Microsoft Sucks!? Help!?

Question

My wife and I purchased Office a few years ago and are trying to install it on our new laptop. We are getting the message that says that even though we paid for it, we are only allowed to install it for a limited number of times. I went to the website to get a phone number and it says we have to pay $45.00 to talk to them. Ridiculous to pay for something and then only be able to use it for a certain number of times. Any way to resolve this?

Answer 1

openoffice http://www.openoffice.org

Answer 2

you have the product key right?  

Answer 3

Unfortunately I can offer no help with Microsoft.  I ran into a similar scenario. First a virus forced me to reformat my computer twice. Then my home burned down. I was lucky that the disks were in storage. When I got a new Pc, I ran into your trouble and dissatisfaction.  I mailed all of my disks to Microsoft with a letter asking for help. I sent the disks as proof that they were legitimate. Not only did I get no help, they never returned my disks and refuse to send replacements.  I recommend OpenOffice.org or Lotus Symphony as a free alternative. We will have to keep paying for Windows until Linux becomes a little more user friendly. But we don't have to buy the optional software.

Answer 4

This is typical - when you buy software, you're generally only legally allowed to install it on one computer.  If it's been uninstalled from the old machine then you should be able to do phone authorization to get a code to install it on the new computer.  I've done this is the past when recovering from hard drive crashes, but I'm not sure if they allow it for different hardware.

Answer 5

http://OpenOffice.org <----same thing, but free. made by the guys who make java

Answer 6

They usually will wave the charge to reactivate the key.  Just give them a call and tell them you are not paying.

optionally, check out http://www.openoffice.org  It is a free substitute for MS Office and works pretty good.

Answer 7

If there is only one installation of this particular software, then you should be able to call into the MS Activation center (which should be free to call, I have done it lots) and explain that this is a new computer and the only one with the installation and ask if it can be re-activated.