I've got Office 2003 Student Edition (all installed, minus Outlook). I haven't done any updates to it. I did not install the Microsoft GDI+ Detection tool. And I only visit Windows Update (not Microsoft Update) and install the critical updates under custom install.

I'm wondering:

1. Are the updates for MS Office that are critical security things included when you do Windows Update? (For example, there are a number of things listed here towards the bottom: http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=2232 -- would those have been included in the last batch of critical Windows updates?

2. Do you need the GDI+ thing to do Office Updates?

3. When you go to the Office Updates site, it wants you to install and run some kind of Active X thing. Is this necessary? And can it cause any problems?

4. Can doing critical Office updates (separate from whatever, if anything, that comes with Windows Update) cause any problems or conflicts with other things on your computer?

Thanks for the help!

I don't have that detection tool either. At least some of the office updates are available through the windows update feature. You can also navigate to the Office updates site from the windows update site. There are no problems with installing the office updates separately. In fact, I generally download only 1 or 2 updates at a time as I am on dial-up.

Orange Blossom

Thanks!

There is also a page of specific updates
Microsoft Updates