And from the never ending saga of freak Windows Vista installations... users can run Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003 and the 2007 Office System in parallel on the same Vista operating system. And Microsoft is even offering technical guidance for this. However, the task of getting all four Mi8c.rosoft productivity suites running seamlessly alongside one another is a tad complex. Microsoft with Knowledge Base article 928091 provides users with the steps that need to be taken in order to ensure not only that the Office 2007 will coexist peacefully with older versions of Office but also to avoid conflicting issues.

And while installing and running multiple versions of Office on the same system is possible, you will do so without Microsoft's blessing. "You can install and use more than one version of Microsoft Office on a single computer. For example, you can install and use both Microsoft 2007 Office suites and programs and Microsoft Office 2003 on the same computer. However, we do not recommend this. Microsoft does not support using multiple versions of Microsoft Office on versions of Microsoft Windows that have Terminal Services enabled. If you want to run multiple versions of Office, disable Terminal Services," Microsoft revealed.

The first rule of the Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003 and Office 2007 on the same Vista freak installation is that you should begin to deploy the applications in their "natural" order. Meaning, you should first install Office 2000, then Office XP, followed by Office 2003 and only then Office 2007. Reversing the "natural order of Office" will go against Microsoft's word and will not deliver the result you want.

"This installation order also applies to the Microsoft Office stand-alone products, such as Microsoft Visio. You must install the earliest version of Office first. For example, if you want to use both Office 2003 and 2007 Office programs on the same computer, install Office 2003 first. You must use this order because of the way in which registry keys, shared programs, file name extensions, and other settings are managed for each version of the Office suites and programs. If you remove one of the installed versions of Office, you may have to reinstall the remaining versions of Office in this order for each version to work correctly," Microsoft added.

Still, you will need to follow and respect to the letter a set of instructions a mile long if you really want all four Office versions on your Vista. If you think you are up for the task, then KB 928091 is the right answer for you.