Installing Upgrade, but no original on current machine

[amypaulsmom]

HI -

I am trying to install Office X upgrade on a new machine I just
purchased (Mac Mini) because my iBook died which had Office X on it.
There is not a copy of Office on the new machine and therefore I am
having issues getting through the install - because it is trying to
find the older version. Is there any way I can get around this?

thanks

 

[Michel Bintener]

Hi,

there are a couple of things that need to be addressed in this case: since
you're using an upgrade version of Office X (you do mean the specific
version called Microsoft Office v.X, right? Not Office 2004?), you must have
owned some prior version of Office as well, Office 98 or 2001, for instance.
The installer will look for such an "older" installation before it installs
Office. However, you will not have to install the older version of Office;
it should be enough if you just insert the "old" disc when you're asked to,
as some posters have pointed out in this newsgroup.

And a warning: your new Mac ships with a Test Drive version of Office 2004.
Make sure you remove that Test Drive using the "Remove Office" tool provided
by Microsoft, which you should find inside the Test Drive folder in your
Applications folder. And make sure you do that before you actually install
your own version of Office; that way, you'll avoid unnecessary trouble.

Anyway, if anything's not clear, post back.

Michel

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I am trying to install Office X upgrade on a new machine I just
purchased (Mac Mini) because my iBook died which had Office X on it.
There is not a copy of Office on the new machine and therefore I am
having issues getting through the install - because it is trying to
find the older version. Is there any way I can get around this?

When the installer asks for the qualifying (earlier) version to upgrade,
insert the CD from your qualifying version and point to it.

 

[amypaulsmom]

Ok - the issue is - I am not really upgrading. I am moving the Office
software from an old machine to a new machine. I have the two
networked and have Choosen the "old" copy of Office on the "old"
machine. But because it is not a different version, it won't verify -
I have a feeling that's why it doesn't like me. I have tried inserting
various other Office install CD's (all Windows) and that hasn't worked
either. I do not seem to have the original Office CD any longer. Any
other tricks? I tried copying over all the Office files I could find -
but kept running into issues that way as well. I own this product - I
should be able to move it from one machine to another if I want to -
easily - it would seem!!! Thank you for any more advice you all might
have.

 

[Michel Bintener]

Hi,

I'm still trying to make sense of your post, but some things are not really
clear. So the way I see it, you're using an Office upgrade, but you're only
trying to move the version you have on your iBook to your new Mac mini. Is
that right? Well, the Office upgrade version requires you to have a previous
version of Office available with which you can verify that you're actually
eligible for an update. You cannot use Office v.X as a previous Office
version for the Office v.X upgrade; you need a *previous* version (98, or
2001), not the same one, as you have already found out. Of course, using
Windows Office CDs is not going to get you anywhere, since they are not part
of Office:mac's upgrading scheme. Anyway, can you just move the Microsoft
Office v.X folder inside your Applications folder to your new machine? I
would not recommend installing Office that way, and chances are this may not
work. But there's not really much to be done when you don't have the
original CD anymore. You could ask a friend or colleague for a CD and then
use your own product key for the installation, though.

Anyway, if I have misunderstood your situation, please post back and clarify
the situation.

 

[amypaulsmom]

Nope - you understood correctly and I figured that was the case. I
don't seem to have the orginal CD's anymore. I will have to do one
more look and then see if I can find a friend who has an older CD of
Office on Mac that I can borrow. Thank you for your help and siphering
through what I wrote. BTW - I did try just moving the folder over
from on machine to the next - didn't work. Thanks again.