I want to install Windows Office on to my Samsung NC10 notebook, however it doesn’t have a CD-ROM drive. Is there another way of installing Windows on to my system without using the CD?

How to Obtain a Free Office Download

Yes, there is another way to get a copy of Microsoft Office on your computer. First, head on over to Microsoft Office Online and download a free 60-day trial version. Microsoft offers several versions of Office 2007 for this two month trial period including: Office Professional 2007, Office Home and Student 2007, Office Standard 2007, and Office Small Business 2007.

Select the version you’re most likely to invest in. For example, while it might be nice to download the fully loaded Pro version, if you have no intention of shelling out the big bucks for programs you’ll never use you’ll save yourself some grief by having the version you really want.

I opted for the Home and Student version when I did this because I really only needed Word and Excel. Compare the different versions and their price tags before you download.

Microsoft Office is huge, so if you don’t have broadband, it could take hours to download.

Using and Activating the Trial Version

Once downloaded, you have 60-days to make up your mind. If you’re set on buying the product like I was, then go ahead and purchase it right away. If you want to explore your options, such as by trying the free OpenOffice.org software, then stick with the trial version and try out both.

The first time you open one of the Office applications, you’ll be prompted to activate it. You’ll need to enter the trial version’s Product Key followed by agreeing to the license terms. At the end of the 60 days, Office will no longer function as normal. You will be able to view and print existing files but you will not be able to create new ones or make changes to existing ones.

Alternatives to Microsoft Office

I mentioned OpenOffice.org as an alternative. This suite is an open source (free) alternative that is giving Microsoft a run for the money. If you’re not sure you want to spend hundreds of dollars on software right now, this is an attractive option. Like the Office suite, this suite has a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation application, and database. You can download the entire suite and begin using it right away, never paying a penny. This download may take a long time as well if you don’t have high speed Internet access.

What to Do if you Have an Office CD

Now, if you have already purchased a copy of Microsoft Office and belatedly realized you had no way of installing it, I believe you can use the product key on the product you just purchased. I saw some incredible deals on Microsoft Office over the Thanksgiving weekend and can imagine snapping up a copy only to bring it home and say, “now what?” If the trial version doesn’t accept it, and it might not as Microsoft has so many controls over their digital rights systems, a call to customer service should straighten it out. Explain your situation and they should be able to help.

Finally, if you have a CD and your laptop can connect to a home or work network, you can access the CD via a shared network drive. You may need to set up a CD-ROM on one of the network computers for sharing. But once set up and connected, you can access the drive through the network, just as if it were a local drive. Let me know if you need details on how to do this and I’ll be glad to go over it for you.  

Celeste Stewart | December 3rd, 2008
Tags: how to install Office on notebook that lacks CD drive
Categories: Microsoft Office

You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.