Description of the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.3 Update

Microsoft has released security bulletins MS08-072 and MS08-074. These security bulletins contain all the relevant information about the security updates for Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac. To view the complete security bulletins, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:

• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-072.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-072.mspx)
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-074.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-074.mspx)

This update contains several improvements to improve reliability. Additionally, this update includes fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker could use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code.

Improvements that are included in the update

The Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.3 Update includes the following improvements.

Improvements for Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac

• Stability is improved when you open documents.
  
  This update fixes issues that cause Word 2004 applications to quit unexpectedly when you open a document.

Improvements for Microsoft Excel 2004 for Mac

• Stability is improved when you open or close workbooks.
  
  This update fixes issues that cause Excel 2004 applications to quit unexpectedly when you open or close an Excel workbook. The following warning may appear when you open a corrupted workbook.
  Unable to read file

Improvements for Microsoft Entourage 2004 for Mac

• Updated time zone information.
  
  This update provides updated time zone information.

Prerequisites

Before you install the Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.3 Update, make sure that the computer is running Mac OS X 10.2.8 (Jaguar) or a later version of the Mac OS X operating system. To verify that the computer meets this prerequisite, click About This Mac on the Apple menu.

Additionally, the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.2 Update must be installed on the computer before you install the Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.3 Update. To verify that the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.2 Update is installed, follow these steps:

1. On the Go menu, click Applications.
2. Open the Microsoft Office 2004 folder, and then open the Office folder.
3. Click the Microsoft Component Plugin file.
4. On the File menu, click Get Info.
5. Click General. The version information appears.

How to obtain the update

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.3 Update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=ECA13AD8-62AE-41A8-B308-41E2D1773820)

Release Date: December 9, 2008

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

Notes

• The Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.3 Update is also available from Microsoft AutoUpdate. AutoUpdate is a program that automatically keeps Microsoft software up-to-date. To use AutoUpdate, start a Microsoft Office program. Then, on the Help menu, click Check for Updates.
  
  For more information about resources for Office 2004 for Mac, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
  http://www.microsoft.com/mac (http://www.microsoft.com/mac)

Updated files

This update adds or changes the Office application files that appear in the following list. After you install the update, you can compare the version numbers of these files to verify that the files were installed or updated. To see the version number of a file, select the file in the Finder, and then click Get Info on the File menu. Additionally, you can find the full installation path for each updated file by reviewing the updater log file in the Microsoft Office 2004/Updater Logs folder on the computer.

Note This is a "FAST PUBLISH" article created directly from within the Microsoft support organization. The information contained herein is provided as-is in response to emerging issues. As a result of the speed in making it available, the materials may include typographical errors and may be revised at any time without notice. See Terms of Use (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=151500) for other considerations.