Product Key Problems

[mstarmer]

I purchased office Home addition and loaded it on both our home computers, but used the same Product Key for both (oops). So now when both computers are using office, the program quits. My CD came with 3, so I uninstalled one copy and reinstalled it, but it never gave me the option to reinput the Product key. I can't seem input the new key and my family is on my case...This seems like an easy fix....can you tell me what to do?

Thanks

 

[Diane Ross]

I purchased office Home addition and loaded it on both our home computers, but
used the same Product Key for both (oops). So now when both computers are
using office, the program quits. My CD came with 3, so I uninstalled one copy
and reinstalled it, but it never gave me the option to reinput the Product
key. I can't seem input the new key and my family is on my case...This seems
like an easy fix....can you tell me what to do?

Did you use "Remove Office" or did you drag to the trash? Only "Remove
Office" completely removes this file.

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

 

[mstarmer]

Hi Diane -
Yes - I ran the "Remove Office" program and then emptied the trash. When I goto the CD and install Microsoft, once I click on agree to the license, it skips the product Key question and gives me my old product id number and says continue. Any other suggestions?
thx

 

[Diane Ross]

Yes - I ran the "Remove Office" program and then emptied the trash. When I
goto the CD and install Microsoft, once I click on agree to the license, it
skips the product Key question and gives me my old product id number and says
continue. Any other suggestions?
thx

Try this:

Delete these two files on one of the machines:

~:Libraryreferences:Microsoft:Office 2008:Microsoft Office 2008
Settings.plist

where ~ is your home folder, and

HD:Applications:Microsoft Office 2008:Office:OfficePID.plist

files.

When you start an Office app, you'll be asked for a CD Key.

 

[John Sheehan]

 

[John_SHEEHAN]

Thanks for this tip. I made the same mistake of entering the same license key on two machines on the same network, and couldn't reinstall with a new license.

Deleting the first file did the trick. Note that the second file you list under HD:Applications is removed by the Remove Office app.

 

[Diane Ross]

Deleting the first file did the trick. Note that the second file you list
under HD:Applications is removed by the Remove Office app.

"Remove Office" is supposed to remove all files. I'll report this as a bug
in "Remove Office" for Office 2008.

 

[mstarmer]

Super news! It works!! Thanks a ton for the help!

 

[Barkley Bees]

Just out of curiousity, how is Office aware that another copy with the same
key is running?

- Does it call back to Microsoft every time it launches to verify used
product keys?
- is there an Activation process?
- is it checking on the LAN for other copies of Office with the same key
somehow?

 

[Diane Ross]

Just out of curiousity, how is Office aware that another copy with the same
key is running?

- Does it call back to Microsoft every time it launches to verify used
product keys?
- is there an Activation process?
- is it checking on the LAN for other copies of Office with the same key
somehow?

I believe it just looks on the local network. If the computers aren't
networked, you can install on 100 computers. Of course, that wouldn't be
legal.

There is no activation process on Macs. Registration" has nothing to do with
the operation of the software - unlike the Activation required for MS
Windows software. It's little more than a marketing tool.

 

[John McGhie]

It's very similar to Bonjour ‹ it sends a single packet out to the local
network node saying "This is me!". If it gets an answer "No, you're not, I
am me" it issues an error message and quits.

The Windows mechanism is much more sophisticated, due to the much greater
losses from software theft in Windows.

As long as Mac users can resist the temptation to "share" software with
people who have not paid for it, we will not see Activation or key
cancelling on the Mac.

If the losses from people who do the wrong thing get too great... Well, he
Windows mechanism is sitting on the shelf, ready to go

Hope this helps

Just out of curiousity, how is Office aware that another copy with the same
key is running?

- Does it call back to Microsoft every time it launches to verify used
product keys?
- is there an Activation process?
- is it checking on the LAN for other copies of Office with the same key
somehow?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50

 

[Davis' Dad]

Thank you thank you thank you. I have been working on this problem for days. I stopped by the apple store and they couldn't help me. I've been to multiple web pages and this is the only one that had the right answer. I'd hate to know how many times I've re-installed office 2008. My wife and I can co-exist on our computers again.

Thanks