Microsoft Office

If your computer is connected to the Internet while you are using the programs in the 2007 Microsoft Office system, you already see the latest Help articles. If your computer is not connected to the Internet, you see the Help articles that were included on the 2007 Microsoft Office system CDs. If you can’t connect to the Internet while you are using an Office program, you can now see the latest Help articles by downloading and installing updated Help files.

The updated Help files have new and revised articles for all of the 2007 Office release programs. These Help articles were created and revised in response to the feedback that we received from you on Microsoft Office Online and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).

Download and install the updates
Do one of the following:

If you are using Microsoft Windows Vista, run Windows Update by clicking the Start menu, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Update. In the Windows Update window, click View available updates, and under Office 2007, select the check box next to each set of updated Help files that you want to install. Click the links in the “Help updates by program” section.

Note If you aren’t using Windows Vista and Windows Update, there is no option to download multiple updates at the same time.

For Microsoft XP download here

From Project 2007 blog: You’ve spent hours in Microsoft Office Project 2007 hand-crafting a project plan that you’re pretty sure must be glowing because it’s so darned brilliant. All of the start and finish dates line up perfectly, your resources are balanced with reasonable workloads, and the costs are well within budget. People are talking about your Incredible Plan, and now Pete, your manager, wants to take a look at this work of project management genius. Your options for sharing your project plan with Pete depend on what he has available for viewing the plan.

Scenario 1: Pete has Project 2007 installed

As you might expect, this is the simplest scenario. You created your plan in Project 2007, and Pete has Project 2007 installed. If your organization is using Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Pete can simply open the project from the server, or, if you’re not using Project Server, you can send him the .MPP file as an e-mail attachment. If you think that Pete will want to make changes to your plan as he’s reviewing it, you might consider checking the project out and saving it for sharing.

Scenario 2: Pete has Project 2003 installed

If Pete has Project 2003 installed on his computer, he can use a converter to open a Project 2007 file in Project 2003. He needs to make sure he has Project 2003 Service Pack 3 installed, which contains the converter. Once that’s installed, Pete can open a Project 2007 file in Project 2003 as a read-only file. Here’s a big catch though: if your plan relies on any of the features that are new in Project 2007, those features won’t be available when Pete opens the file in Project 2003. So depending on how much of your plan’s brilliance is being derived from the new Project 2007 features, you may want to go a different route.

Scenario 3: Pete doesn’t have Project installed

Pete’s a reasonable guy. He knows that the project managers on his team rely on Project 2007 for scheduling tasks and tracking resource usage, but he’s just not into it himself. If he had Project installed, he wouldn’t use it nearly enough to warrant the license, so he’s chosen not to install it. In this case, you have to cater to his situation: you’ve got a project plan that he can’t currently open on his computer.

What’s the solution for sharing the plan with him?

· Project Web Access. If your organization is running Project Server 2007, you could publish your project plan, and then suggest that Pete view the plan by logging on to Project Web Access.

· Trial version. If Pete doesn’t mind temporarily installing Project 2007 for the purposes of viewing your project plan, he can download and install the trial version of Project 2007. Once activated, the trial version provides full functionality for 60 days at no cost.

· Copy project data. If Pete really just needs to know the basics, you can copy your project data into another Office application, such as Excel 2007.

· Soft copies. The next section talks about ways to provide Pete with your project information as hard copies, printed out on paper to put on the desk in front of him. For most of these options, you could also choose to provide Pete with soft copies, either attached to e-mail messages, shared on a network, or brought to him using other file sharing means (USB flash drive, burned CD, Windows Mobile device, etc.).

Backing up by using SQL Server tools

SQL Server backup and recovery tools allow for the greatest versatility in recovering your Office Project Server 2007 deployment after a failure. SQL Server tools have the following advantages:

Using the Full Recovery model for SQL Server databases allows for recovery to the point of failure in the event of a database loss.

Office Project Server 2007 and related databases can be synchronized by using transaction log marking. This allows for database consistency during database recovery.

SQL Server tools have the following disadvantage:

SQL Server procedures can be complex and require a good knowledge of SQL Server itself and SQL Server databases. We recommend a trained SQL Server database administrator be responsible for these procedures.

Which should I use?
Which backup method to use depends on the requirements of your organization and the availability of trained resources to manage the process. SQL Server tools offer the most versatile options for recovery, but they are more complex to use. SharePoint Products and Technologies tools are simple to use, but only allow recovery to the last full or differential backup, meaning there will generally be some data loss. SharePoint Products and Technologies tools also require the system to backed up during a period of inactivity to ensure data consistency across databases.

Use SharePoint Products and Technologies tools if:

You have a deployment which is not in use for several hours, usually at night, when backups can be performed.

You can tolerate data loss of up to twenty-four hours (the time since the last daily backup).

Your organization does not have trained SQL Server database administrators or IT personnel who can manage the processes of using SQL Server tools.

Microsoft Office Project Standard 2007 gives you robust project management tools with the right blend of usability, power, and flexibility, so you can manage projects more efficiently and effectively. You can stay informed and control project work, schedules, and finances; keep project teams aligned; and be more productive through integration with familiar Microsoft Office system programs, powerful reporting, guided planning, and flexible tools.

Key reasons for using Office Project Standard 2007 include:

1. Effectively manage and understand project schedules.
Set realistic expectations with project teams, management, and customers using Office Project Standard 2007 to build schedules, allocate resources, and manage budgets. Understand the schedule with features such as Task Drivers for tracing the source of issues, Multiple Level Undo for testing scenarios, and Visual Cell Highlighting for automatically shading the tasks affected by a change.

2. Get productive quickly.
The Project Guide, an interactive step-by-step planning aide, helps you quickly master the project management process. Customizable for different methodologies, this tool walks you through creating a project, assigning tasks and resources, tracking and analyzing data, and reporting results. Intuitive toolbars, menus, and other features enable you to quickly master project management fundamentals.

3. Leverage existing data.
Office Project Standard 2007 integrates smoothly with other Microsoft Office system programs. Build projects with a few keystrokes by converting existing task lists in Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office Outlook into project plans. Resources can be added to projects from Microsoft Active Directory or from a Microsoft Exchange Server address book.

4. Build professional charts and diagrams.
Analyze and report Project data in professional reports and charts by using the Visual Reports engine, which generates templates for Visio diagrams and Excel charts based on Project data. You can share templates you build with other users. Or you can choose from a list of customizable, ready-to-use report templates.

5. Effectively communicate information.
Easily present information in various formats according to the needs of stakeholders. You can format and print one-page schedules or other reports. Use the Copy Picture to Office Wizard to smoothly export Project data into Microsoft Office Word for formal documents, Office Excel 2007 for custom charts or spreadsheets, or Microsoft Office PowerPoint for crisp presentations.

6. Gain greater control of resources and finances.
With Office Project Standard 2007, you can easily assign resources to tasks and adjust their assignments to resolve conflicts over allocations. Control finances by assigning budgets to projects and programs. Improve your cost estimates with Cost Resources.

7. Quickly access the information you need.
You can group Project data by any predefined or custom field. This saves you time by consolidating data so you can quickly locate and analyze specific information. Easily identify changes between different versions of a project—thus, efficiently tracking scope and schedule changes.

8. Track projects according to your needs.
A rich set of predefined or custom metrics helps you track data (percent complete, budget versus actual, earned value, and the like) relevant to your needs. You can track project performance over the project lifespan by saving project snapshots in up to 11 baselines.

9. Customize Office Project 2007 to your needs.
Tailor Office Project Standard 2007 specifically to your project. Choose custom display fields that integrate with your project schedule. Modify toolbars, formulas, graphical indicators, and reports. XML, Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), and Component Object Model (COM) add-ins facilitate data sharing and creation of custom solutions.

10. Get Office Project 2007 assistance when you need it.
Office Project Standard 2007 provides a wealth of assistance to novice and experienced users. It includes a robust Help search engine, smart tags, and wizards. Further enhancements include online access (requires Internet connection) to training courses, templates, articles, and more.

Note Internet service provider fees and connect-time charges may apply.