This article describes how to determine the exact version of your Microsoft Office 2003 product. It also provides version numbers for the original release and subsequent service packs.

How to find the version number

The following methods help you determine your installed version of the Microsoft Office programs.

Note When a software update does not include an updated version of the program’s executable file, see the documentation that is provided with your update to determine the files that are updated, and then check the versions of the updated files.

Method 1: Use the Add or Remove Programs dialog box

You can examine the version information of the installed Office program or of the individual Office products by clicking the Click here for support information link in the Add or Remove Programs dialog box. This version information is the most accurate documentation of the product version that is available on your computer. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs.
3. In Add or Remove Programs, locate and then click the appropriate Office edition or individual product.
4. Click the resulting Click here for support information link. A message box displays the correct version information for the product as it is recorded by the Microsoft Windows Installer.

When you use this method, Office 2003 has the following version numbers for the original release and for the service pack releases:

Method 2: Verify the version property for the executable file

Use the following method to locate the executable file and to verify the version of your Office program:

• Locate the Office program's executable file.
  
  The following is the default location for these files in Office 2003:
  Program files\Microsoft Office\Office11
  Note The default location for the Visio executable is as follows:
  Program files\Microsoft Office\Visio11
  The executable file names are as follows:
  Collapse this tableExpand this table

  Program name	File name
  Access 2003	Msaccess.exe
  Excel 2003	Excel.exe
  FrontPage 2003	FrontPg.exe
  InfoPath 2003	InfoPath.exe
  Office 2003	Mso.dll
  OneNote 2003	OneNote.exe
  Outlook 2003	OutLLib.dll
  PowerPoint 2003	PowerPnt.exe
  Project 2003	WinProj.exe
  Word 2003	WinWord.exe
  Visio 2003	VisLib.dll

  To obtain the version number for Microsoft Outlook, check the version of the OutLLib.dll file instead of checking the version number of the Outlook.exe file that is located in the same directory as the listed executable files.
  
  To obtain the version number for Microsoft Visio, check the version of the Vislib.dll file instead of checking the version number of the Visio. file exe that is located in the same directory as the Visio executable file.

To search for the appropriate file, search your hard disk drive. To do this, follow these steps.

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.

1. Click Start, and then click Search.
2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
3. In the All or part of the file name box, type the appropriate file name as listed earlier, and then click Search.
4. In the resulting list of files, right-click the file, and then click Properties.
5. On the Version tab, determine the version of the file that is installed on your computer.

When you use this method, Office 2003 has the following version numbers for the original release and for the service pack releases.

Note The default location of MSO.dll is Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE11.

Method 3: Use the About Microsoft Program name dialog box

In the About Microsoft Program name dialog box, a number appears after the product name. For example, in Microsoft Office Excel 2003, you may see the following number: To locate the About Microsoft Program name dialog box, click About Microsoft Program name on the Help menu in any Office program.

When you use this method, Office 2003 has the following version numbers for the original release and for the service pack releases:

How to understand the version number

Microsoft Office products use the following syntax for the version number: This number represents the following three items:

• aa: The version of Office.
• bbbb: The version of the program executable file. For example, the Excel.exe file.
• cccc: The version of the Mso.dll file.

Important

• When you install a service pack, the version that is displayed in the About Microsoft Program name dialog box adds the letters "SP" and the number of the service pack level. How these letters appear depends on the version of the Mso.dll file.
• You may apply a hotfix or a public update that contains fixes that are provided in the latest service pack and that updates the Mso.dll file. In this case, the version of the Mso.dll file that is displayed in the About Microsoft Program name dialog box adds the letters "SP" and the number of the service pack level. This occurs even if that service pack is not installed.
  
  For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  328294  (http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=328294/ ) The About Microsoft <Program name> dialog box reports a service pack version that is different from what is expected in Office XP and in Office 2003
• Not all updates change the version number that is listed in the About Microsoft Program name dialog box. Therefore, you must verify the properties for the program's executable file.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: