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can't install Office Professional 2003 upgrade on Windows 7
I've got MS Office Professional 2003, which I've installed with no problem on my Windows XP sp2.0 PC. It's an upgrade version, on the basis that I had Works 7.0 installed on my PC. I've used it successfully since I purchased it in 2005.
I've just bought a new Dell inspiron running Windows 7. It originally had Works 9.0 and a trial version of MS Office 2007 home/student edition installed. I wanted to install my MS Office 2003 Professional as I needed to keep using Outlook and Access, and saw no reason why I should have to buy a new version of Office when 2003 suited me just fine.
However, when I ran the Office 2003 setup program (remember, this is an upgrade), after asking me my product ID key, it told me it couldn't complete the installation without a valid previous version of Office being there already. It did not mention Works. This, despite confirming on the MS Office website that having a previous copy of Works makes you elibible for using the upgrade copy of MS Office 2003 (or later).
I've repeated the set up procedure several times, and after deinstalling the existing copies of MSOffice 2007 and Works 9.0, and installing instead my old copy of Works 7.0. To no avail, it always asks to see an installation of Office 2000 or XP before continuing.
Any ideas? It seems to me that the validation part of the old set up program doesn't work under Win 7.
I realise Office 2003 is now an old version, and that in an ideal world we should all be ugrading to the most recent versions ov any program. But given that even the upgrade version of Office 2003 Professional cost a significant amount of money at the time, and that it's perfectly fine for my needs, why should I be forced to buying a more recent version just because there's an apparent clash with Windows 7?
fireberd
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May 10th, 2010 04:00
This really needs to be taken up with Microsoft. It's not a Dell issue, and you will have to comply with the Microsoft terms of use. "Upgrade" copies of any program can get sticky when trying to reinstall it on something that is not the way it was originally installed.
It's not a compatibility problem between Office 2003 and Windows 7, as I have (a full version - not upgrade version) Office 2003 installed on my Win 7 PC.
Except for an e-mail program, the free Open Office suite of programs are equivalent to and comparable to MS Office. www.openoffice.org
RChris
370 Posts
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May 10th, 2010 09:00
As Firebird suggests, call Microsoft. They will most likely give you a product key to activate it... you should be able to continue using your Office 2003. Worst case is that they may ask you to remove the program from your XP computer, but I think the Office license allows both a desktop and a laptop to have the program.
I had a similar problem when I installed MS Money on a computer that I'd upgraded to Windows 7. I got bounced around to a few numbers at Microsoft, but finally got a tech that understood the issue and gave me a new key.
hrova
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May 10th, 2010 14:00
Are you sure the version of Works you had was not the Works Suite, which includes the Micorosft Word word processr, and would allow for the upgrade? Everything I've read about the upgrade version requires a version of Office or one of its programs....
rachelcullen
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May 10th, 2010 15:00
Thanks for your suggestions, everyone. I realised it was most likely a Microsoft issue (and I've posted this on an MS forum too) and I'll take it up with them. But it's useful to know that some of you have run Office 2003 on Windows 7 with no problem, but that also a similar issue with another MS product was experienced by one of you. As regards the eligibility of Works as a basis for an upgrade to Office, others have raised this question too. But that's the way it's marketed in the UK, so may be it's a UK licence thing? See http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/products/FX101754511033.aspx#1
Anyway, thanks again for your input.
hrova
2.2K Posts
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May 10th, 2010 16:00
I was wrong - I double checked and Works should qualify... Sorry 'bout that....
Hopefully MS can get this worked out for you. Keep us updated.
hrova
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May 10th, 2010 19:00
Hi. I hate beig wrong, so I continued to search for something relevant to add....
This is interesting information....
"Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Upgrade will upgrade Microsoft Works 2000, Works 6.0-7.0, Works 8.0, Works Suite 2000-2003, Works Suite 2004-2006, Microsoft Office XP Developer, Pro Special Edition, Professional, Small Business Edition, Standard, Office 2000 Developer, Premium, Professional, Small Business Edition, Standard, Office 97 Professional, Small Business Edition 1 & 2, and Office 97 Standard."
Perhaps your Works version is too new to be upgraded to an older product.
Have you tried uninstalling Works on the new computer and installing your older version of Works. Obviously, it would have to be a complete uninstall first, otherwise the older version may not install, thinking there is a newer version on the machine...
I am fairly confident that would work.... IF the version of Works is able to be istalled on Windows 7 enough that the upgrade sees it....
rachelcullen
3 Posts
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May 11th, 2010 16:00
OK, I'm feeling dumb now. Tried the install again, this time when I got the error that it couldn't find a valid version of Office 97,2000 or XP I just put the Works installation disk in the CD drive and it recognised it instantly and allowed me to continue the MS Office 2003 install. This, despite the fact that Works was already installed on the PC and that setup was not accepting it, and demanded a valid install of a previous Office version. Should have tried that to begin with but... sometimes you just miss the obvious stuff. Thanks for all your help, everyone.
hrova
2.2K Posts
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May 11th, 2010 16:00
Hardly anything for you to feel dumb about (heck, look at the straws I grasped at)... Glad it worked out for you...
muto
872 Posts
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June 18th, 2010 11:00
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