MS Windows • Re: REQUIRES ELEVATION? what does this mean

On some level, your system is attempting an operation which would violate assigned rights.

In my experience ...

• The overall most common reason for this is trying to perform administrator tasks from a non admin account.
• The most common reason in OpenOffice context is when the OpenOffice app itself tries to access modules/libraries which it has not been granted access to.

I have identified two types of cases where this happens, both connected to OpenOffice suite being a 32-bit app installed in a 64-bit environment.
Note that I do not have thorough knowledge of the actual systems right management for Windows, so my "identified reasons" are merely educated guesses.

OpenOffice is installed in a custom location
e.g. a subfolder of the Program Files folder when it should have been installed within Program files (x86)

It looks to me like access to the "dotnet" system libraries is granted depending on location, so only apps residing in Program files (or a subfolder thereof) will be inherently allowed access to 64-bit libraries, and only those residing in Program Files (x86) folder are inherently granted access to 32-bit libraries. The installer should explicitly grant access for a custom location, but apparently it doesn't (or didn't at the time I last saw this; last seen quite a while ago).

Open Office is configured to use 64-bit Java

Some parts of OpenOffice depend on Java, and the Java runtimes need to be configured manually. Typically the 64-bit Java is easily available and possibly even preinstalled, but the 32-bit version needs some extra effort to install on 64-bit Windows. If 32-bit Java is not installed, all you find is the 64-bit runtime. If you configure that for use in OpenOffice, the system will complain.

Suggestion
Easy: As others already suggested, install LibreOffice. LO is available as a 64-bit native app also for Windows, so the above issues will not be relevant.

Involved: If for some reason you need to keep using OpenOffice (established integrations, imposed limitations in workstation policy, etc.):

• Uninstall and reinstall to a proper location (inside Program Files (x86) )
• Visit the manual download page for Java to download the 32-bit installer.
  I'd normally use the offline version, but in practice - for single install - there is little difference between online installer and offline installer.
• Reboot your PC
• Start any OpenOffice app
• Select menu item Tools - Options
• In the left pane of the Options dialog, expand the OpenOffice branch and select the Java item
• Above the right pane, tick the box to use a java runtime environment.
  A "Oracle Corporation" item may already be present. Select it and see that the path below specifies Program Files (x86)
• If there is no suitable item to select, click the add button, browse into C:\Program files (x86)\Java and select the jre... folder item.
• OK your way out of it and restart OpenOffice (maybe reboot your computer again to be on the safe side).

Not recommended: I would not try to assign run rights for software library modules by manual procedures, unless you are well versed in system level operations on MS Windows (or feeling adventurous). Do not base rights assignments on my guesswork. Proceed on own accord!

Statistics: Posted by keme — Thu Sep 19, 2024 9:35 am

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