recovering a PID

[James Dasher]

I've been having problems with Office v.X, such as slowness,
unexpected application termination, etc. I decided to install the update
(10.1.2, I think - the one that includes all previous updates, since I
hadn't ever updated the app).

Earlier today, in a fit of digital housekeeping, I deleted some old files,
including - yep, you guessed it - the MUD file referenced in this post:
<http://communities.microsoft.com/NewsGroups/
previewFrame.asp?ICP=GSS3&sLCID=US&sgroupURL=microsoft.public.
mac.office&sMessageID=%253CBB10DF3B.145CB%2525mickey.stevens
@mvps.org%253E>. I don't have the product key, and now I can't use
my Microsoft Office.

(In my defense, the file had an Entourage logo - the purple border
above the white doc with the brown envelope. The file was in my home
directory, not in ~/Library or somewhere more appropriate. Still a
stupid maneuver, I'll grant you that, but it wasn't a *totally* bonehead
assumption.)

I tried doing as indicated in the post: I tried the "Contact Microsoft"
option, signed in with my Passport. When I reached an option to email
my problem, the interface requested my PID, which is what I'm trying to
contact Microsoft to recover. Do I really have to pay another $35 to
recover the PID?

As I said, I don't have the product key. (I misplaced some CDs when I
moved last year. I still need to contact Adobe about InDesign, but
that's another story, for another forum. Any suggestions?

Thanks -

 

[Diane Ross]

I've been having problems with Office v.X, such as slowness,
unexpected application termination, etc. I decided to install the update
(10.1.2, I think - the one that includes all previous updates, since I
hadn't ever updated the app).

You don't need a key to update a legitimate copy.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

You don't need a key to update a legitimate copy.

Actually I was thinking about this issue and I don't see how deleting
the MUD could make you loose the registration.
The MUD folder is "user based" and does not contain any king of hidden
file or information that registers Office as far as I know.


Corentin

 

[James Dasher]

-----Original Message-----


Actually I was thinking about this issue and I don't see how deleting
the MUD could make you loose the registration.
The MUD folder is "user based" and does not contain any king of hidden
file or information that registers Office as far as I know.

Well, then I'm at a loss. I couldn't (and still can't) figure out what else
might've happened, and the post I referenced was the only indication
as to what might've happened.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Hi James,

Well, then I'm at a loss. I couldn't (and still can't) figure out what else
might've happened, and the post I referenced was the only indication
as to what might've happened.

There are two files related with the PID:

/Applications/Microsoft Office X/Office/Officepid
(it's an invisible file)

and
~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office Settings (10)
which also contains other preferences)

These are the files I'd worry about. One of them might be badly
corrupted resulting in the loss of the registration.

Corentin

 

[James Dasher]

-----Original Message-----

/Applications/Microsoft Office X/Office/Officepid
(it's an invisible file)

It's empty. I still have the files that the 10.1.2 updater moved to Trash,
but an Officepid file wasn't among them. On a side note, I did notice
that the updater moved each application in its entirety - not really an
update, just a replacement.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Hi James,

It's empty. I still have the files that the 10.1.2 updater moved to Trash,
but an Officepid file wasn't among them.

There is no reason why it should. THe updater is not supposed to touch
this file.
What do you mean by "it's empty" ?? No file at all or you found a file
and didn't see the PID by editing it ??? You're not supposed to be able
to read the PID from this file. I suspect the PID is stored somehow in
the resources.

On a side note, I did notice
that the updater moved each application in its entirety - not really an
update, just a replacement.

It probably did so for the items it replaced. Not everything gets
replaced during the update process...

COrentin