Excel 11.0/12.0 object library references

[mdecuir]

I have been running into some troubles with Excel object library references.

The company I work for has been reluctant to standardize to a single version of office. The computer I work on has office 2007, however, many of the computers the application I am working on are running office 2003. The application references the Excel object library.

The problem I run into is that a machine with office 2007 will automatically update references to the Excel 11.0 object library to point to the Excel 12.0 object library. Unfortunately, the reverse is not true.

I would like to be able to release new versions of this project from my machine with a pointer to the Excel 11.0 object library so I will not get missing reference errors when I load the application on an office 2003 machine. Up to this point, I have been unable to point to an Excel 11.0 object library from Office 2007.

Any pointers on where to find a solution to this short of always releasing new versions from an office 2003 machine would be greatly appreciated.

 

[boblarson]

Use late binding and not early binding.

 

[boblarson]

Oh, and you should not be opening the same file from multiple versions of Access anyway. The database should be split (frontend/backend) and the frontend should be a copy on EACH USER'S machine.

 

[mdecuir]

I just managed to solve this problem. I had tried this solution before, but for some reason it didn't work in the past but worked now. I must have done something differently this time.

I copied the excel.exe file from one of the office 2003 machines to my workstation and placed it in the office11 folder. I unselected the excel 12.0 reference and added in the excel 11.0 reference. After releasing the new version, I tested several of the other computers running office 2003 or 2007 and none of them had missing references.

 

[ghudson]

IMO: Besides the fact it somehow sounds like you could be breaking a license agreement with Microsoft you are not taking the right approach to solving your problem.

 

[boblarson]

IMO: Besides the fact it somehow sounds like you could be breaking a license agreement with Microsoft you are not taking the right approach to solving your problem.

Agreed - It is likely going to come back to bite at some point.

 

[mdecuir]

Under normal circumstances, I would be worried about that, however, we do have a site license for Office 2003, but the newer computers have come pre-loaded with Office 2007. Additionally, I am not actually moving all of the files necessary for Excel 2003, but only the one necessary to access the object library. I think that this would be ok.

If you have another solution for how to deploy a front end referencing the excel 2003 object library from a computer running excel 2007, I would love to hear it.

 

[ghudson]

If you have another solution for how to deploy a front end referencing the excel 2003 object library from a computer running excel 2007, I would love to hear it.

Bob already mentiond to you above to use late binding for your excel stuff.

 

[boblarson]

If you simply use late binding then you don't need references set and it will automatically use whatever version is installed on the computer.

 

[boblarson]

Oh, and removing PARTS of the program to use elsewhere IS a violation of the license by the way (just thought you might like to know):

The Software is licensed as a single product. Its component parts may not be separated for use on more than one device.

 

[vbaInet]

The Office Team will be proud if they see this thread.

 

[mdecuir]

Ok then. I misunderstood how late binding and licensing worked. I will look into exactly how to implement it in this situation.

Thank you for all of the help.