Office 2013 FAQs


Office 2010 is currently being upgraded to Office 2013. Below are a few possible Frequently Asked Questions you may have. If you have any additional questions please contact the VSU Servicedesk at 804-524-5210.

Yes. Starting in June 2015 VSU will be moving to Microsoft Exchange 365 which requires Outlook 2013. Once we are migrated to this new version you will not be able to access your email using Outlook 2010.

Restart your computer when you leave for the day. Please do not shut it down. When a system is powered off we cannot install Windows updates or any type of software. Technology Services will be remotely installing the software to all VSU computers. Also you can download it using the Software Portal icon on your desktop. This will be discussed later in this document.

Click OK to dismiss the error message. Then press the ctrl+alt+del keys on your keyboard and select Task Manager. Once the Task Manager window opens select the Processes tab, look for msiexec.exe and setup.exe. If you find any of these processes highlight each one and click End Process. You may notice that although you stopped all of the msiexec process that 1 comes back which is expected. Close the Task Manager and try to install the software again.

Click on the Windows icon, click All Programs and then expand the Office 2013 folder. Within this folder you will see your new Office 2013 Suite.

Yes. You would simply need to right click on the application (i.e. Outlook) and left click on Send To > Desktop (create shortcut). You would do this for each application you want to create a shortcut for. You also could right click on the Office 2013 folder and select the Send To option. The will put the entire folder with all the Office 2013 application icons on your desktop.

In order for your Office 2010 settings (i.e. signature block in Outlook, Archive folders, etc.) to be configured in 2013 we had to install 2013 while 2010 was still on your system. Once everyone on campus has the new Office Suite we will run another job at night to remove any remnants of 2010 from your computer.

Yes, you can delete your Office 2010 shortcuts. You simply would need to right click on the shortcut that you no longer want and select Delete.

Yes. With previous versions of Office when you opened an older file it would open in Compatibility Mode. In Office 2013 it will no longer say compatibility mode, but simply open the document.

Will Adobe Professional still work with Office 2013?

Adobe Professional is compatible with the Office 2013 Suite except for Outlook. You will no longer have the icon to convert an email message to a PDF. Below are two different ways you can create a PDF from an email message. You would only need to follow either #1 or #2 as the end result is the creating of a PDF.

1. Save the email as a txt file
Click File > Save As > Change the Save as type to Text Only (*.txt) > click Save. Go the location you saved the file to > right click on the text file > select Convert to Adobe PDF. This option will create a PDF that has all the From, To, Time and Date information.

OR

2. Copy the text from the email message
Open a blank Word document > paste the copied text > Click File > Export > Create PDF/XPS > Give the document a name and Publish it as a pdf file. The newly created PDF will automatically open. The recommendation is to save this file somewhere you can easily find it.

For those you are used to being able to click on File > Send > Email As Attachment you will now click on File > share.

When you launch Outlook the first time your view may show less folders on the left side of the screen. This simply means your folder view has changed to the default setting. Click on the three dots (…) next to Calendar and select Folder. You should now see all your folders/files.

Because Microsoft can sometime change the stationary options in new version your email background/template will always revert back to the basic white background. If you want to change it to something else click on File > Options > Mail > Select Stationary and Fonts on the right hand side of the screen. Once the Signatures and Stationery window opens click on Theme and make your selection. If you do NOT see your old option (i.e. Clouds) this means Microsoft did not include it in this version of the software.

Yes, if you have a Symantec Software Portal icon on your desktop you can download the software yourself while on campus or connected via VPN from a VSU computer.  Below are the instructions.  Please note that you MUST not use any of the Office applications during the silent installation so this should only occur when you have the time to not use any of the products (i.e. Outlook, Word, etc).

  1. Click on the icon
  2. Log in with your user account (i.e. jdoe) and network password
  3. Once you access the website you may be prompted to input you’re your email address and full name as these are required fields.
  4. Double click on the software package you want to install and click OK when prompted. You are not required to add a comment or click any other boxes.

It can take up to 60 minutes for the software to be deployed to your system. If during this time you access Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook or Access) the installation will fail. Therefore it is recommended you start the installation before going to lunch or leaving for the day to allow the necessary time for completion.

 

Call the VSU Servicedesk at 804-524-5210 Monday – Friday from 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM and give them your machine name. Technology Services will then work to deploy the icon to your computer or schedule a time to install the software.