XL97: How to Obtain the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 97 Service Release 1 (SR-1), worksheet values may not be recalculated correctly when certain conditions are true. To correct this problem, Microsoft has developed the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch for use with Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1.

This article contains information about the problems that are corrected by the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch, the requirements for installing the patch, and information about downloading and installing the patch.

MORE INFORMATION

What Does the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch Correct?

This patch corrects two problems that may occur when you use automatic calculation in Microsoft Excel 97. For more information and specific examples of the problems that the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch resolves, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q171339
   TITLE     : XL97: Some Values Not Recalculated When Using Multiple
               Formulas

   ARTICLE-ID: Q154134
   TITLE     : XL97: Functions in Filled Formulas May Not Be Recalculated

What Do I Need to Install the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch?

Microsoft Excel SR-1:

The Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch is designed to update only Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1. You cannot update the original version of Microsoft Excel 97. If Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1 is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for information about how to obtain and install Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q172475
   TITLE     : OFF97: How to Obtain and Install MS Office 97 SR-1

   ARTICLE ID: Q174422
   TITLE     : OFF97: Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 1 Patch Update

The Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch also requires at least 5 megabytes (MB) of available hard disk space.

How Do I Download the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch?

To download the patch, follow these steps:

1. Use a Web browser to go to the following Microsoft Web site:

         http://www.microsoft.com/office/excel/enhancements/xl8p1.asp
   

2. Click Download Now.

How Do I Install the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch?

When you run the patch, it automatically determines the location of the Microsoft Excel program file, Excel.exe, patches the program file, and then displays a message that indicates whether Microsoft Excel SR-1 has been successfully updated. The entire process takes only a couple of seconds.

To run the patch, copy the Xl8p2.exe file to the computer on which Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1 is installed, and then double-click the file.

When you run the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch, you can also use the switches that are listed in the following table.

   Switch                   Definition
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------

   /p <path to Excel.exe>   The path to Excel.exe (in quotation marks). The
                            maximum length of the path is 256 characters.

                            Example: /p "C:\MyApps\Excel.exe"

                            Use this switch if the patch fails to update
                            Excel.exe. It is possible that the patch could
                            not determine the location of the Excel.exe
                            file.

   /s                       Silent mode. No message is displayed when you
                            install the patch in silent mode.

                            Example: /s

How Can I Determine Whether the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch Has Been

Successfully Installed?

When you run the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch, a log file named Xl8p2.log is created in the same folder that contains Excel.exe. You can open this log file to determine whether installation of the patch is successful. If installation is successful, the status message in the log file is similar to the following:

   Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch - Patch RUP 15120002
   Microsoft Excel has been patched successfully.

1. Use Windows Explorer to locate the Excel.exe file. The default location for this file is the following folder:

         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office
   

   NOTE: If you are running Microsoft Excel 97 from a network server, Excel.exe is located on the network server.

2. Right-click Excel.exe. On the shortcut menu, click Properties. Click the Version tab.

   File version   Version of Microsoft Excel 97
   ---------------------------------------------------------

   8.0            Microsoft Excel 97 (original version)
   8.0a           Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1
   8.0b           Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1 with Excel 97 Auto
                  Recalculation Patch (Xl8p1.exe)
   8.0c           Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1 with the updated Excel 97
                  Auto Recalculation Patch (Xl8p2.exe)

Is There Anything Else I Need to Know About Using the Excel 97 Auto

Recalculation Patch?

• You cannot update Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1 if you have performed a Run From CD installation of Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Office 97. However, if the Run From CD installation was performed over a network from a CD that was shared with Full Access, the patch may incorrectly report that Microsoft Excel 97 was successfully patched.
• If Microsoft Excel 97 is run from an administrative installation point, your network administrator must install the patch. When the network administrator does this, the administrator should use the /p switch followed by the path to Excel.exe on the network server. For more information about this switch, see the "How Do I Install the Excel 97 Auto Recalculation Patch?" section.
• If you have viewed a Microsoft Excel workbook in a Web browser, it may be necessary to quit the Web browser BEFORE you install the patch. Save the patch to the desktop, quit the browser program, and then install the patch.
• If the Excel.exe file is read-only, the patch fails. To work around this problem, remove the read-only attribute from the Excel.exe file, install the patch, and then reset the read-only attribute.