[SOLVED] Office 2000 Professional SR-1, DRM?

[bpalone]

Does anyone know if Office 2000 Professional with updates to bring it up to SR-1 has DRM in it?

I ask, because I had to replace a motherboard the other day, and I replaced with same make and model, but now Office 2000 refuses to load and doesn't even come up with any errors. If I try to launch task manager after attempting to load an Office App I have to reset the computer. I then looked at the properties for the shortcuts and see there is not a defined path to the program and it is grayed out.

Anyone experienced this before?

Thanks.

edit for typo.

Edited March 29, 2013 by bpalone

[submix8c]

??? Hosed registry???

Have you tried directly clicking (e.g.) WINWORD.EXE?

Yes, it IS true that certain programs "self-alter" via the Product Key. The "original" version of "copy protection".

Edited March 21, 2013 by submix8c

[bpalone]

I did try directly launching excel, word and powerpoint and they all three did come up and appear to be functional. So, I'm guessing there is some form of DRM there, in that it whacks the registry. When I have more time, I'll poke around the registry. If all else fails, I can just drag out the CDs or do the ultimate, upgrade back to 97.

I use the stuff so little, that it is a non issue, other than the bit of hassle to correct it. Really only have it around to check that formating in Word is not whacked by the other applications I use. I use Excel most of any of the programs, and then only for about one purpose. I prefer Quatro Pro for doing any number crunching, because I can remember how to put together the formulas there. Comes from being a member of the older crowd.

[jaclaz]

Just for the record and to (hopefully) contribute to making the terms more clear, the terms "hosed" or "botched" like in "botched Registry" or "botched filesystem" or "botched shortcuts" do not imply in any way any connection of any kind to DRM (and to any kind of DRM).

More simply *something* is currently "hosed" or "botched", you choose:

1. Registry
   
2. filesystem
   
3. shortcuts
   

First you find WHICH is the culprit, and then you try to understand WHAT "botched" it (and NO, IMNSHO most probably it wasn't any kind of DRM).

jaclaz

[bpalone]

When it is the ONLY item affected, I really begin to lean toward something built into the software as being the culprit. Everything else on the system appears to be fully functional and no issues whatsoever. Now, I haven't taken time to test every single application, but I have used a couple of fairly demanding applications that are not tied to Office. So, yes it could be something else, but I seriously have my doubts. As I said before, I will check around and see what I find in the registry when I have more time.

Besides, how many people (average folks, not the type that hangs out around here) would change motherboards? Most would, just buy a new computer. Which is why I ask the question here, thinking that maybe someone else had, had a similar experience and thus shorten my question mark removal time with the system.

[submix8c]

Gee, wish I could help, but I have O2K-SR1 (Word only) installed on an XP and the "shortcuts" aren't of the "standard" type. "Target" is grayed out, but other fields (e.g. "Start In") are "open".

As jaclaz said, NOT DRM-(software)Related, since you can USE them directly and tend to agree. Check your Registry for the string you'll find in "Target" in the shortcut. There should be several (one) for each in the "Classes".

(suspecting Options #1/#3...)

edit - Opening it in a Hex Editor "tosses" me to "WORDICON.EXE" inside of

C:\WINDOWS\Installer\{00170409-78E1-11D2-B60F-006097C998E7}

ALL of the "icon" files are there (even the ones I didn't "optionally" install). Something is amiss as that "foldername" is appearing in the Registry with a POINTER to the Filename (a value within "LocalServer32"). "ProgID" points to "Word.Document.8"...

Edited March 22, 2013 by submix8c

[jaclaz]

When it is the ONLY item affected, I really begin to lean toward something built into the software as being the culprit. Everything else on the system appears to be fully functional and no issues whatsoever. Now, I haven't taken time to test every single application, but I have used a couple of fairly demanding applications that are not tied to Office. So, yes it could be something else, but I seriously have my doubts. As I said before, I will check around and see what I find in the registry when I have more time.

Besides, how many people (average folks, not the type that hangs out around here) would change motherboards? Most would, just buy a new computer. Which is why I ask the question here, thinking that maybe someone else had, had a similar experience and thus shorten my question mark removal time with the system.

Sure but you see, even knowing how much mindless might be the good MS guys and particularly the MS Office ones, logically IF they would insert a DRM (or copy protection) check that would make the single apps not work and not the shortcuts to them (I mean, come on , even if sometimes they do things that only complete morons would do , they are actually intelligent and capable programmers )...

My post was however intended more as a "let's examine facts before making hypothesis of what caused them to happen" kind of suggestion.

If you prefer :

jaclaz

[bpalone]

Ahh, come on, I like my cart in front of the horse. Don't have to smell the exhaust.

Did get a good chuckle out of the picture, though.

[jaclaz]

Did get a good chuckle out of the picture, though.

Yep , that was by design

jaclaz

[bpalone]

We'll never know what the cause was. I did mess it a bit this afternoon and ended up having to install a backup copy. Got to thinking about it, it could of been an update of my anti virus program, as I don't recall exactly when I OKed the upgrade.

I will concede that I doubt it was any form of DRM as I experimented in a virtual machine and changed enough to make everything think it was on a new computer, and everything still worked there. Could be beginning of hard drive failure as it has a few years on it, but I haven't noticed anything with it other than this issue. So... time will tell if it was beginning of a hard drive failure.

Thanks.

[Tripredacus]

Did you happen to reinstall or repair Windows after replacing the board? I have a problem with Office XP where it refuses to open because I had reinstalled Windows. You might need to reinstall Office if this is the case.

[submix8c]

Office XP is really helpful . .

What does that mean? Did you have a point? Is EVERYTHING "interesting" to you?

Checking....

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You are starting to look like a spammer/spambot...

Edited March 27, 2013 by submix8c

[bpalone]

O.K., here is what I can figure at this point. I had destroyed the problem installation by installing my backup of that partition, so no more experimenting with it. While getting to that point, I remembered that I had upgraded my antivirus program. So, I began to think that may of been it. The backup, obviously had an older version of my antivirus software. I decided to try upgrading it, as it said it was going to upgrade to the next version which had been OK. Well, it told me a fib, it upgraded to newest version and I had the same problems I had encountered before.

So, I would say that it was probably the antivirus upgrade that nailed me. I have now reinstalled the backup again, and am awaiting an answer from the antivirus vendor. Some of the joys of running an old OS (2K), new things tend to break things.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

[bpalone]

Problem now identified and IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRM.

Been messing around with a virtual machine and finally figured out the problem. My Antivirus software and my Firewall software don't want to play nicely together. So, I'll just use an older version of the antivirus software and go on about life.

(edit)

I can't find how to mark as SOLVED, so please mark it as such.

Thanks.

(end edit)

Edited March 29, 2013 by bpalone

[Tripredacus]

I can't find how to mark as SOLVED, so please mark it as such.

We don't have that kind of setup here.