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Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office

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FAQs for Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office

Here are the answers to your general and technical questions.

1.
Q:
What is the difference between version 3.0 and version 1.2 of the Sun ODF Plugin?
A:
Added support of the ODF 1.2 document standard and improved document import and export accuracy.
2.
Q:
Where do I find installation instructions?
A:
Installation instructions are available in the Readme file of the ODF PlugIn. You can find the Readme file in the ODF Plugin directory.
3.
Q:
My StarOffice or OpenOffice.org software is not assigned to OpenDocument Text documents anymore. What can I do?
A:
Microsoft Office Word automatically assigns itself as the default application for OpenDocument Text documents. To change this back to the StarOffice or OpenOffice.org program:
  1. Open the file explorer and select an OpenDocument text document.
  2. Click the right mouse button to open the context menu.
  3. Select Open With and then Choose Program.
  4. Select swriter as the preferred program, and select the check box "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file."
4.
Q:
Is it really free?
A:
Yes, it is! Of course, if you desire, Sun is also offering Support and Service contracts for the Sun ODF Plugin. It is a Sun product, and as such, we will actively support and maintain it for many years.
5.
Q:
What types of support does Sun offer for the ODF Plugin?
A:
Product support for end users for the Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office is limited to email feedback. We appreciate feedback or questions about the plugin but cannot guarantee a response to every email.

Send Comments or Feedback

For organizations and businesses that require enterprise-level support for the ODF Plugin, Sun offers backline support and indemnification to organizations that are deploying the Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office in volume. Contact Sun Sales for further information.

6.
Q:
How can I disable the foreign file format warning of Microsoft Office Word?
A:
Microsoft Office Word shows a warning when using file formats that are foreign to Microsoft Office Word. This warning unfortunately cannot be disabled and should be ignored.

Microsoft Office Word XP and Microsoft Office Word 2003 show an additional warning about security of third-party converters. This warning can be disabled in Word 2003 SP1 and Word XP by setting a registry key.

7.
Q:
What's the difference between the Sun Plugin and the "OpenXML/ODF Translator" on SourceForge.net?
A:
There are many differences. Some of the major differences are as follows:

  • Only the Sun ODF Plugin has neat integration into Microsoft Office Word. It's just another filter, and when you open an ODF file, you really work with the ODF file. This means that you can save your modifications by pressing Ctrl+S. You can even configure Microsoft Office Word to make ODF your default file format.

  • Conversion is done with StarOffice code, using its proven and high quality filters. The other Plugin is developed from scratch, using XSLT, and there are things that can't be transformed with XSLT, because you need information about the computed layout.

  • The Sun ODF Plugin does not have other pre-requirements. Just download and install, no need to install additional things like the "Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack", ".NET Framework" and hot fixes.

8.
Q:
Can I disable the system tray icon?
A:
No, this is not possible for two reasons. The system tray menu is required to shut down the ODF Plugin background processes and can also be used to determine the Plugin version number, which is important for support.
9.
Q:
Can I disable the check for update feature?
A:
The Plugin does not check for updates or initiate downloads automatically, but if you still want to remove the update check from the system tray icon menu, you can use the following registry value: 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sun Microsystems\Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office]
"DisableUpdate"=dword:00000001
10.
Q:
Can I disable the registration feature?
A:
To disable the initial registration after starting the plugin for the first time, and to also remove the registration feature from the system tray icon menu, you can use the following registry value: 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sun Microsystems\Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office]
"DisableRegistration"=dword:00000001
11.
Q:
The ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office works fine with Microsoft Office Word and PowerPoint, but not with Microsoft Office Excel. Why is this?
A:
This is a known issue with Microsoft Office Excel. Please see the Readme file of the ODF PlugIn for details. You can find the Readme file in the ODF Plugin directory.
12.
Q:
Microsoft Office Word can use the file open dialog to load ODF documents, but Microsoft Office Excel and PowerPoint require the use of the toolbar. Why is this?
A:
Microsoft Office Excel and PowerPoint do not offer a filter API, which is used to implement the file open functionality in Microsoft Office Word.
14.
Q:
The plugin works well in Microsoft Office Word, but Microsoft Office Excel shows the error "This workbook has lost its VBA project, ActiveX controls and any other programmability-related features". What does this mean?
A:
You might have disabled VBA support: See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 282847 for more details.

The ODF Plugin requires VBA support for Microsoft Office Excel and PowerPoint, but not for Microsoft Office Word.

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