This is what MSFT say:
"Microsoft Office 2003 suites and applications are not compatible with Windows 8.
We recommend you check the version of Microsoft Office installed on your PC before you upgrade to Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. To do this, go to this article:
What version of Office am I using?
If you have a Microsoft Office 2003 suite or application on your PC, you will have problems running it on Windows 8. We recommend you upgrade Office to a newer version that is compatible with Windows 8.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2777626"
I know people are using 2003 on 8 but it may be causing the problem.