New license for Office 2004

[jlessner]

My husband and I have been running Office 2004 with the same license
on our two computers. I never realized this was a problem until
today, when I upgraded mine with SP2 v. 11.3.5. Now it tells me that
we can't both use Office at the same time.

Here are my three questions:

1. Do I need to purchase a whole new copy of Office 2004 for myself
or do I purchase the item I see online called Upgrade Office 2004?

2. Could I get the student/teacher pack and use it for my son's
laptop (also running our current license) and my own?

3. Most importantly, how can I install a new copy of Office 2004
without it overwriting and losing all my Entourage data? I don't see
how it could give me a chance to import if it's the same version of
the program.

Please advise.

Thanks,
Joanne

 

[Michel Bintener]

Hi Joanne,

1. Do I need to purchase a whole new copy of Office 2004 for myself
or do I purchase the item I see online called Upgrade Office 2004?

Any of the Office applications will, when connected to a network, check to
see if there are other copies of Office using the same product key that are
being used on the network. If it finds such copies, it simply refuses to
launch. You will need to buy a whole new copy since you cannot simply buy an
additional product key. "Upgrade Office 2004"? "Online"? Where? It doesn't
really matter, since you are not performing an upgrade; you will need an
entirely new product key, I'm afraid.

2. Could I get the student/teacher pack and use it for my son's
laptop (also running our current license) and my own?

When you buy the Student & Teacher edition, you will get three license keys,
meaning that in combination with the copy you currently own, you will have
four license keys. Just make sure that you are eligible to buy the Student &
Teacher edition; it does have a few restrictions in its End User License
Agreement (EULA).

3. Most importantly, how can I install a new copy of Office 2004
without it overwriting and losing all my Entourage data? I don't see
how it could give me a chance to import if it's the same version of
the program.

When you're ready to install your new copy, launch the Remove Office utility
in Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Additional Tools/Remove Office. You
can remove Office as a whole, or you can simply remove the license key (hold
down the Option key when you see the Remove Office screen, and you should
see the label on the button in the lower right corner change to "Remove
License Key Only" (or something along the lines). The next time you launch
an Office application, you will be prompted to enter a product key, and you
can then simply enter one of your four license keys. This latter method is
actually preferable, as it saves you the hassle of reinstalling and updating
Office.

Note that no matter which method you choose, your Entourage data will not be
touched. The Entourage database is stored in ~/Documents/Microsoft User
Data, and the removal procedure does not affect that folder.

--
Michel Bintener
Microsoft MVP
Office:Mac (Entourage & Word)

***Always reply to the newsgroup.***

 

[jlessner]

Thank you, Michel. This is very helpful. Can I just clarify a few
things that you said? I just want to make sure I get this right (and
legal!)

You will need to buy a whole new copy since you cannot simply buy an
additional product key. "Upgrade Office 2004"? "Online"? Where? It doesn't
really matter, since you are not performing an upgrade; you will need an
entirely new product key, I'm afraid.

What I saw says specifically "Version Upgrade". I see now that it
takes me to resellers and does not, as I originally thought, allow me
to purchase an online download. But this does raise another
question. My current version of Office 2004 (and license key) is
itself an Upgrade, which I used to upgrade from Office 97. If I still
have that original Office 97 on my computer, could I not just purchase
an additional version upgrade?

Regarding the Student/Teacher package, are you saying I could add
those licenses to my current Office 2004 and skip the step of buying a
whole new copy? My son is a middle school student in a NYC public
school. In other words, will simply purchasing the Student/Teacher
package solve my current problem? (Because, of course, I now realize
that I should probably be getting another additional key for my son).

Thank you so much for telling me about the "Remove license key"
option. That sure sounds like it will save a whole lot of hassle!

Joanne

 

[Diane Ross]

My current version of Office 2004 (and license key) is
itself an Upgrade, which I used to upgrade from Office 97. If I still
have that original Office 97 on my computer, could I not just purchase
an additional version upgrade?

I believe it's one upgrade per application.

Regarding the Student/Teacher package, are you saying I could add
those licenses to my current Office 2004 and skip the step of buying a
whole new copy? My son is a middle school student in a NYC public
school. In other words, will simply purchasing the Student/Teacher
package solve my current problem? (Because, of course, I now realize
that I should probably be getting another additional key for my son).

It sounds like the ST version is what you need. There is no actual
verification when installing or purchasing, but since your son is a student
you sound like a legal purchaser.

 

[jlessner]

Thanks, Diane. I'm getting closer! But just to be sure, are you
saying that I don't need to purchase a whole new copy of Office, just
the ST package and apply it to my current copy?

Joanne

P.S. Just out of curiosity, how would a computer know that an old
version of Office had been upgraded once already?

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks, Diane. I'm getting closer! But just to be sure, are you
saying that I don't need to purchase a whole new copy of Office, just
the ST package and apply it to my current copy?

Joanne

P.S. Just out of curiosity, how would a computer know that an old
version of Office had been upgraded once already?

I'm not sure how it would know. Usually and upgrade copy asks for proof of
the prior version. Some users have just inserted the old disk when the
original was removed. For example a Classic version of Office when Classic
is no longer installed.

I would expect an upgrade copy would be approx the same cost as a ST
version.

The Office Key is written to an invisible file. You could try removing the
file and entering one of your new keys. This way you won't have to go
through the install and update again.

There are 3 options to remove this invisible file. See directions here:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/index.html#cdkey>

If that doesn't work you'll need to use "Remove Office" and reinstall
again.

FYI, "Remove Office" removes invisible files, but does not remove your data
in the Microsoft User Data folder. Any personal files or templates in your
Office folder would need to be backed up.

 

[jlessner]

Thanks. Actually, the ST version is cheaper than the upgrade. So can
you just confirm these last two things (sorry if I'm a bit thick about
this):

1. I can buy ST and use it with my current Office copy without buying
an additional Office copy?

2. My address book and emails are in my Microsoft User Data and will
reappear when I launch the new thing?

When you say, "Any personal files or templates in your Office folder
would need to be backed up" you're not referring to those, right?

Thanks,
Joanne

 

[Diane Ross]

1. I can buy ST and use it with my current Office copy without buying
an additional Office copy?

The ST copy can be installed on 3 computers.

2. My address book and emails are in my Microsoft User Data and will
reappear when I launch the new thing?

If you are concerned, then make a backup copy. Zip the Microsoft User Data
folder.

When you say, "Any personal files or templates in your Office folder
would need to be backed up" you're not referring to those, right?

The Microsoft User Data folder is not supposed to be touched. If you use
"Remove Office" it will delete your Office 2004 folder and any files within
it.

 

[jlessner]

One other related, but (finally) different question:

With a regular copy of Office, are you allowed to run it
simultaneously on your desktop and your laptop?

Thanks for being so patient with me!

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Little side note--buying the ST version *is* buying a whole new
additional copy of Office. A copy that comes with three license numbers.

If you have created personal templates--such as anything in My Templates
in the Applications/Microsoft Office/Templates folder, then Remove
Office will also remove those. But most people don't have those. Your
email/address book, as stored in Entourage, is in the
~/Documents/Microsoft User Data folder (MUD folder), as Diane said. To
be 100% sure that you are safe, just copy the MUD folder to a flash
drive or somesuch.

 

[CyberTaz]

Another voice in the choir here:-0

Technically, No - the assumption in the EULA being that *you* aren't using
both systems simultaneously. Also, if the two units are networked the second
iteration will be denied if the same keyed copy is already in use by the
other. Obviously, however, if there is no connection between the two systems
the one can't detect what the other is running.

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

One other related, but (finally) different question:

With a regular copy of Office, are you allowed to run it
simultaneously on your desktop and your laptop?

Thanks for being so patient with me!

 

[jlessner]

A big thank you to everyone. I just successfully installed my new,
legal, ST version of Office.

I was able to do it without removing/reinstalling the software; I was
able to replace the license key.

FYI, the first method, of just clicking the option key didn't work,
but the HelpMate freeware did.

Many, many thanks!
Joanne

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks Joanne for the update. I'm glad to hear you could just update the
license key rather than having to go through the re-install.
--
Diane

A big thank you to everyone. I just successfully installed my new,
legal, ST version of Office.

I was able to do it without removing/reinstalling the software; I was
able to replace the license key.

FYI, the first method, of just clicking the option key didn't work,
but the HelpMate freeware did.

Many, many thanks!
Joanne

Another voice in the choir here:-0

Technically, No - the assumption in the EULA being that *you* aren't using
both systems simultaneously. Also, if the two units are networked the second
iteration will be denied if the same keyed copy is already in use by the
other. Obviously, however, if there is no connection between the two systems
the one can't detect what the other is running.

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

One other related, but (finally) different question:

With a regular copy of Office, are you allowed to run it
simultaneously on your desktop and your laptop?

Thanks for being so patient with me!

On Sep 1, 9:53 pm, Diane Ross <[email protected]>
wrote:
On 9/1/07 5:44 PM, in article
(e-mail address removed), "(e-mail address removed)"

<[email protected]> wrote:

1. I can buy ST and use it with my current Office copy without buying
an additional Office copy?

The ST copy can be installed on 3 computers.

2. My address book and emails are in my Microsoft User Data and will
reappear when I launch the new thing?

If you are concerned, then make a backup copy. Zip the Microsoft User Data
folder.

When you say, "Any personal files or templates in your Office folder
would need to be backed up" you're not referring to those, right?

The Microsoft User Data folder is not supposed to be touched. If you use
"Remove Office" it will delete your Office 2004 folder and any files within
it.