Installation

Where do I find my product key?
What happens if I lose my product key?
How many times may I install this software?
During installation, I get an error that the product key I entered was not valid.
After installation of Microsoft Office, Office applications prompt me for a product key.

Activation

Which products require activation? How can I tell if my product requires activation?
How many times can I activate a product?
Does this mean I can't reinstall software?
What if I get a new computer? Can I transfer the software?
I am activating my product and I get an error. What do I do?
What if I don't activate a product that requires activation?

Q. Where do I find my product key? 
A. For media available to work-at-home/ student select users, the product key is located on a sticker on the back of the sleeve in which your installation CDs came. For multi-disc sets, the key will usually be on the last envelope.

The product key is 25-characters in five sets of five characters. There may be an eight-character part number beneath the key; this is not the product key. Please note that the product key is printed in a machine-readable font in which "B"s and "8"s often look similar. **PLEASE DO NOT LOSE THIS KEY!**

Q. What happens if I lose my product key? 
A. Product keys are uniquely generated by Microsoft. If they are lost, they cannot be re-created. If you have lost your key, you will need to contact Microsoft by phone (1-800-642-7676). 

Q. How many times may I install this software? 
A. Each individual eligible is licensed for one (1) copy of each product purchased.

Q. During installation, I get an error that the product key I entered was not valid. 
A. Errors during product installation (note, product activation is an entirely separate process) that report an invalid product key are usually the result of typing your product key incorrectly.

The product key is 25-characters in five sets of five characters. There may be an eight-character part number beneath the key; this is not the product key. Please note that the product key is printed in a machine-readable font in which "B"s and "8"s often look similar.

If, after verifying that you are entering the key correctly, you are still unable to install the product, you should contact Microsoft Installation Support. Microsoft offers unlimited installation support free of charge (long distance charges may apply) for products currently available. Please seewww.support.microsoft.com for information on contacting Microsoft installation support for your specific product.

The Windows Vista Business Edition Upgrade and the Windows XP Upgrade are upgrades, meaning that you must have had a legitimate Windows Operating System already installed on your computer for it to upgrade from.

Note: Windows XP upgrades will not work from the Windows Media Center Operating System. Windows Vista Business Edition upgrade will not work from Windows Vista Home Premium System.

Q. After installation of Microsoft Office, Office applications prompt me for a product key. 
A. Some users have reported that after successfully installing Microsoft Office, they are prompted to enter a product key when they run one of the newly-installed Office applications. Upon entering the product key you used to install Office, you get an error that "You have not entered a valid product key". This is a known issue with Microsoft.

This problem occurs when you install Microsoft Office on a system on which an Office family product (e.g. Word, Access, Works Suite, etc.) has already been installed. This frequently occurs when you purchase your computer from an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) such as Dell or HP that has pre-installed Microsoft Works Suite or Microsoft Office. When you install the Office suite, you create a conflict between the key you entered during installation and the product key already in the system from the pre-installed product. To resolve this issue, uninstall Office, then uninstall the application or suite that was already on your computer. You should then be able to reinstall Office without difficulty.
 
Q. Which products require activation? How can I tell if my product requires activation? 
A. Most products available require activation. This includes, but is not limited to: Office 2007, Office XP, Office 2004 for the Mac, SharePoint Designer, Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Business Edition and Visual Studio 2005. These products should have a unique 25-character product key on
one of the CD envelopes. DO NOT LOSE THIS KEY!

Q. How many times can I activate a product? 
A. Microsoft product activation uses the hardware configuration of your computer to tie your unique product key to your actual computer. Once you have activated a Microsoft product on your computer, you will not be able to activate it on any other computer. Typically, you can activate a product up to 10 times on this one
computer. After you have reached the allowed number of activations, you may have to activate by phone and speak with Microsoft for further assistance.

Q. Does this mean I can't reinstall software? 
A. Not necessarily. If you do not format your hard drive, product activation information should stay on your computer even if you reinstall Windows or other applications. You will not need to reactivate the software unless you have changed the hardware configuration of your computer. If you do format your hard drive (formatting clears all information off of your hard drive) or if you alter the hardware configuration of your computer, you will need to reactivate the software. It is up to you to contact Microsoft and resolve any activation issues (1-800-642-7676). 

Q. What if I get a new computer? Can I transfer the software? 

A. Once you have activated a software product, the unique product key becomes linked to your physical computer in Microsoft's systems. If you try to install the software on a second computer, you will get an error. If you want to transfer the software permanently to a second computer, you will need to activate the product by phone for the second computer after completely uninstalling the software from the first computer. There may be a charge associated with moving the activation from one computer to another, and Microsoft may limit the number of times the software can be moved. It is up to you to contact Microsoft and resolve any activation issues. 

Q. I am activating my product and I get an error. What do I do? 
A. The problem depends on the specific error you are receiving. Most errors that occur during activation will provide a toll-free number that you can call for assistance from Microsoft. You should be at your computer when you call this number. If the error states that the product key entered is not valid (most likely to occur during installation), it is likely that you mistyped the product key. The product key is 25-characters in five sets of five characters. There may be an eight-character part number beneath the key; this is not the product key. Please note that the product key is printed in a machine-readable font in which "B"s and "8"s often look similar. If the error states that you have exceeded the allowed number of activations, you may have to call Microsoft to have the activation count reset. If the error states that the product is already registered on a different machine, you may be trying to install a second copy of the product when it is not allowed. When you first activate a Microsoft product, the activation software creates a "hash" for your computer. If you attempt to install the software on a computer that generates a different hash, either because you have materially changed the hardware in your computer or because it is a different computer altogether, the activation attempt will fail. Please note that Student Select products can be installed on one computer and one computer only. If you have upgraded your hardware, or are permanently moving the software from one computer to another, you must
call Microsoft in order to reset your activation information.

Q. What if I don't activate a product that requires activation? 
A. You must activate products that require activation. Once installed they will indicate the time remaining for activation - either in days (typically 14 days for Windows) or in number of executions (typically you can launch Office applications 50 times) - after which the product will become unusable.

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