Microsoft has released updates that help eliminate security vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel 2000 and Microsoft Excel 97. These updates disable the Register.ID worksheet function to block a security vulnerability that could allow certain types of macros and executable files to be run without warning the user. The two versions of the update are as follows:

• Microsoft Excel 2000 SR-1 Register.ID function update (Xl9p3_a.exe). This update requires Office 2000 SR-1 or Office 2000 Service Release 1a (SR-1a).
• Microsoft Excel 97 Register.ID function update (Xl8p10pkg.exe). This update requires Microsoft Excel 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2).

Toolbox    The administrative update file for the Microsoft Excel 2000 SR-1 Register.ID function update is available in the Office Resource Kit Toolbox. You can find this downloadable file on the Office 2000 Resource Kit Downloads page.

The following procedures describe how to apply the updates to your administrative installation points.

Updating an Excel 2000 SR-1 administrative installation point

The administrative update file for the Microsoft Excel 2000 SR-1 Register.ID function update is a Windows Installer patch (MSP) file that you apply to your administrative share by using a command line with specific parameters.

To add the Microsoft Excel 2000 SR-1 Register.ID function update to an administrative installation point

1. Download Xl9p3_a.exe and double-click the file name to extract the administrative update file (OQFE7797_Admin.msp).
2. Connect to the server share for the administrative installation point.

   You must have write access to the administrative installation point on the server and the appropriate privileges to carry out the task.

3. On the Start menu, click Run and then type the command line for Windows Installer with the appropriate options for the update. Use the following syntax:

   [start] msiexec /p [path\name of update MSP file] /a [path\name of MSI file] SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb /L* [path\name of log file]

The following table describes the command-line options.

Updating Excel 2000 client computers from an administrative installation point

After you update your administrative installation point, you must perform a recache and repair on existing client computers that use the administrative image. Any new client installations from the administrative installation point will automatically include the updated version of Excel 2000.

To update an existing client installation from an administrative installation point, run the following command line on the client computer:

start msiexec /i [path to updated .msi file on the administrative image] REINSTALL=[list of features] REINSTALLMODE=vomus

You can run this command line by creating a log-on script, distributing it as a batch file, deploying it via Systems Management Server, or using other means according to your practice. The options for this command line are as follows.

For the Microsoft Excel 2000 SR-1 Register.ID function update, the variable [list of features] should be replaced with the following value. Note that this value is case sensitive and must be entered with the exact uppercase and lowercase letters, as shown below:

EXCELFiles

If you are uncertain about the feature list for your situation, you can substitute the option REINSTALL=ALL to reinstall all components on the client computer.

 Note    If you originally installed Excel 2000 on a client computer from an administrative installation point, you must follow the recache and repair procedure described above to update that client. If you update the client directly by using the end-user patch from the Office Update Web site, the client and administrative images will become out-of-sync, which may cause future updates to fail.

Applying the Excel 2000 SR-1 Register.ID function update under Windows 2000

If your administrative installation point and all of your client computers are running Windows 2000, you can use IntelliMirror to manage the installation of the update.

 Note    Be sure to test all software updates in a controlled setting before modifying your administrative installation point or deploying the new version throughout your organization.

To deploy a QFE fix or update under Windows 2000

1. Apply the update or patch (MSP file) to the original Office administrative installation point.
2. Open the Software Installation snap-in within the Group Policy Object (GPO) that you are using to manage the existing Office installation.
3. In the details pane, right-click the Office package, point to All Tasks, and click Redeploy application.
4. The next time the Group Policy is applied to the designated users or computers, the updated files are copied to their computers.

 Note    You can redeploy a package only if it is being managed by Group Policy — that is, only if you originally installed it by using IntelliMirror software installation and maintenance or if you brought it into a managed state under Windows 2000.

Updating an Excel 97 administrative installation point

Microsoft Excel 97 used a different setup technology than Excel 2000, so the procedures for updating the administrative installation point and the client computers are different.

To update an Excel 97 administrative installation point

1. Download Xl8p10pkg.exe and copy it to a working directory on your computer.
2. On the Windows Start menu, click Run.
3. In the Open box , type the following command:

   [location] \XL8p10pkg.exe /drive: "XL8p10.exe /a [path]\msoffice /i [path]\msoffice\inf file"

The following table describes the command-line options.

When the update starts, click Yes to accept the license agreement. You will receive a message when the upgrade is complete.

Updating Excel 97 client computers from an administrative installation point

To update client computers running Excel 97, you can either apply the end-user patch directly to the client, or update the client from the administrative installation point. To update a client from an administrative installation point, you must first remove the existing version of Excel 97 from the client, then reinstall the updated version from the installation point.

The following procedures describe how to update clients from an administrative installation point. For information on updating a client computer directly, see Office 2000 Update: Service Pack 3 (SP3) (included in SP3 update).

To remove the current installation of Excel from a client computer

1. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. On the Install/Uninstall tab, select Microsoft Office 97 in the list, then click the Add/Remove button.

   This starts the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program.

3. In the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program, click the Add/Remove button.
4. In the Microsoft Office 97 — Maintenance pane, click the check box for Microsoft Excel to clear the item.

   The check box will then appear without a check inside of it.

5. Click the Continue button. When you click Continue, Office Setup warns you that you have chosen to remove a number of components. Click Yes to continue.
6. Setup will check for necessary disk space, then complete the removal of Microsoft Excel 97.

To reinstall Excel 97 on a client computer from an updated administrative installation point

1. From the client computer, connect to the administrative installation point and start Office 97 Setup.
2. In the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program, click the Add/Remove button.
3. In the Microsoft Office 97 — Maintenance pane, click the check box for Microsoft Excel to select the item.
4. Click the Continue button. When you click Continue, Office Setup will check for necessary disk space, then install the updated version of Excel 97 from the administrative installation point.

Related links

For more information on the Excel 2000 update, see XL2000: Update Available for the Excel 2000 SR-1 REGISTER.ID Function Vulnerability.

For more information on the Excel 97 update, see XL97: Update Available for Excel 97 SR-2 REGISTER.ID Function Vulnerability.