a compatibility pack, it is not exhaustive and does not perform well on more complicated files.
• We were already seeing the presence of Office 2007 among the student population in the Spring of 07, and we anticipate that many students will be arriving with it this year. 
• Also, other colleagues outside the College may be using it, and we want to make sure everyone has access to the latest files. 
• We also wanted to allow time to become accustomed to the new version of Office before we begin our conversion to Vista, the new version of Microsoft Windows, as only Office 2007 will be available on Vista.

What has really changed?

The new Microsoft Office has all of the same functionality, plus some new features.  However, the look and feel has changed considerably.

To find out more about what has changed in Office 2007, go to http://www.brynmawr.edu/computing/docs/office2007.shtml or http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/getstarted/

Is There Training Available?
We strongly recommend that everyone attend an Orientation Session.  These sessions and other learning opportunities will be available throughout the fall.  See http://www.brynmawr.edu/computing/docs/office2007.shtml for training availability.

When Do I Need to Move to Office 2007?
Starting in January, Office 2007 will be the campus primarily supported version, and as we begin our move to Vista in the late Spring, we will not be installing Office 2003.

Desktop Support Specialists will be contacting departments and individuals as the semester progresses to schedule the installation of the new version (at this time, we are not requiring the removal of Office 2003, although it is recommended).

What if I have a Mac?
Office 2007 is made only for WIndows.  We anticipate the release of Office 2008 for the Mac in January; you can expect to receive communication post-release.   In the meantime, please ask Office 2007 users to save as a .doc file.

What Versions will be in Public/Classroom Locations?
Public Labs will be using only Office 2007, however for the convenience of Faculty who may not yet have been migrated, both Office 2007 and 2003 will be available on Classroom PCs through the Fall.

What about My Home?
We cannot provide new versions for home use on non-College-owned machines, but they can be purchased at significant discounts through the Sales and Purchasing page at http://www.brynmawr.edu/computing/docs/sales.shtml . The approximate cost is $45 for Faculty and Staff, and $85 for students.