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I have tried to download PowerPoint for two years now but I am still unable to get the program to run. HELP?

PowerPoint Installation Problems

I’m curious about the circumstances of your PowerPoint problems. For example, which version of PowerPoint is giving you trouble? Where are you getting the original installation file? Also, did the other applications in Office install okay? Does your system meet the minimum system requirements to run this program?

Known Office Issues with Windows 2000 SP3

If your computer is running Windows 2000, Service Pack 3, a known issue prevents some Office applications from running. Several specific error messages can appear with this issue, with the end result being that you can’t run the Office program. This is related to incompatibilities between Windows Installer versions and permissions. If you’re running Windows 2000 SP3, view this Microsoft Knowledgebase article for details.

Starting PowerPoint in Office Safe Mode

Depending on the version, you may be able to start PowerPoint in Office Safe Mode. Office Safe Mode starts the required program with fewer features and user customizations. To open PowerPoint in Office Safe Mode, assuming PowerPoint is installed, hold the Control key while launching the application.

Repair PowerPoint

Microsoft Office comes with built-in repair tools that often solve tricky problems. Depending on the version of Office you’re running, the tool is called either Detect and Repair or Microsoft Office Diagnostics (2007). Either way, you can access this tool from one of the other Office applications or through the Microsoft folder.

In older versions of Office, start one of the working programs, choose Help > Detect and Repair. In Office 2007, start one of the working programs, go to the Office button, click “Program” (Word, Excel, etc) Options, click Resources, find “Run MS Office Diagnostics, and click Diagnose.

You can also go into Add and Remove Programs (Programs and Features if you have Windows Vista) which is found in the Control Panel and find the original Office installation in the list. Click on Repair to repair the installation.

Uninstall Data Assistant

Again, depending on the version, PowerPoint may be failing to run due to an incompatibility problem - this time with Data Assistant for Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 and Office Service Pack 1 and above.

Uninstalling Microsoft Data Assistant 1.0 using Add and Remove Programs will solve this problem. See this Microsoft Help and Support article for details.

Hopefully one of these tips will get PowerPoint up and running for you after all of this time. Another option is to try using OpenOffice.org’s presentation program instead. Like the other OpenOffice.org applications, this particular one is free.

I have purchased a new PC and have installed Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 however every time I switch on the computer it asks me to input the activation code, which I do however it happens each time I switch on the PC. I tried activation on line and it says it is not a valid code.

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Activation Errors

Microsoft Product Activation

Microsoft includes a product activation procedure with its products as an anti-piracy measure that verifies the legitimate license of software programs and reduces the occurrence of users accessing these programs through shareware or free download websites.

Microsoft Trial Software Programs

Sometimes activation errors are caused by the remnants of a previous trial version of Office software remaining on the computer and interfering with your new software installation. Even if you are not aware of installing a trial version of Microsoft Office, many new computers come with this kind of trial software installed as promotional material, encouraging users to try and then purchase the programs.

Uninstall Trial Software Versions

To uninstall the trial version follow the steps below.

1. Open the Start Menu, then choose Control Panel, and then Add/Remove Programs
2. Find the Office 2007 trial version listing and select Remove

***If you are unsure of the listings, or if you want to reinstall your Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, remove all the Office listings now***

1. If a Maintenance Mode dialog box opens, select Uninstall Office and then Next
2. A confirmation box will open, select Yes

Windows Installer Cleanup Utility

Sometimes Windows installations are hard to remove and bits remain behind on your systems and continue to wreak havoc for your new installations. If you are still having problems after using Windows Add/Remove, or if the trial version is still showing up in All Programs after you remove it, you can download and run the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility. To run this utility you need a Windows user account with administrator access and a 32 or 64 bit Windows program.

Reload and Register Office by Telephone

Now you can reload the Office 2007 software disks and reinstall the program. I hope that this works to resolve the issue. If not, it is possible that either your software disks or the program are flawed. Some users with this problem have had success with their activation codes by registering their Windows Office versions by telephone. It is definitely a bigger hassle than registering online, but might be worth it if you are still getting this message. Microsoft telephone activation center phone numbers vary by country and region. To find the center nearest you, perform a browser search for Windows Office 2007 Telephone Activation Center.

I am not sure if you have recently attempted to download PowerPoint or if you thought that you already had it in your downloaded applications. What you do next depends on what you have already tried to do.

What Is PowerPoint?

PowerPoint is part of the Microsoft Office collection. This application allows users to create presentations in a dynamic, colorful manner. Integrating both creativity and presentation techniques, PowerPoint offers an easy way to share all types of information.  

Where to Obtain a PowerPoint Download

Microsoft maintains an excellent array of information on its products, PowerPoint included. If you visit this link: Microsoft Office PowerPoint, you can take a glance at the options available to you. PowerPoint is included in each of the following Office suites for 2007: Office Professional 2007, Office Home and Student 2007, Office Small Business 2007, Office Standard 2007, and Office Ultimate 2007. Office PowerPoint is also available at retail stores in a standalone version.

Free Trial PowerPoint Download

Currently, it is possible to obtain a free two-month trial of Microsoft Office 2007. This download can be obtained at the following link: Free Office Download. It includes an option to purchase the product should you decide that you like it. You have the choice to select either Office Professional 2007 or Office Home and Student 2007.

Faulty Installation of PowerPoint

If you have already tried to download Microsoft Office 2007 and it isn’t showing in your list of downloads, then the download is faulty and did not complete. In that case, I suggest that you try to download and install it again.

It is also possible to download a free PowerPoint Viewer 2007 from the Microsoft web site at Microsoft Download PowerPoint Viewer. This application allows you to open and view PowerPoint presentations. You cannot edit the presentation, but you can print it if you so desire.

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.

Related Articles:

Where do I Find a Microsoft Office Product Key?

This is fairly easy, regardless of the version of Excel that you are using. First, let’s look at how to merge the cells before moving on to how to do so quickly.

Merge and Center Option

The easiest way to merge a series of cells together is to use the Merge and Center icon. First, highlight the cells, such as A1, B1, and C1, and then click the Merge and Center icon on the toolbar. It contains arrows surrounding a lower case ‘a’ similar to this: ←a→. Note that only the data contained in the leftmost cell will be retained, any data in the other cells will be overwritten.

Format Cells Option

You can also use the Format Cells command to merge the highlighted cells. You can reach this command via the Format menu or by right-clicking the highlighted cells and choosing Format Cells. Once the Format Cells dialog box opens, place a checkmark in the Merge Cells option. Faster still, once highlighted, click the Control + 1 key combination.

Tips for Faster Cell Merges

Since you have a specific layout in mind, start with a blank worksheet and set up your first row. Merge your A1, B1, and C1 cells using any of the above methods. In your case, it appears that all of your merge requirements on this first line involve three cells being merged into one, so you can simply copy your newly merged cell and begin pasting it into D and G cells. If you have other requirements, it doesn’t take too long to manually merge this first row to meet your needs.

Once you have the first row merged, apply any additional formatting that you want such as outlines or shading. If you plan on including any formulas that need to be present throughout the worksheet, add those now too.

Applying the Formatting to Additional Rows

Now that the first row is exactly how you want it, simply click on Row 1, making sure to click the actual row marker so that the entire line is highlighted and then click Control + C to copy it. Next, highlight all of the rows below row 1 where you want the formatting applied (again by clicking on the row markers located on the left side of the screen) and use the Control + V key combination to paste the contents of row 1 into these rows, formatting, merging, and all.

Opening an XLS file is easy if you have the correct software installed on your computer.

What is an XLS file?

An XLS file is generated by the Microsoft Excel application. It is a file that is used in the creation of charts and graphics made from rows of numbers. Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that requires a special program in order to open the files.

Do I need Microsoft Excel in order to open an XLS file?

If you have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer, you can open an XLS file. Fortunately, even if you do not have this application installed on your computer, you can still open the XLS file.

Microsoft Free Excel Viewer

XLS files can still be opened even if you don’t have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer. Microsoft offers a free Excel Viewer that can be used to open XLS files. You can access this viewer by visiting Microsoft’s website. You can also visit this link:

Free Microsoft Excel Viewer to access Excel Viewer directly. This version replaces earlier versions including Excel Viewer and Excel Viewer 2003.

What Can Microsoft Free Excel Viewer Do?

The free Excel Viewer can be used to do quite a bit. The XLS file can be opened, viewed, printed using the newest version of free Excel Viewer. All of the following are possible with this free download:

• Files can be opened with this viewer if they have been created in Excel for Windows (95 and later), Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and Microsoft Excel for Macintosh )versions 2.2 and later.)
• Microsoft Excel Viewer can open the following types of files: .XLSx, .XLSm, .XLSb, .xltx, .xltm, .XLS, .xlt, .xlm, and .xlw.
• You can print a portion of the spreadsheet or the entire sheet of data.
• You can view different sections of the worksheet.
• You can switch to different sections of the worksheet.
• You can magnify or reduce different sections of the worksheet.
• You can minimize the ribbon.
• You can work with the data that is contained on the sheet. However, you cannot actually edit or save any changes that you make to the data without actually installing Microsoft Excel.