Microsoft has confirmed reports that Windows 2000 PCs running a specific version of Office 2000 have been hit by sudden, unexpected requests to continually register the software with Microsoft.
The glitch could leave thousands of Office users unable to continue using their software.
The problem appears to centre on the Select Customer running on Win2k. The Office 2000 Product Registration Wizard appears when any Office app is launched and invites the user to register. There"s no way to get rid of the Wizard other than filling in all the details each time or clicking Register Later.
The Wizard lets you use Office up to 50 times without registering, after which you must register in order to continue using Office apps. Unfortunately (again), because of a documented bug in the Wizard, launching Office SR-1 after the fiftieth click causes the Wizard to Unexpectedly Quit.
Select customers have little choice but to tell their users not to quit from Office apps or shut their PCs down. The Wizard began popping up on PCs yesterday. One source at a major global energy company told us many of the corporate"s 70,000 Windows 2000 PCs have been affected.