Can't find Product Key

[Albiecrazy]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

My iMac came pre-loaded with Office. For no reason that I can find, I can no longer open any Office Application - it is asking me to put Office in the trash along with "Users/?" which I can't even see in Finder. And then to re-enter the Product Key. I have the 2 install disks, but have no idea how to find the product key. There are little white stickers with bar codes. Is the product key one of these number? HELP!

 

[codywilliams]

It sounds as though the Office software might be a free trial version. When you open a program (such as Word), does it say anything about a number of days being left before the product expires or anything like that?
Most Office product keys can be found on the back of the CD envelope that they get shipped in.

 

[Albiecrazy]

No, it's not a trial version - I paid for the software when I ordered my iMac through Apple. I found the only CD's that came with Mac in a little white "box" labeled "Everything else". There are 2 CD's in it (labeled Mac OS X Install Disk 1 & 2 (I do wonder if some of the numbers on these CD sleeves might be my product key). And a little square pamphlet titled, "Software License Agreement". There is no other CD that came with it. I found in officeformac.com site a reference to an "Office for Mac DVD sleeve" where the product key is supposed to be located. I never received this so even if I follow the steps to solve this problem, I can't re-enter a product key since I don't seem to have it.

I suppose what's super frustrating about this is that I've done nothing out of the ordinary. I don't have the CD's so I can't install onto another Mac and I didn't install Office myself - it came already loaded. This error message popped, I'm thinking because of the latest update...

Thanks for your help Cody - I do appreciate any insight on this one!

 

[Diane Ross]

Look and see if it's an a folder called Additional software or Bundled
software.

How to fix:

Invalid Product Key after updating to SP2
<http://tinyurl.com/nmogr5>

Since you purchased this with your Mac, call Apple Support. You get free
support and they will be able to tell you about reinstalling and your CD
Keys.

 

[Albiecrazy]

Thanks, Diane. Sadly, I never got a folder called Additional software - and I recall vividly how fun it was to open the box, pull out a monitor a keyboard and two small, white CD sized containers - that's it. And I was happy about it! I have those two containers right in front of me - one says Everything Mac an the other says Everything else. That's all that came. I was on the phone with Apple today and they told me to call Microsoft since I didn't know where I had put these two containers and feared that I had lost them.

Microsoft will be so out of the loop on this one. I am going to call Apple back - I hope that they can do something since otherwise I've now done all the deleting and emptied the trash...

 

[Diane Ross]

one says Everything Mac an the other says Everything else.

My iLife CD was in the Everything else packet. They are grey colored
disks...rather generic looking. Says iMac Applications install DVD.

When you insert this disk, look for the folder that would contain the Office
DVD.

Hope this helps!

 

[Albiecrazy]

Hey, this might just work! I see an icon called "Install Bundled Software Only". But am I going to be able to install it without the product key? There is definitely no 25 digit number anywhere on the outside of the sleeve. I'm also assuming that this is where Office is.

 

[Albiecrazy]

Well, I installed the Bundled Software - it said installation was successful and never asked for a product key, but when I went to open Entourage, the set-up assistant pops up and wants the Product Key. Back to the drawing board... I think I'll try to make that call to Apple now...

 

[Diane Ross]

Well, I installed the Bundled Software - it said installation was successful
and never asked for a product key, but when I went to open Entourage, the
set-up assistant pops up and wants the Product Key. Back to the drawing
board... I think I'll try to make that call to Apple now...

I'm not sure where Apple puts the keys. The outside the sleeve is the way
Microsoft does theirs, but the bundled software is definitely different.

 

[Albiecrazy]

I've been chatting with Apple - apparently there is no record of me ever buying Office - I ordered online and vividly recall ordering it with my Mac since that is what I have always used with PC's. I checked my own receipt and, sure enough, Office is not part of it.

Apple is working on finding out how this could have happened. I know I didn't buy it from a 3rd party - I needed my Mac to arrive ready to go. Very strange - even the guy from tech support thought the creation date (Dec. 2007) was strange since I ordered my Mac on June 10, 2008. And if it was a trial version, it would have prompted me with an invalid product key two months ago...

Any thoughts?

 

[Rob Schneider]

My view: not worth figuring out bugs in Apple's ordering system. Go
down to the local store and buy Office? You haven't paid for it yet, so
the budget should be there.

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[Diane Ross]

Any thoughts?

Purchase through Amazon and save some money.

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student Edition (doesn¹t contain
Exchange support)
<http://tinyurl.com/4ydu2u>

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac standard version $188.99
<http://tinyurl.com/4xwy6u>

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Upgrade $179.99
<http://tinyurl.com/6jw6sd>

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition $183.99
(yes this is actually cheaper than the standard version)

<http://tinyurl.com/45mygp>

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm not sure this is the case:

And if it was a trial version, it would have prompted me with an invalid
product key two months ago...

I've never used a Trial Version / Test Drive of Mac Office, but in many
cases the countdown timer for such promotional versions does not start on
installation, it starts on first launch. IOW, it might be installed on
January 1 but if you don't launch it until April 15 your trial period begins
April 15. I've found this to be the case quite frequently with trial
software which is pre-installed by the hardware vendor -- otherwise they
wouldn't be able to install to a unit until it was ready to ship, which
might be several weeks before it gets to to the purchaser.

Even so, there's is usually some sort of splash screen or notification on
first launch that identifies it as a "trial version".

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac