Some Office 2000 features are lost when Windows Desktop Update is not installed

The absence of the Windows Desktop Update (sometimes mistakenly called "Windows Shell Update" or "Active Desktop") affects some features in Microsoft Office 2000. This article describes the required version of the Windows Desktop Update, when and how the Windows Desktop Update is installed, and some of the features affected in Microsoft Office 2000 when the correct versions of Internet Explorer and the Windows Desktop Update are not installed.

What Is the Windows Desktop Update?

The Windows Desktop Update component, included with Internet Explorer 4.0, 4.01, 4.01 Service Pack 1 and 2, and with Windows 98, includes the following enhancements to the classic Windows shell:

• The Active Desktop.
• A single, customizable Explorer with Web View.
• A Web-integrated Start menu and taskbar.
• Click (rather than double-click) items to open them; point at items to select them.

What Are Some Office 2000 Features Available with the Windows Desktop Update?

Office 2000 includes additional features that are available when the Windows Desktop Update is installed. These features are only available with the versions of the Windows Desktop Update that are included with Internet Explorer 4.01 with either SP1 or SP2, or with Windows 98. The following is a list of these features:

• The Office programs self-repair when you click Start, point to Programs, and then click the Office program shortcut.
• You can set the installation state to Installed on First Use in Office Setup for the Office programs on the Programs menu.
• A separate icon appears in the taskbar for each open document in an Office program.

The Windows Desktop Update also corrects various problems with copying, moving, sending, or cutting files from Web folders.

When Is the Windows Desktop Update Installed?

If your operating system is Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, you must install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1 or 2, and click Yes when asked whether you want to install the Windows Desktop Update.

NOTE: Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Microsoft Windows Millennum Edition (Me) have the correct version of the Windows Desktop Update pre-installed.

If you installed Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1 or 2 and chose not to install the Windows Desktop Update, you can install the Windows Desktop Update by opening the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.

For additional information about adding the Windows Desktop Update, please click the article number(s) below to view the article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 Does Not Install the Windows Desktop Update

To install or upgrade the Windows Desktop Update, you must install Internet Explorer 4.01 SP1 or SP2 before you install Internet Explorer 5.

You can use the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) for Internet Explorer 5 to deploy the Windows Desktop Update.

For additional information about installing the Windows Desktop Update by using the IEAK, please click the article number(s) below to view the article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: NOTE: The IEAK is a deployment tool for the corporate environment and is not recommended for home users.

If you have already installed Internet Explorer 5 and want to install the Windows Desktop Update, please see the steps outlined in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Knowledge Base Articles That Address the Absence of Windows Desktop Update and How This Affects Office 2000

For a comprehensive list of Knowledge Base articles that address how the existence or absence of Windows Desktop Update affects the functionality of Office 2000, please see the following articles:

For more information about installing the Windows Desktop Update, please see the section "Installing or Upgrading the Windows Desktop Update" in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: