Office 2003 activation hassles....

[Guess Who]

First I will start off saying ... I reinstall Windows XP fairly regularly.

I purchased Office 2003 SB upgrade some months back. Installed and
activated without a problem. In fact, I activated it several times on that
machine without problem. I then got a new computer. The old one is not
used any more, and in fact, dismantled.

I installed Office 2003 on the new machine, activated no problem. Since
that first install, I have changed NOTHING in this machine. I reinstalled
XP a few times and activated Office 2003 again and again without incident.
the last time I tried to install, activation failed - so I called and got
activated.

I reinstalled today, and again, Office 2003 could not be activated. I had
to call again. I asked the woman why I have to keep calling, she had no
answer. She advised I send an email to (e-mail address removed). I know they
will not reply, but figured I would relay my frustration.

Anyway, why do I have to keep calling to activate? It is a pain in the neck
to have to do this EVERY TIME! I even bought a second copy of O2K3 to
install on my laptop when I got it - just so I would not have any
activation hassles.


Is there anything I can do to avoid having to call each and every time?

 

[Chuck Davis]

-----Original Message-----
First I will start off saying ... I reinstall Windows XP fairly regularly.

I have run Windows XP on two computers for three years this
month and have never reinstalled. I do keep spyware removed.

I purchased Office 2003 SB upgrade some months back. Installed and
activated without a problem. In fact, I activated it several times on that
machine without problem. I then got a new computer. The old one is not
used any more, and in fact, dismantled.

I installed Office 2003 on the new machine, activated no problem. Since
that first install, I have changed NOTHING in this machine. I reinstalled
XP a few times and activated Office 2003 again and again without incident.
the last time I tried to install, activation failed - so I called and got
activated.

I reinstalled today, and again, Office 2003 could not be activated. I had
to call again. I asked the woman why I have to keep calling, she had no
answer. She advised I send an email to

(e-mail address removed). I know they

will not reply, but figured I would relay my frustration.

Anyway, why do I have to keep calling to activate? It is a pain in the neck
to have to do this EVERY TIME! I even bought a second copy of O2K3 to
install on my laptop when I got it - just so I would not have any
activation hassles.


Is there anything I can do to avoid having to call each and every time?

Quit reinstalling. Fix the problems! Regularly use Windows
Update. Install SP2. Weekly scan and remove spyware.

I use one system 8 to 10 hours a day, developing web sites,
creating newsletters, editing images, you name it! The
other gets less usage.

 

[Airman Thunderbird]

Agreed, I use an XP install that started life as a 2k install in 2001.
Never needed to start over. Running basically 24/7. Keep it clean and
you won't have to reinstall anything. I'd hate to know I had to start
over with all the 3 years of tweaks I've got in this thing. Thank
goodness for GHOST peace of mind.

 

[Guess Who]

That's all well and good, but still has NOTHING to do with the problem. How
often I choose to reinstall is my business, and my option. It should not be
up to Microsoft how often I do it.

SP2 IS installed, and I run AdAware and Spybot S & D regularly, and have
Firewall and Anti-Virus software. I don't reinstall because of
spyware/virii, I reinstall to clean the system out every so often. It may
not be necessary, but I like doing it just the same.

| Agreed, I use an XP install that started life as a 2k install in 2001.
| Never needed to start over. Running basically 24/7. Keep it clean and
| you won't have to reinstall anything. I'd hate to know I had to start
| over with all the 3 years of tweaks I've got in this thing. Thank
| goodness for GHOST peace of mind.
|
| Chuck Davis wrote:
| >>-----Original Message-----
| >>First I will start off saying ... I reinstall Windows XP
| >
| > fairly regularly.
| >
| >
| <<<<<<<<<<
| > Quit reinstalling. Fix the problems! Regularly use Windows
| > Update. Install SP2. Weekly scan and remove spyware.
| >
| > I use one system 8 to 10 hours a day, developing web sites,
| > creating newsletters, editing images, you name it! The
| > other gets less usage.

 

[Greg R]

That's all well and good, but still has NOTHING to do with the problem. How
often I choose to reinstall is my business, and my option. It should not be
up to Microsoft how often I do it.

SP2 IS installed, and I run AdAware and Spybot S & D regularly, and have
Firewall and Anti-Virus software. I don't reinstall because of
spyware/virii, I reinstall to clean the system out every so often. It may
not be necessary, but I like doing it just the same.

| Agreed, I use an XP install that started life as a 2k install in 2001.
| Never needed to start over. Running basically 24/7. Keep it clean and
| you won't have to reinstall anything. I'd hate to know I had to start
| over with all the 3 years of tweaks I've got in this thing. Thank
| goodness for GHOST peace of mind.
|
| Chuck Davis wrote:
| >>-----Original Message-----
| >>First I will start off saying ... I reinstall Windows XP
| >
| > fairly regularly.
| >
| >
| <<<<<<<<<<
| > Quit reinstalling. Fix the problems! Regularly use Windows
| > Update. Install SP2. Weekly scan and remove spyware.
| >
| > I use one system 8 to 10 hours a day, developing web sites,
| > creating newsletters, editing images, you name it! The
| > other gets less usage.

If you are worried about personal data. Get another computer,
without xp on it. Like an operating system does not require
activation

Here what I do.
I have three ghost partition image backup of xp. One clean install of
xp. One with internet and one without internet access.

This way. I can try all the new software. If I get spyware or a
virus. I just stick a floppy in and 5 to 10 minute later backup and
running xp.



Greg R

 

[Bob I]

It's part of re-installing, suggest you either learn to like it, or stop
doing it.

 

[Guess Who]

My, My - all you kiddies in here certainly seem to be on your high horse
about what one SHOULD and SHOULD NOT do. At my age, and with my experience,
I'm sure I've forgotten more about computers than you have yet learned. I
do what I do because I want to do it. It's not for you to worry about the
reasons I do it, or that I could do it better.

What is part of reinstalling? Having to call in activation for Office each
time should not be part of reinstalling. It never was before. And if you DO
have to call in to activate Windows XP, then future installs will
automatically activate over the internet - you DON'T have to call each time
thereafter (unless of course, you change hardware substantially again). Why
should I have to call in each time for Office 2003? You know what though,
MS is paying for the call to India, so I should just take my sweet time when
calling and let them foot the bill for their idiotic activation schemes.
Really, activation does NOTHING to thwart piracy, because those that want to
do it, know how to do it even before the software is released.

| It's part of re-installing, suggest you either learn to like it, or stop
| doing it.
|
| Guess Who wrote:
|
| > That's all well and good, but still has NOTHING to do with the problem.
How
| > often I choose to reinstall is my business, and my option. It should
not be
| > up to Microsoft how often I do it.
| >
| > SP2 IS installed, and I run AdAware and Spybot S & D regularly, and have
| > Firewall and Anti-Virus software. I don't reinstall because of
| > spyware/virii, I reinstall to clean the system out every so often. It
may
| > not be necessary, but I like doing it just the same.
| >
|

 

[Paul Ballou]

http://www.outlook-tips.net/archives/20031027.htm
There is a tip on saving your office activation here you can try this and
see if it works

The reason for the activation process is to help prevent software piracy. MS
activation is simpler than the Activation process I had to use with Adobe
recently.

--
Paul Ballou
MVP Office
http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/templates
http://office.microsoft.com/home

Control the things you can and Don't Worry about the things you can't
control.