Can't Reinstall Office 2004 Upgrade

[jwm1]

I purchased Office 2001 at full price some time ago. I upgraded it in
2004 by purchasing an upgrade package. My hard drive crashed a couple
of weeks ago. I no longer have the Office 2001 CD. Microsoft technical
support tells me I have to purchase the full Office 2004 again (not!).
Is there any way to get use of what I already paid for?

 

[Diane]

I purchased Office 2001 at full price some time ago. I upgraded it in
2004 by purchasing an upgrade package. My hard drive crashed a couple
of weeks ago. I no longer have the Office 2001 CD. Microsoft technical
support tells me I have to purchase the full Office 2004 again (not!).
Is there any way to get use of what I already paid for?

Technically, MSFT support is correct. Since you own a license, I would try
to borrow a CD from a friend to install. Since you have your own CD key I
don't see that as a license violation.

 

[John McGhie]

Yeah, Diane is correct: sadly this is the main reason why I think very
carefully before buying "upgrade" versions. If you lose access to the
"qualifying" software, you are in a bind if you need to re-install.

Obviously, they do this to prevent us buying an upgrade, then selling the
old version

However, ANY prior version will do, back to Office 98. As Diane says, if
you can borrow a CD from any one of those versions, that's all you need.

Put your upgrade version in, and when it doesn't find the qualifying
product, it will ask for the other CD. Insert that, it will have a look,
then ask for the upgrade CD back and continue its install.

Cheers

I purchased Office 2001 at full price some time ago. I upgraded it in
2004 by purchasing an upgrade package. My hard drive crashed a couple
of weeks ago. I no longer have the Office 2001 CD. Microsoft technical
support tells me I have to purchase the full Office 2004 again (not!).
Is there any way to get use of what I already paid for?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. S12.22.1918,E136.99.5392
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Oliver P]

Yeah, Diane is correct: sadly this is the main reason why I think very
carefully before buying "upgrade" versions. If you lose access to the
"qualifying" software, you are in a bind if you need to re-install.

Obviously, they do this to prevent us buying an upgrade, then selling the
old version

However, ANY prior version will do, back to Office 98. As Diane says, if
you can borrow a CD from any one of those versions, that's all you need.

Put your upgrade version in, and when it doesn't find the qualifying
product, it will ask for the other CD. Insert that, it will have a look,
then ask for the upgrade CD back and continue its install.

Cheers



--
Don't wait for your answer, click here:http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltdhttp://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. S12.22.1918,E136.99.5392
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

John and Diane:

Here is another version of this predicament. I recently purchased a
new Macbook with the Office 2004 test drive installed. Because I own
a license for an earlier version of Office for Mac, I purchased an
upgrade disk set which I have yet to receive. Now I recall
attempting an installation of the Office suite with my original disk
set a few years ago and getting a message that I had used the allowed
number of installations (I had gone through several computers due to
theft or damage). If I open the upgrade package and begin
installation on the new computer, will it allow me to use the licensed
disk that has run out of allowable installations to validate my new
software?

Oliver P

 

[JE McGimpsey]

If I open the upgrade package and begin installation on the new
computer, will it allow me to use the licensed disk that has run out
of allowable installations to validate my new software?

No, but only because you have an invalid premise...

Your "licensed disk that has run out of allowable installations" doesn't
exist.

Any recollection such as you describe must be from installing Windows
versions of Office. Mac versions have never had an "allowed number of
installations" on any single machine, or on any sequence of machines.
The *only* software restriction on MacOffice is on using the SAME
license key on two different machines and only 1) at the same time, and
2) with both machines on the same local network.

If you got a message like you describe with MacOffice, you were trying
to run two machines with the same license key at the same time on a
local network - which is not allowed.

One could theoretically reinstall MacOffice ten times a day, on five
different machines, forever, with nary a warning nor a complaint by the
software.

MacOffice has never required "validation", either - it never needs to
phone home to Redmond.