Problem

You have existing applications using an older version of ExcelWriter or WordWriter. You want to use the latest version of the product for new application development without affecting existing applications. Is this possible?

Solution

Yes, if you are using the .NET version of OfficeWriter, it is easy to run different versions side-by-side (in different applications). You just need to be aware of considerations regarding the automatic installer and the product license keys.

Note: If you are using OfficeWriter’s SSRS integration, a single instance of Reporting Services can only have one version of OfficeWriter installed. However, you may use the newer version in other standalone applications.

Installation

Only one version of OfficeWriter can be installed with the automatic installer. The usual upgrade process is to first remove the previous version through Add/Remove programs and then run the new installer. Therefore, in order to use two versions side-by-side, at least one of the installations will need to be manual.

License Keys

When your company purchased OfficeWriter, the main contact for your order received license keys for the product which must be installed on each server. These keys can be entered either through the automatic installer or by using our LicenseManager.exe utility (which is unpacked to the OfficeWriter Program Folder).

Every major version of OfficeWriter requires a new set of license keys. Minor upgrades can continue using the same license keys. If the new version you wish to install is a major upgrade from the previous version, you will need to enter a new license key.

Instructions

First, download the new installer package from the product updates page.

Assuming the previous version of the product was installed with the automatic installer, you now have two options:

1. Do a normal automated upgrade and then reinstall the old license key manually.
2. Leave the old installation untouched and do a manual upgrade.

Option 1:

1. (optional) Back up the OfficeWriter Program folder from the previous version.
2. Uninstall OfficeWriter from Add/Remove Programs. This will not affect the DLLs in your applications.
3. Run the new installer. Make sure to use the correct license key for the new version.
4. If this was a major upgrade, the new license key will not work for the older version so you need to reinstall the older license key

To reinstall the older license key:

1. Double-click on the LicenseManager.exe utility in the program folder.
2. Enter the older key in the first textbox and click “Add/Upgrade.” Exit the application.

Option 2:

1. Do NOT uninstall the previous version.
2. Unpack the files from the new installer by running it on a different machine. (Note: If the other machine does not have a license for OfficeWriter, please uninstall the product when you are through with this process)
3. Copy the OfficeWriter DLLs to the destination server from the bin directory in the OfficeWriter Program folder.

If this is a major upgrade:

1. Copy the new LicenseManager.exe from the OfficeWriter program folder. The older version of this utility that you may have on your server will not be able to accept the license keys for the new major version of OfficeWriter.
2. Double-click on the .exe. It will show you which keys are already installed.
3. Enter the new key in the first textbox and click “Add/Upgrade.” Exit the application.

You are now ready to use the new version of OfficeWriter in any application.