Error message when you try to edit an Office document in a document library: "'Edit Document' requires a Windows SharePoint Services-compatible application"

When you try to edit a Microsoft Office document that is stored in a document library of a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Web site, you may receive one of the following error messages, depending on the version of Office that you are running.

2007 Microsoft Office suites

Microsoft Office 2003 and earlier versions of Office

For example, you experience these symptoms if you click a Microsoft Word document in the document library, and then click Edit in Microsoft Office Word.

Additionally, when you click New Document in the document library, you may receive the following error message:

This issue may occur if one or more of the following conditions are true:

• Microsoft Office XP or later is not installed on the computer.
• Office XP or a later version of Office is installed on the computer. However, the SharePoint support component that is included in Office Tools is not installed on the computer.
  
  That is, either Microsoft SharePoint Support or Windows SharePoint Services Support (as appropriate to your version of Office) is not installed on the computer.
• The Owssupp.dll file is not registered correctly in Microsoft Windows.

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods, as appropriate for your situation.

Method 1: Install Office XP or a later version of Office

Install Office XP or a later version of Office on your computer. When you install Office, make sure that you also install the SharePoint support component that is included in Office Tools in the Setup program. In Office XP, this component is named Microsoft SharePoint Support. In Office 2003 and in later versions of Office, this component is named Windows SharePoint Services Support.

For more information about how to install the SharePoint support component that is included in Office Tools, see the "Method 2: Install SharePoint support" section.

Method 2: Install SharePoint support

To install SharePoint support, do one of the following, as appropriate to the version of Office that is installed on your computer.

Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

If Office XP is installed on the computer, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Add or Remove Programs.
3. In the list of currently installed programs, click Microsoft Office XP, and then click Change.
4. Click Add or Remove Features - Change which features are installed or remove specific features, and then click Next.
5. In the Features to install box, expand Office Tools, click the down arrow next to Microsoft SharePoint Support, and then click Run from My Computer.
6. Click Update.

If Office 2003 is installed on the computer, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Add or Remove Programs.
3. In the list of currently installed programs, click Microsoft Office 2003, and then click Change.
4. Click Add or Remove Features, and then click Next.
5. Click to select the Choose advanced customization of application check box, and then click Next.
6. In the Choose update options for applications and tools box, expand Office Tools, click the down arrow next to Windows SharePoint Services Support, and then click Run from My Computer.
7. Click Update.

If a 2007 Office suite is installed on the computer, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Add or Remove Programs.
3. In the list of currently installed programs, click Microsoft Office suite 2007, and then click Change.
4. Click Add or Remove Features, and then click Continue.
5. Expand Office Tools.
6. Click the down arrow next to Windows SharePoint Services Support, and then click Run from My Computer.
7. Click Continue.

Method 3: Register the Owssupp.dll file

Note For Office 2003 and Office 2007 an error occurs in steps 4 and 6. This error is benign and the appropriate modifications have occurred. The error message reads similarly to: "DllRegisterServer in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11OWSSUPP.DLL failed. Return code was: 0x80070716.

Repair or reinstall Office 2003 or the individual Office 2003 program that is experiencing this issue.

For more information about Windows SharePoint Services, visit the following Microsoft Web site: