Product key and activation problems in Office 2003

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

I just don't remember a 54-digit number when I did a phone activation a
while back (about a year ago).

You *do* have a 25 digit number on a yellow/orange sticker on the CD case,
don't you?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

JoAnn, thanks for your replies too. Yes, the first two times I called in,
the servers were down for 'unscheduled maintenence'. After they started
working, my automatic activation started giving me the 'product key
invalid'
and then when I actually got through to someone they were able to tell me
the
54-digit activation code was invalid. It makes you wonder if there is
something wrong with the activation verification and it is not verifying
legitimate copies of Office 2003, but no one I've reached has seemed very
interested.

You would think if there was a real problem with the product key it would
have not allowed my many installation attempts to proceed to completion.

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

I just don't remember a 54-digit number when I did a phone activation a
while back (about a year ago).

You *do* have a 25 digit number on a yellow/orange sticker on the CD case,
don't you?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

JoAnn, thanks for your replies too. Yes, the first two times I called in,
the servers were down for 'unscheduled maintenence'. After they started
working, my automatic activation started giving me the 'product key
invalid'
and then when I actually got through to someone they were able to tell me
the
54-digit activation code was invalid. It makes you wonder if there is
something wrong with the activation verification and it is not verifying
legitimate copies of Office 2003, but no one I've reached has seemed very
interested.

You would think if there was a real problem with the product key it would
have not allowed my many installation attempts to proceed to completion.

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

I just don't remember a 54-digit number when I did a phone activation a
while back (about a year ago).

You *do* have a 25 digit number on a yellow/orange sticker on the CD case,
don't you?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

JoAnn, thanks for your replies too. Yes, the first two times I called in,
the servers were down for 'unscheduled maintenence'. After they started
working, my automatic activation started giving me the 'product key
invalid'
and then when I actually got through to someone they were able to tell me
the
54-digit activation code was invalid. It makes you wonder if there is
something wrong with the activation verification and it is not verifying
legitimate copies of Office 2003, but no one I've reached has seemed very
interested.

You would think if there was a real problem with the product key it would
have not allowed my many installation attempts to proceed to completion.

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

I just don't remember a 54-digit number when I did a phone activation a
while back (about a year ago).

You *do* have a 25 digit number on a yellow/orange sticker on the CD case,
don't you?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

JoAnn, thanks for your replies too. Yes, the first two times I called in,
the servers were down for 'unscheduled maintenence'. After they started
working, my automatic activation started giving me the 'product key
invalid'
and then when I actually got through to someone they were able to tell me
the
54-digit activation code was invalid. It makes you wonder if there is
something wrong with the activation verification and it is not verifying
legitimate copies of Office 2003, but no one I've reached has seemed very
interested.

You would think if there was a real problem with the product key it would
have not allowed my many installation attempts to proceed to completion.

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

I just don't remember a 54-digit number when I did a phone activation a
while back (about a year ago).

You *do* have a 25 digit number on a yellow/orange sticker on the CD case,
don't you?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

JoAnn, thanks for your replies too. Yes, the first two times I called in,
the servers were down for 'unscheduled maintenence'. After they started
working, my automatic activation started giving me the 'product key
invalid'
and then when I actually got through to someone they were able to tell me
the
54-digit activation code was invalid. It makes you wonder if there is
something wrong with the activation verification and it is not verifying
legitimate copies of Office 2003, but no one I've reached has seemed very
interested.

You would think if there was a real problem with the product key it would
have not allowed my many installation attempts to proceed to completion.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[John Brock]

Sure, the 25 digit number is the "product key" that is on the jewel case. I
have to enter that on the install, which completes successfully. Then during
activation the 54-digit number is what appears if Office fails to activate
automatically and you choose the call-in option. You have to then read the
54 digits to a VRS, which said it could not activate it in my case. That
transferred me to a live person who either said "the server is down" (my
first two calls) or "that number is not valid" (my last call) after I read it
to them, they read me back another 54 digit number I had to enter (which
failed to activate), and I read them my 54 digit number again. Their
suggestion at that point was to uninstall and reinstall and call back. I did
the uninstall and reinstall, but came here to see if anyone else had
experienced similar issues.

 

[horst siegert]

there ist a problem with microsoft.
I try to activate my office 2003 via phone. and they tell me, that there is
a technical problem with microsoft. and, that I have to retry on monday!!
Normaly I am one of the guys thinking friendly about ms, but that ist not to
accept - tomorrow I'm traveling with my brandnew notebook abroad.
But, what can I do?
horst

 

[horst siegert]

there ist a problem with microsoft.
I try to activate my office 2003 via phone. and they tell me, that there is
a technical problem with microsoft. and, that I have to retry on monday!!
Normaly I am one of the guys thinking friendly about ms, but that ist not to
accept - tomorrow I'm traveling with my brandnew notebook abroad.
But, what can I do?
horst

 

[horst siegert]

there ist a problem with microsoft.
I try to activate my office 2003 via phone. and they tell me, that there is
a technical problem with microsoft. and, that I have to retry on monday!!
Normaly I am one of the guys thinking friendly about ms, but that ist not to
accept - tomorrow I'm traveling with my brandnew notebook abroad.
But, what can I do?
horst

 

[horst siegert]

there ist a problem with microsoft.
I try to activate my office 2003 via phone. and they tell me, that there is
a technical problem with microsoft. and, that I have to retry on monday!!
Normaly I am one of the guys thinking friendly about ms, but that ist not to
accept - tomorrow I'm traveling with my brandnew notebook abroad.
But, what can I do?
horst

 

[horst siegert]

there ist a problem with microsoft.
I try to activate my office 2003 via phone. and they tell me, that there is
a technical problem with microsoft. and, that I have to retry on monday!!
Normaly I am one of the guys thinking friendly about ms, but that ist not to
accept - tomorrow I'm traveling with my brandnew notebook abroad.
But, what can I do?
horst

 

[horst siegert]

there ist a problem with microsoft.
I try to activate my office 2003 via phone. and they tell me, that there is
a technical problem with microsoft. and, that I have to retry on monday!!
Normaly I am one of the guys thinking friendly about ms, but that ist not to
accept - tomorrow I'm traveling with my brandnew notebook abroad.
But, what can I do?
horst

 

[horst siegert]

there ist a problem with microsoft.
I try to activate my office 2003 via phone. and they tell me, that there is
a technical problem with microsoft. and, that I have to retry on monday!!
Normaly I am one of the guys thinking friendly about ms, but that ist not to
accept - tomorrow I'm traveling with my brandnew notebook abroad.
But, what can I do?
horst