Installing Office 2003 hotfixes... with CAB files?

esuhl

I've just installed MS Office 2003 (and SP3) and wanted to download and backup all the post-SP3 hotfixes so I can re-install if they ever become unavailable.

I've identified all of the KB hotfixes I need, and have downloaded them from the Microsoft Update Catalog. However... they're all cabinet (.CAB) files, and I'm not sure how to install them. I'm using Windows 7.

I had a play with pkgmgr and DISM, but nothing worked... I'm a bit confused. I'm not sure if I'm barking up the wrong tree there...

I came across WSUS Offline Update too -- but that created a 5GB ISO image that only installed a handful of updates. The complete set of CAB files I have is <150MB. :-/

Does anyone have any ideas...?

rmg1

It looks like it's a file compression format.
You might be able to just double-click it and let it do it's thing.

EveryWhere

A play around with DISM doesn't tell us what you actually did.

You need to open Command Prompt as Admin

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/install-cab-msu-updates-mu-catalog/ offers a Registry entry in so you will be able to simply right-click to install.

that

copying the files are not really a big issue as that can easily be done, it is often how the stuff is linked in the registry the causes problems. Future versions of dlls may be an issue too.

Personally I'd rather look at full backups as there could be dependencies or dotnet versions that ms could kill too. Fairly sure that 2003 contained no online licencing.

another way would be to start with a blank windows 7 box then install vanilla 2003. Use something like Regshot making sure it tracks all the PC and its files, as the defaults do not. Install all the 2003 updates etc. Do a second Regshot and let it compare the first one. Then copy off all the file and registry changes. Remember to test this mod.

Full backup and restore is easier.

AndyPix

esuhl wrote: »

Does anyone have any ideas...?

I can sort you out with office 2007 if you like ?

esuhl

rmg1 wrote: »

It looks like it's a file compression format.
You might be able to just double-click it and let it do it's thing.

Ah... It looks like each .CAB contains an .MSP file, which I can double-click to install.

But... there are quite a few patches, and I was hoping to be able to install them all silently with a batch script. Is that possible with MSP files...?

EveryWhere wrote: »

A play around with DISM doesn't tell us what you actually did.

You need to open Command Prompt as Admin

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/install-cab-msu-updates-mu-catalog/ offers a Registry entry in so you will be able to simply right-click to install.

I wasn't sure if it was relevant, but that's exactly what I was doing. But I get the following error (I've manually shortened the long path names):

D:\>DISM.exe /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"D:\filename.cab"

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.1.7600.16385

Image Version: 6.1.7601.23403

An error occurred trying to open - D:\filename.cab Error: 0x80070002


Error: 2

The system cannot find the file specified.

The DISM log file can be found at C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log

I looked up the error (0x8007002), and followed all the steps here, but I still get the same output from DISM when I try again to install the hotfix. :-/

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/910336/windows-update-error-0x80070002-or-0x80070003

esuhl

that wrote: »

copying the files are not really a big issue as that can easily be done, it is often how the stuff is linked in the registry the causes problems. Future versions of dlls may be an issue too.

The patches I'm using are all downloaded from the official MS website. I'm not trying to copy files manually -- I'm trying find the "correct" way to install them.

that wrote: »

Personally I'd rather look at full backups as there could be dependencies or dotnet versions that ms could kill too. Fairly sure that 2003 contained no online licencing.

I've identified all of the hotfixes I need (including ones for an update to ASP.NET, which Office 2003 needs for some reason). Office 2003 went out of support some time ago (2014?) so there won't be any further updates.

that wrote: »

another way would be to start with a blank windows 7 box then install vanilla 2003. Use something like Regshot making sure it tracks all the PC and its files, as the defaults do not. Install all the 2003 updates etc. Do a second Regshot and let it compare the first one. Then copy off all the file and registry changes. Remember to test this mod.

Full backup and restore is easier.

Hmm... Interesting idea! But... I won't necessarily want MS Office installed on a new Win7 installation and might want to add it later. Or I might want to install Office on Win10...

I'm sure Microsoft wouldn't be supplying these CAB files if they couldn't be installed.

AndyPix wrote: »

I can sort you out with office 2007 if you like ?

Thanks, Andy -- really appreciate the thought, but I have Office 2007 too. I just CANNOT tolerate that awful ribbon interface!

I also think of Office 2003 as being a particularly fine vintage -- it seemed to be much more stable than other versions of Office and had fewer errors in the VBA documentation.

Before that, I stuck with Office 97 -- another stable, well-documented version.

Is the awful ribbon still used in the latest versions of Office? If not, maybe it's time to upgrade...

esuhl

Ah -- it looks like I can install MSP files with this (where %%F is the fully-qualified filename):

msiexec /update "%%F" /qn /norestart

I'll try extracting all the CABs and give my installation script a whirl...

DoaM

Change Office 2007 user interface to look like old Office 2003 ??