Microsoft Office 2004 11.3.3 (#4): Fixes for general problems; Entourage-specific issues

Fixes for general problems If you are experiencing varied issues in multiple Microsoft Office 2004 applications after applying the 11.3.3 update, try these fixes first:

Delete .plist files As is the case with many problematic application updates, deleting pertinent .plist files can resolve issues with Office 2004 11.3.3. Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft and look for files ending in the following (there may only be on):

• office.prefs.plist

Delete it, the log out and back in and check for persistence of the issue(s).

Re-install and re-update Failing the above, try deleting the entire Microsoft Office 2004 folder and re-installing from the original CD (this is the only way to revert to an earlier version of Office 2004). You can then try re-applying the 11.3.3 updater.

Entourage-specific issues

Continued crashes, freezes Users continue to report an issue where Entourage repeatedly crashes under varying circumstances after application of the Office 11.3.3 updater.

Jerry Artman writes:

"I can confirm the same. It says the database is corrupt and offers to quit and run the database utility. Checking shows no errors. Rebuilding shows no errors.

"Reopening Entourage has same dialog. When looking at in box - sent messages are displayed so it appears that there is a serious issue."

Ken Martin adds:

"Since updating my Entourage program to 11.3.3 I am facing sporadic freezes in the program, that freeze the entire computer. I am not able to force quit, and must restart my G5 iMac to make it operational again. I have not had any problems to date yet with Word or Excel."

Fails to launch Meanwhile, some users are reporting a failure of Entourage to launch after the update.

"I have run into this problem... clicking on Entourage in the dock results in the icon bouncing a couple times and the nothing... Entourage never starts up. Repeated attempts result in the same. Tracked it down to StuffIt Expander version 11 (by checking the system logs) and I have found that upgrading to 11.0.2 and then opening StuffIt Expander and selecting 'Install StuffIt Engine' from the 'Expander' menu fixes the problem. Sometimes you have to do this several times to get it to ?take?, don?t know why. Hopefully this will help at least some folks."

Persistent as default application A handful of readers are reporting that Entourage is persistently selected as the default application after the update despite attempts to change.

Jarbas Machioni writes: "After the update it replaces Entourage by Mail as default mail, despite the preferences show Entourage as the default mail."

One potential solution for this issue involves downloading the tool RCDefaultApp the setting the desired Mail application from the installed (Default Apps) preference pane in System Preferences.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Previous coverage:

• Microsoft Office 2004 11.3.3 (#3): Repeated crash fixes; misc. issues
• Microsoft Office 2004 11.3.3 (#2): Entourage crashes; full list of improvements
• Microsoft Office 2004 11.3.3 released: Security refinements

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