14 DAY TRIAL // Installing Office 97 on Windows 7 can cause some unwanted results, such as no longer allowing end users to modify the settings of User Account Control in the operating system.
Microsoft confirmed the problem and worked on a solution which is currently offering to customers.
The Redmond company has put together an automatic fix which is allowing customers to download and apply through KB 978591.
“In the Windows 7 "System and Security" control panel category, the Action Center lets you change User Account Control (UAC) settings,” the software giant explained.
“In the User Account Control Settings dialog box, you move the slide bar control for notifications, and then you click the OK button.
“In this scenario, the dialog box does not close, and no change is made. When the mouse pointer is positioned on the OK button, and you press ENTER, the dialog box still does not close, and no change is made.
“If you click Cancel, the dialog box closes and no change is made, as expected.”
According to the Redmond company this issue is generated by the deployment of Office 97 on top of Windows 7.
At fault it seems are changes made to the Windows registry by the aging productivity suite. The registry modifications cause the issue described above in which Windows 7’s UAC setting are virtually stuck.
“To fix the prompt automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Click Open in the File Download dialog box, and then follow the steps in the Fix it wizard,” Microsoft stated.
“If Office 97 is reinstalled, this problem occurs again. In this scenario, you must reapply this fix.”
The software giant also detailed the steps that customers can take in order to resolve this problem manually.
However, since the fix involves changes to the registry, customers are adviced to backup prior to attempt fixing the issue, just in case anything goes wrong.