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Upgrade video >> must reactivate OEM MS Office -- but I have no CDs!
Pardon me if this is common, but initial searches of the forum(s) didn't find anything, and I'm a bit frustrated.
I have a Dimension 4300 (yes, it's olllld) running Home XP SP3. I had the audacity (AUDACITY!) to upgrade the display (Dell 2209WA) and then bought a new video card to support the new display's top resolution. That install went great, but now when I start the MS Word that came with the PC I am told that I need to "re-activate" the software because the computer has changed too much.
I'm then asked to point the installer to my "Microsoft Office XP for Small Business" CD -- that I don't have. If one came with the computer in November 2001 it's long gone now.
So, am I outta luck or is there a process for satisfying Microsoft. Dell tech doesn't want to hear from me unless I have a charge card in hand,.
It's going to take a very small push to convince me to move to OpenOffice -- and from there linux can't be far away.
Thanks for any assistance,
Steve Alred
Upper Marlboro, MD
fireberd
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June 9th, 2009 05:00
Hello Open Office, good bye MS Office.... If you no longer have the install CD (and product key) for MS Office there is no way to get another copy except to buy one.
But, I'm surprised Office asked you to reactivate. I just installed a new Video card in my Vista PC and I had to reactivate Vista because of hardware changes, MS Office did not ask to be reactivated.
Linux has 1% of the PC market (what I read today in a newsletter), even less than the 5% that MAC's have.
salred
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June 11th, 2009 05:00
Yep, OpenOffice it is. I've been playing with the word processor and I can't find any significant shortcomings in the limited way in which I use it. MS Word has a better provision for printing envelopes, but that's not a deal breaker.
Now to reclaim some disk space.
-- Steve A.
PS: Right about Linux; I was just P-O'd. Eight years is probably enough on the Dimension anyway; I'll just save up and buy a new 'puter when Windows 7 SP1 ships...
RoHe
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June 11th, 2009 17:00
Open Word and click Help>Activate Product on toolbar. If it asks for your product key, it's probably on a sticker on the side of your tower -assuming you purchased Office from Dell when you ordered your PC, lo those many years ago.
Never having needed to reactivate Word (Office), I don't know if it will ask you for the CD or not, but worth a try...
Ron