I downloaded Microsoft Office 2007 but I need the product key. What is it?
Trial Version of Office 2007
Microsoft offers a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office 2007 which is available for free download on the Microsoft Office Online Web site. For two months, you can use the software and decide for yourself whether or not it is worth several hundred of your hard-earned dollars. But alas, time flies and soon enough, the time has come where you must enter a valid Microsoft Office Product Key if you wish to continue using the software.
The Office Product Key
The Office product key is a 25-character string of numbers and letters separated by dashes in a format similar to this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. Without it, your installation of Office 2007 is barely functional. You will be able to open existing documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, but you won’t be able to edit them nor will you be able to create new files.
Obtaining a Product Key for Office 2007
In order to obtain a product key after downloading the trial version, you will have to purchase Office. You can do so in several ways. The first way is to launch one of the Office programs such as Word or Excel. Since the trial version has expired, a reminder message should appear with an option to “convert” the trial version. In other words, you’re being prompted to purchase it. Depending on the original download, this message will either have a Convert button or a Purchase button. Regardless of the language used, these buttons will take you to the Microsoft Office Web site where you can pay for your product and obtain a valid product key.
If the reminder message fails to appear, open Word or Excel and click on the Office button found in the top left corner of your screen. Click Word Options (or Excel Options). Click on Resources and then Activate Microsoft Office. From here, the Activation wizard opens and gives you a choice to either enter the product key or buy the product key online.
After purchasing the product key you will need to go into the Activation wizard and enter the key into the software. Your work isn’t over just yet. You will also need to “activate” the product. This can be done online or over the phone and Microsoft will prompt you to do so periodically. Make sure that you activate Office sooner rather than later so that you don’t lose any functionality after the activation grace period expires.
Finding the Product Key
When purchasing Office online, Microsoft sends you an e-mail with the product key included. Open the e-mail and copy and paste the product key into the software as described earlier. Save this e-mail or print it out so that should you ever need to reinstall Office, you’ll have the information readily available.
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Where do I Find a Microsoft Office Product Key?
Celeste Stewart | December 12th, 2008
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