OAK 4.20.000 was released on 10 October 2011.
What’s new in OAK 4 is listed under About OAK. A version history that sets out the differences between revisions to OAK 4 is set out in the online help.
If you have version 4 of OAK, it will alert you to the appearance new version and ask for your authorization to download and install it.
The automatic updating feature built in to OAK may be prevented from working by the firewalls defending a high-security institution. In such circumstances you should download the latest OAK4.msi file and double click on it to install the upgrade. You may need help from your IT department to do this.
If you have version 3 or earlier of OAK, you will need to purchase an upgrade, and download the new software onto your computer.
OAK 4 will not work with Excel 97, but OAK 3.92 is still available for users of that product. Contact oak@operis.com if you want to buy that product.
OAK4.msi: the OAK software in a form acceptable to the Microsoft Software Installer, which is built into Windows. This installer should be used for 32-bit editions of Excel including 2000, 2002/XP, 2003, 2007 and 2010 32-bit.
OAK4-x64.msi: the OAK software for the 64-bit edition of Excel 2010. How to know if you’re using 64-bit Excel 2010.
OAK4-downloader.exe: this is a download manager which is a very small (360k) utility that can be quickly downloaded. This in turn will then supervise the downloading of either of the larger setup files. If it is interrupted, intentionally or otherwise, OAK4-downloader.exe can resume the process at the point where it was stopped. It will persist until it gets a good download. This makes OAK accessible in locations where internet connections are not fast or reliable, which describes the outposts of some of OAK’s multinational users. The utility uses technology supplied by GetRightToGo.com.
Some companies set up firewalls to prevent employees from downloading executable files. Companies that do that will probably also prevent executable files from being sent by email, and prevent executable files that do arrive from being installed on workstations except by designated staff. Your best bet is therefore to get help from your IT department.
If you wish to try yourself, you can:
• Download in a location not controlled by the firewall and transfer it to your computer using a memory stick
• Ask oak@operis.com to email the file
• Ask oak@operis.com to send a CD of the file.
The OAK download manager is likely to be blocked by your company’s firewall. It is not uncommon for firewalls to be set up to allow web browsers to make downloads (which is how you managed to secure a copy of the download manager) but to block all other programs from doing so. You might like to try a download manager that adds-in to your web browser. Internet download manager is a good one; though it is not free, it will work for some days before insisting on payment. Failing that, ask oak@operis.com to try emailing you the program, or to send you a CD.
If you contact oak@operis.com explaining that at any moment you could be using one computer or the other, but never both, Operis will provide a key for the second machine. Don’t forget to include the OAK product ID, as it will be different on the two machines.
Download OAK and install it on the new machine. Find out the OAK Product ID and send it to oak@operis.com, explaining that you wish to transfer OAK to the new machine. Operis will be happy to send you a new key. (The new product ID will be different from your old one, and so you will need a new key to unlock it.)
You can instruct Excel whether or not to load OAK through the Add-in manager. A complication is that Excel 2003, and earlier releases, have two of these Add-in managers, one that is easy to find, and one that is not. While the first one controlled earlier versions of OAK, you need the second one to control OAK 4. This is further explained in the on-line help: see here for Excel 2007-2010 and here for earlier versions of Excel.
Excel has probably placed OAK to the Disabled Items list. To make it available again, the process is different in Excel 2007-2010, and Excel 2003.
First you need to go to the Disabled Items manager:
For Excel 2007, click the Office Button, then Excel Options.
For Excel 2010, click the File button then the Options button.
Then for Excel 2007 and 2010, go to the Add-ins tab. Locate the “Manage” drop down box and set its value to “Disabled Items”. Click the “Go” button.
For Excel 2003, go to the Help | About Microsoft Excel menu item, then click the “Disabled Items” button.
Highlight OAK in the list, then click “Enable”.
Close the Disabled Items window. You may need to re-enable OAK in the COM Add-ins manager. This is explained in the on-line help: see here for Excel 2007-2010 and here for earlier versions of Excel.