Trying to reinstall my MS Office after Factory Restore

Hi All,

Awhile back I found help here, and found the best thing for me to do was a factory restore. When I did that, some things were removed, such as My MS Office Suites 2010.

I didn't worry at the time, wasn't really using them that much, but today I went to reinstall from my CDs, and it wouldn't take the product key. So I called the support number and they told me the warranty was out of date, so I could get help but had to pay for it, which I cannot afford right now.

Does anyone know how to get this application activated? I payed for these Suites, and have used them only on this laptop, it's all I have.

Any help appreciated, denise

 

Sounds like you are calling the manufacturer's line but it's Microsoft you have to call about this. From what you have said I'm sure they will sort you out - unless it was a pre-installed trial version, now time expired. Did you purchase Office separately?

 

Yes, purchased separately. Also, I believe it was Microsoft I called, they passed me around to a few "lines' and then said I had to pay for help. So I said I couldn't afford that now, and said goodbye.

 

You must try again - Office isn't cheap and as you haven't infringed your licence it has to be sorted. In the US try (800) 642 7676

 

Ok, I will try your number and thank you so much Denise

 

This is such BS. It just never stops with Microsoft. I just purchased Office 2013 from an online reseller whose visual representation of the product was the typical oversized box within which always comes an installation disk. I did receive that box in the mail a couple of days ago, shrink-wrapped in plastic and within which was.... nothing. Just a credit card sized piece of cardboard with a product key and an internet address. That pissed me off enough but when I went to the website I found that I couldn't even download the installation files (which I could have backed up and used the next time I need to reinstall Windows). Instead they just installed the software directly onto my computer, hidden in the background, without me even knowing it!

So the next time I have to reinstall Windows (which for me is too often), I could run into the same crap that outdoorgal is up against now. But that's actually a moot point because I never wanted to install the suite on this desktop computer in the first place. I'll soon be off to a remote part of Africa for a year and I want to install it on a computer that the charity organization is going to provide me with once I get there. Internet access in that part of the world is almost non-existent, so that little piece of cardboard with a number on it will do me no good whatsoever.

I spent the better part of today on the phone, bouncing between the reseller and Microsoft. The reseller says I have to sort it out with Microsoft and Microsoft says I have to sort it with the reseller. I purchased a license, from Microsoft, for a software product that I am legally allowed to install on one computer...a computer of MY choice. Apparently not. Microsoft told me that I already had it installed so I used up my license. I said that I'd simply uninstall it from this computer. They said that I couldn't because there's no way to uninstall it; they don't provide any uninstaller for internet installations of MS Office. And that does in fact seem to be the case as I am unable to find an uninstaller and the program doesn't show up in the Add/Remove control panel applet.

I'm not one to back away from this type of abuse so I'm going to keep calling, and writing, until I either get a setup file/disk or my money back. I will keep you in mind, outdoorgal, and will post in this thread anything that might assist you in getting back what's owed to you.

 

Ok Rusty,

That is a ripoff, we should always get a disc/cd/dvd hardcopy. I have bought some games from Bigfish, but only 3. I don't like it though, I want the discs, but you don't get them, yet you are paying for them. I suppose they are more expensive in a store where you get the DVD. I don't know for sure. But I do have my CD's with the full version of MS Office 2010. I guess I should have asked, but apparently, the product key "goes away" so you can't reinstall after a time. Why would I even think that, I bought the dang program!

Oh well, you are right, it is bs. I hope you find a solution, and I hope I do too! I installed on one computer/laptop, and one only, I had to do a factory reset because I think I must have had some sort of virus. Will never know for sure, and now I'm trying to put "MY" software back on, and they want to charge me again.

Like I said, I hope you get yours resolved, I hope we both do Denise

 

It shouldn't matter whether it's a silly little game or a silly bloated hunk of office software, they can still provide the installation files to the customer without further cost to themselves.

 

I can scarcely believe what I'm reading here. "I guess I should have asked" - too true!! Try again, this time as if you mean it.

 

I did some digging and found a page on the Microsoft site that deals with lost or "damaged" (what?) product keys for Office 2010.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/s...microsoft-office-product-key-HA104172018.aspx

If, at the time you purchased the software, you "associated" your installation with an online Microsoft account (usually Live.com) then you can follow the appropriate link for getting assistance via that account and it's free. I've purchased several versions of Office in the past (on CD/DVD) and only with this most recent online purchase was I asked to associate the installation with a Microsoft account. I'm guessing that you didn't know about this either when you purchased your software on disk, and therefore did not associate the installation with an online Microsoft account.

I used this same page to get to another page where I was able to live chat with a support person and this was free as well. I told them about your case and they said that they could help you free of charge, and that retail Microsoft product keys do not expire. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of which links I was pressing so I can't tell you exactly how to get to this chat page from the one cited above. I'll let you know if I find it again.

I was able to sort my mess out with the reseller, who eventually caved and gave me a download link to a disk image of my product. Why the heck they didn't just do this to begin with I don't know. In any case, my situation was quite different from yours and I believe that it's Microsoft that you need to appeal to, not the manufacturer or reseller. Try the number that Earthling provided in message #4 of this thread.