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Office XP

petlew
Pro
Posts: 7,416
Thanks: 110
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Office XP

I am trying to alter the installation of parts of Office XP installed on my PC, but am being stalled at the product key stage.
The disc (not the original) is clearly marked with the product key, and, two different product key finders find the same key.
Windows however flatly refuses to let me get past the entry of the key, telling me the key I entered is not recognised.
Is there any way of searching the disc for the product key, I suppose the answer to that should be if it was that easy there would be no point in having a key.
Any ideas please?
Experience; is something you gain, just after you needed it most.

When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you. But because in that brief moment while the coin is in the air. You suddenly know what you are hoping for.
23 REPLIES 23
artmo
Aspiring Champion
Posts: 19,524
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Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: Office XP

Some years ago I had to contact MS about a similar problem. After verifying who I was they sorted things out for me.  I wonder if they would do this for an OS they no longer support Undecided
Do the stickers on the underside/back of the PC have any different numbers on?
HPsauce
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Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Office XP

Try the magical jellybean to check the installed key.  Wink http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/
petlew
Pro
Posts: 7,416
Thanks: 110
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Office XP

Thanks HPsauce, I have Jelly Bean, it has the same "problem" as most of the others I've tried, it can't be configured to search CD/DVD drives, at least if it can I can't see it.
Experience; is something you gain, just after you needed it most.

When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you. But because in that brief moment while the coin is in the air. You suddenly know what you are hoping for.
NedLudd
Grafter
Posts: 1,898
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Registered: ‎20-10-2012

Re: Office XP

If it was that simple Petlew it would be all over the web!  Wink
Geoff,
York.
MauriceC
Resting Legend
Posts: 4,085
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Office XP

Petlew,
Download and run 'Belarc adviser'  free for personal use.  It will show you many interesting things about your PC  H/W and S/W.  Somewhere about halfway down the listing it produces is a section with Product keys for the installed Software.
Takes about 5 minutes to run and often appears to 'stick' at 57%!
hope this solves your problem.
Maurice

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

petlew
Pro
Posts: 7,416
Thanks: 110
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Office XP

Thank you gentlemen, I will look into that MauriceC.
Experience; is something you gain, just after you needed it most.

When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you. But because in that brief moment while the coin is in the air. You suddenly know what you are hoping for.
NedLudd
Grafter
Posts: 1,898
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎20-10-2012

Re: Office XP

Belarc will only examine your machine, not a CD/DVD, to extract license numbers!
Geoff,
York.
ejs
Aspiring Hero
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Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: Office XP

Is there even a key in the contents of an installation CD? Aren't the CDs all the same?
It's not necessarily the OS that's no longer supported, support for Office XP ended in July 2011.
Oldjim
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Office XP

MauriceC
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Posts: 4,085
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Office XP

NedLudd
Quote from: Petlew
alter the installation of parts of Office XP installed on my PC, but am being stalled at the product key stage.

I answered this bit?  The KEY is only printed on the  CD box, if the installation is still running then Belarc will at least let you see has been entered.
M

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

HPsauce
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Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Office XP

This thread is making less and less sense as it progresses.  Crazy
Petlew, please tell us again, maybe with different words, what you are trying to do.
MJBKF should be all you need to do what you've described, so maybe it needs describing differently (to me at least)?
petlew
Pro
Posts: 7,416
Thanks: 110
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Office XP

Certainly HPsauce. But just to clarify I'll do it the long way round.
I have Office XP installed on my PC, I have some of its sub-sections running; Word, Excel, but not Power Point or Outlook.
I have recently had a use for Power Point and would like to activate it, this is normally quite easy from the installation disc.
But as I pointed out in the OP I can't get past the product key input, as although I am for all intents and purposes using the correct key, Windows tells me I'm not.
As an aside, I have been using Office in its various guises for many years, as far as I can remember this is the first time I've been asked for the product key to make changes within Office when parts of it are already installed on a PC It shouldn't need as it already knows you are the registered user.
I am thinking that maybe somehow the registry entry for the product key has been corrupted. .
I am very loathe to un-install Office to start again with a re-install as this may mean the loss of the Word and Excel I can't currently do without, And don't want to go to the expense of a new version.
Experience; is something you gain, just after you needed it most.

When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you. But because in that brief moment while the coin is in the air. You suddenly know what you are hoping for.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Office XP

If it is a corrupted file as described in my link - reply #9 - you may be stuck with a reinstall
However I suggest trying this which is free for personal use http://www.kingsoftstore.com/software/kingsoft-office-freeware
There is also an Android version
Disclaimer - I haven't used it but I was discussing Office 2003 on a walk yesterday with a techy friend and he thoroughly recommended it
NedLudd
Grafter
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Registered: ‎20-10-2012

Re: Office XP

Sounds to me that Petlew has a 'Lite' version of office which doesn't include Outlook.  Sad
Geoff,
York.