Can I download the install files if my drive doesn't work?

[kjfisherino]

I purchased Microsoft Office for Mac but the drive on my new laptop
won't read the discs. I'll take my laptop in for warranty service but
in the meantime, can I use the registration codes/numbers on the
package to download the programs and install them this way? I need to
prepare a presentation today or tomorrow and will need Excel and Word
to put the docs together.... the trial versions preinstalled on my
laptop have already expired.

Thanks for your advice and help...

Karen

 

[William Smith]

I purchased Microsoft Office for Mac but the drive on my new laptop
won't read the discs. I'll take my laptop in for warranty service but
in the meantime, can I use the registration codes/numbers on the
package to download the programs and install them this way? I need to
prepare a presentation today or tomorrow and will need Excel and Word
to put the docs together.... the trial versions preinstalled on my
laptop have already expired.

Hi Karen!

Unfortunately, the Office Test Drive can not be turned into a fully
functional version of Office 2004.

If you have access to another Mac then you can share files on the
installer CD via a network to get them to your laptop.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[kjfisherino]

Thanks for the quick reply, Bill!

I did activate my "test drive" when I first purchased the laptop (and
the term is now expired). But I do not wish to turn the test drive
into the purchased program. I wish to install my purchased MS Office
program separately (I purchased it off the shelf, discs in a box). Are
you saying that because I activated the test drive, I am no longer
able to install a newly purchased version of the program? (on DVD/
CD?) Is this why the installer is not working (it's greyed out)?
Maybe there is nothing wrong with my disc drive after all?

This is why I asked if I can somehow download the programs from MS
using the registration numbers on the box of my duly purchased
merchandise.

Sorry for my explosion of questions..... I just wanna get this thing
installed and the new package sits here on my desk, taunting me.....

 

[Diane Ross]

I did activate my "test drive" when I first purchased the laptop (and
the term is now expired). But I do not wish to turn the test drive
into the purchased program. I wish to install my purchased MS Office
program separately (I purchased it off the shelf, discs in a box). Are
you saying that because I activated the test drive, I am no longer
able to install a newly purchased version of the program? (on DVD/
CD?) Is this why the installer is not working (it's greyed out)?
Maybe there is nothing wrong with my disc drive after all?

This is why I asked if I can somehow download the programs from MS
using the registration numbers on the box of my duly purchased
merchandise.

Sorry for my explosion of questions..... I just wanna get this thing
installed and the new package sits here on my desk, taunting me.....

The test drive cannot be upgraded to full version. It MUST be removed before
installing the paid version. Use "Remove Office" to fully remove the test
drive.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/remove_office.html>

Many users have had problems removing the test drive and had to run "Remove
Office" several times and/or manually remove it.

More on removing test drive:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/demo.html>

An alternative temporary solution would be to set your clock back to fool
the drive into thinking your time has not expired. Of course, this will play
havoc with all of your email and other data that is time coded.

--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
One of the top five MS Entourage resources listed on the Entourage Blog.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/entourage/>

 

[William Smith]

I'm a bit confused by the "greyed out"... When you insert the install disk
what exactly happens from that point on? What happens if you double-click
the installer icon?

My understanding of Karen's problem (correct me if I'm wrong, Karen) is
that although you do have the original disks to reinstall Office you
don't have a working drive to read them. You've tried re-downloading the
Office Test Drive to use that temporarily but it has already been run
once on your computer and has expired.

Once the Test Drive has expired on a machine it can not be re-downloaded
for more use. And it can not be turned into a working copy.

So, what you need to do is find a way to get the Microsoft Office 2004
folder from the CD to your hard drive. This is why I suggest trying to
network your Mac with another to copy the installer. Or if you have an
external hard drive that you can move between machines then you can copy
the installer from the CD to the hard drive on a working machine and
then connect it to your Mac with the failed disk drive.

Hope this helps! bill