We've had a few questions and complaints this week about hotfixes and downloads, usually centering around which version to install (x86 or x64) and why the download insists the correct Office version is not installed.
In an effort to make installing the correct hotfix or download easier, Microsoft detects the browser version and shows only the download that will work on that version of Windows. This is fine for Windows hotfixes (because it's likely to offer the correct version) but doesn't work as well for Office/Outlook because many Windows x64 users have 32-bit Outlook installed.
While I think it's great that they hide the 64-bit version from 32-bit Windows, too many Outlook users are downloading the 64bit updates then wondering why the install fails, saying they don't have the correct version of Outlook. They don't really pay attention to the version they download, because "Microsoft said this was the one I needed, so it must be the right one, right? "
The second question we hear often is "I have Windows x64 and Outlook 32bit. Do I need the x64 or x86 update?"
Because it's an Outlook update, always get the version that matches your Outlook bits , not Windows. Only users with the 64-bit Office installed need the 64-bit updates. Everyone else needs the x86 version, regardless of their Windows version, even when Microsoft says otherwise on the download page. Click the link for "Show hotfixes for all platforms and languages" to see all of the versions available.
