Re-install Office 2003 after crash?

[skipdl44]

When my 3.5 year-old Compaq laptop crashed recently, I thought it might be a
power cord issue so I took it into the big-box office store where I'd bought
the cord. They offered a "free" tune-up, said I had "lotsa malware" and said
they could eliminate it.

At each step I sought and received assurance that they would save and backup
all my data, files, software, etc. But they did a restart, and wiped the hard
drive clean, including all software, including my Office 2003 suite.

A 60-day free trial version was preloaded on the laptop when I bought it and
I subsequently paid MS $149 to buy the Student-Teacher version. I never
received disks and, as a I recall, I downloaded and validated the full
software suite on-line.

I have a transaction number and product key code, but when I first went on
the Office site, I was referred to HP/Compaq because the software had been
"pre-loaded" when I bought the laptop.

However, HP support says they can't help me because Office 2003 is "no
longer on the market" and referred me back to MS.

Who do I contact and what can I do to download the software I've bought and
paid for?

....without paying some "support" fee (as I've already paid once for this MS
product).

I don't want an upgrade to Office 2007, with an additional fee. I like the
03 version fine.

Also, can I get the disks this time?

I'm entitled to install Office 2003 on two additional computers and intend
the first of these to be on the new HP I've just purchased.

Anyone else ever encountered a situation like this?

Thanks in advance for your feedback and advice.

 

[LVTravel]

When my 3.5 year-old Compaq laptop crashed recently, I thought it might be
a
power cord issue so I took it into the big-box office store where I'd
bought
the cord. They offered a "free" tune-up, said I had "lotsa malware" and
said
they could eliminate it.

At each step I sought and received assurance that they would save and
backup
all my data, files, software, etc. But they did a restart, and wiped the
hard
drive clean, including all software, including my Office 2003 suite.

A 60-day free trial version was preloaded on the laptop when I bought it
and
I subsequently paid MS $149 to buy the Student-Teacher version. I never
received disks and, as a I recall, I downloaded and validated the full
software suite on-line.

I have a transaction number and product key code, but when I first went on
the Office site, I was referred to HP/Compaq because the software had been
"pre-loaded" when I bought the laptop.

However, HP support says they can't help me because Office 2003 is "no
longer on the market" and referred me back to MS.

Who do I contact and what can I do to download the software I've bought
and
paid for?

...without paying some "support" fee (as I've already paid once for this
MS
product).

I don't want an upgrade to Office 2007, with an additional fee. I like the
03 version fine.

Also, can I get the disks this time?

I'm entitled to install Office 2003 on two additional computers and intend
the first of these to be on the new HP I've just purchased.

Anyone else ever encountered a situation like this?

Thanks in advance for your feedback and advice.

First you should always backup to another device any downloaded software and
any data files to ensure you can reinstall it just in case what happened to
you happens. At least you do have the transaction number and activation
key.

Since HP won't and can't help you recover the preinstalled software contact
Microsoft after reading this KB article.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-gb