Troubles with file version in mixed environments: how to disable this function?

Dear all,
I've recently switched to Vista in my company, yet all of my
colleagues remain on XP. I'm having quite a lot of troubles with
automatic file versions. For instance, we are sharing an excel file
that is used as database for a fusion in Word. It used to work
perfectly until I realise that Word "sees" an old version of the Excel
file, without my latest additions.

I've had similar troubles with ini files that I edit (enven as admin)
and that my software "does not see".

Any idea how to disable this function ? I'm on Win Vista Pro (French)
+ Office 07. Probably not "full admin"...

Thanks in advance for your help...

BR,
Damien

Hi, Damien.

In a mixed environment - mixed between x64 and x86, either Vista or WinXP or
both - the new "Program Files (x86)" might be causing some confusion.
Possible serious confusion! Caused by Microsoft. :>(

Why couldn't they have simply used a new folder called "Program Files (x64)"
for new 64-bit applications? Then we could have continued to use the old PF
for 32-bit programs, in both x64 and x86 versions of Windows. But, no, they
decided that new 64-bit apps would use the familiar Program Files in x64
systems, and that 32-bit programs would be relegated to the new "Program
Files (x86)".

That created some confusion in pure-x64 systems. I saw no explanation of
this change when I first installed WinXP x64 about 3 years ago, and I
assumed that, since the new folder first appeared in WinXP x64 that it
should be used for 64-bit apps. It was several months before I learned what
"x86" meant, and by that time, I had installed several 32-bit programs into
that new folder. :>(

I've been dual-booting since Win95/NT4. To make it easy (or at least
possible) to share apps between the two operating systems, I installed all
apps into a "neutral" drive that did not have any OS installed on it: my
Drive E:. So MS Office was installed by Win95 into E:\Program Files; WinNT4
also installed MS Office into the same E:\Program Files. I could boot into
either OS and run the same apps, with the same user preferences, on the same
documents.

Now, though, dual-booting between 32-bit and 64-bit WinXP/Vista is a pain!
Vista x86 expects Office to be in E:\PF. Vista x64 expects it to be in
E:\PFx86, since Office is still 32-bit only. I can, of course, have Vista
x64 install Office into PF, but I'm not sure what DLLs and related support
files it installs along with the main executable. I've been told that there
IS a difference, and that's why it's important to use the PFx86 folder for
32-bit Office.

So far as I can tell, this is not a problem with mixed WinXP Pro/Vista x86
(32-bit only) environments (and probably not with WinXP x64/Vista x64
environments). But it can be a serious problem in mixed x86/x64
environments with either WinXP or Vista or both.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@xxxxxx
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta 2 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 beta v.275)

"Ciegalo" <damien.pochon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1192695933.038221.103900@xxxxxx

On 18 oct, 16:01, "R. C. White" <r...@xxxxxx> wrote: Hi,
Thanks for your reply. however, I should have been clearer on what I
meant by "mixed" I'm on a 32bits Vista, as our head of IT does not
want to risk any troubles with drivers. By "mixed" I meant I'm working
on Vista/Office 07 and the rest of the company is mostly on XP/Office
2k or 03.

And I get those file version troubles even on my own machine

Some people on other boards told me about the "roaming" directory for
files in Program Files, yet this does not solve the problem for share
network drives...

Any hint ?

BR,
Damien

Hi, Damien.
Nope. Sorry, but I'm just one guy with one computer. I don't nuthin 'bout
no networks. Didn't even know anything about permissions until Vista's UAC
forced me to learn a little about them. But my learning has not yet
included "roaming".

But a lot of folks here know a lot about those things, so someone will
probably be along soon to give you some ideas. Or you might want to try
some of the many Office newsgroups.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@xxxxxx
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta 2 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 beta v.275)

"Ciegalo" <damien.pochon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1192777456.613955.309380@xxxxxx