The Minimum Requirements for Office 2007
By Gregory Hamel
Microsoft Office 2007 is a productivity software package produced by Microsoft. Office 2007 includes programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint that offer word processing, spreadsheet and presentation capability. Office 2007 comes in several different versions, each with different programs and features. The more basic Office packages will tend to have lower system requirements than packages that include more programs.
Operating System
Office 2007 is designed to run on Windows-based operating systems, which are also produced by Microsoft. According to Microsoft's official Office Support website, all versions of Office 2007 require Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or a later operating system. Later operating systems include Windows XP with SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Hard Drive Space
When installing several different programs, you must have available hard drive space to save the new data. The most basic version of Office 2007, Office Basic, requires 1.5 gigabytes of free hard drive space. The fully featured Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 requires 3GB hard drive space. If you want to install additional add-ons later, the hard disk requirements may increase.
CPU
Microsoft recommends that, at minimum, a computer has a processor that runs at 500 megahertz to run all versions of Office 2007. Certain extra applications, such as Office Accounting may require higher CPU power. A 500 megahertz processor is a minimum baseline; it is recommended to have a 1000 megahertz or higher CPU.
RAM
All versions of Office 2007 require a minimum of 256MB or more of RAM. This is the bare minimum, and many Office applications and advanced functions may not work well unless you have 1GB or more of RAM. For instance, Microsoft states that the grammar and contextual spelling features in Word are not turned on unless the machine has 1GB of RAM. The amount of RAM required for the programs to perform well may be higher if you use Windows Vista or Windows 7.
Other Requirements
All versions of Office 2007 require a monitor with a display resolution of at least 1024x768. They also require that the computer have a CD or DVD ROM available to run the installation disc or discs. Some features within Office will require an active Internet connection to function. For instance, program updates and add-ons may have to be downloaded online. While meeting minimum requirements may mean that your computer can run office 2007, it might not run well unless you exceed requirements.
Writer Bio
Gregory Hamel has been a writer since September 2008 and has also authored three novels. He has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from St. Olaf College. Hamel maintains a blog focused on massive open online courses and computer programming.