OEM Office 2007 should come with a licence sticker for PC like XP

[Philip Harrison]

We're a mesium sized support/system builder. A vast majority of computers
leaving our office will have Windows XP OEM and Office 2007 OEM installed on
them. Over the next few years a good 50% of all PCs leaving will come back
to us to be rebuilt for various reasons. We install XP and read the license
key off the sticker on the chassis. Then we go to install Office. It is now
virtually impossible to find the key for the Office as the customer has filed
it away somewhere safe (read: lost) or in the case of those new tiny credit
card type licenses simply thrown it away/dropped it as they're so small.

Maybe there's a really good reason why this has not been done, but why not
supply OEM packs of Office with a sticker that can be attached to the PC as
it leaves just like Windows 2003 Server has? The Office license dies with
this box now physically and not just legally and life is made much easier for
users rebuilding PCs. It's also much clearer to users that they are licensed
for that software.

I'd love to hear from Microsoft if this is a possibility or if not why not?
The new credit card type licenses are a complete disaster to me, so easy to
lose and so difficult to file away. We're having to photocopy every one and
file it as we know the customer will have lost/binned it within days.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...-c3033411648b&dg=microsoft.public.office.misc

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Please repost your inquiry in the System Builder discussion group:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/newsgroups/topics/sysbuilder.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------

We're a mesium sized support/system builder. A vast majority of computers
leaving our office will have Windows XP OEM and Office 2007 OEM installed on
them. Over the next few years a good 50% of all PCs leaving will come back
to us to be rebuilt for various reasons. We install XP and read the license
key off the sticker on the chassis. Then we go to install Office. It is now
virtually impossible to find the key for the Office as the customer has filed
it away somewhere safe (read: lost) or in the case of those new tiny credit
card type licenses simply thrown it away/dropped it as they're so small.

Maybe there's a really good reason why this has not been done, but why not
supply OEM packs of Office with a sticker that can be attached to the PC as
it leaves just like Windows 2003 Server has? The Office license dies with
this box now physically and not just legally and life is made much easier for
users rebuilding PCs. It's also much clearer to users that they are licensed
for that software.

I'd love to hear from Microsoft if this is a possibility or if not why not?
The new credit card type licenses are a complete disaster to me, so easy to
lose and so difficult to file away. We're having to photocopy every one and
file it as we know the customer will have lost/binned it within days.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...-c3033411648b&dg=microsoft.public.office.misc

 

[David Webb]

This freeware utility has the ability to display the product keys for the OS and
the Office suite. It can also be used to change the product key of a Windows XP
system:

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

 

[Philip Harrison]

Thanks Carey, will do!

 

[Gordon]

We're a mesium sized support/system builder. A vast majority of computers
leaving our office will have Windows XP OEM and Office 2007 OEM installed
on
them. Over the next few years a good 50% of all PCs leaving will come
back
to us to be rebuilt for various reasons. We install XP and read the
license
key off the sticker on the chassis. Then we go to install Office. It is
now
virtually impossible to find the key for the Office as the customer has
filed
it away somewhere safe (read: lost) or in the case of those new tiny
credit
card type licenses simply thrown it away/dropped it as they're so small.

So what's stopping you producing your own label to stick on the PC case?

 

[Shelvin Datt]

Use INNOBATE Product Key Recovery to recover the Product Key the Windows
Vista Product Key and Microsoft Office 2007 to recover Product Keys on
machines where the Operating system is still running.

http://www.innobate.com/Products/InnobateProductKey/Index.HTM

 

[Philip Harrison]

Thanks for that. I've used those utilities in the past. What I was getting
at though is that the stickers you get on machines for XP/2003 make life so
much easier and are a great way of getting across to customers that the
license dies with the machine. If it is done so easily with XP/2003 why not
do it with Office? Furthermore, why produce an ID card with the license key
when a label would be so much more useful and effective.

 

[Philip Harrison]

Absolutely nothing. Except that to print decent labels that will last on a
PC you need quite an expensive printer that can print vinyl or something
similar. We can do white paper labels but these don't last as PCs are moved,
absued and maybe cleaned.

The thing is MS are going to the effoft of making up ID card type licenses
that, from what I can tell, are effectively useless. Are staff supposed to
carry these int heir wallets or something? They could make labels as they do
for XP/2003 Server and it would be great, and every OEM wouldn't have to buy
an expensive label printer.


It's just a suggestion that would make life easier for the likes of us
without causing MS much grief because they already do these labels for
XP/2003 Server.


Thanks