General question regarding activation

[Ron]

If I understand correctly, retail version license agreement allows us to
install the product on different computers as long as we don't use it on
multiple computers at the same time. Here's the scenario:

If we uninstall office XP retail version, sell the computer (or if the
computer's broken), we then install it on our new computer. It'll ask us to
activate it and I am quite sure it'll fail because we have activated it
once. What happens then? Has anyone experience it before? What do you do to
get it to run? Thanks.

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Dave Willcox]

Ron,

Office 2003 can be installed on a Desktop and any other portable device
- meaning laptop.notebook.

Office XP can only be installed on one system at a time. However, if
you decide to sell the system, then you are required to uninstall it
completely from the system (unless you sell it with Office pre-installed
in which case you should also handover all the packaging, COA and Cds.

If the system is broken down then you can install it on another system
but activation will be required by phone. You will get a toll-free
number on screen to facilitate this should the internet activation
fails.

Generally, if the system was activated over the internet and at least
120 days have elaspsed since then you can again activate it online as
the history is generally wiped clean.

hth

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[Ron]

Thanks Dave. Where did you hear that activation history gets wiped off after
(at least) 120 days?

What I am afraid is that if we're required to call MS when we move office XP
retail installation to another PC (and activate it), someday we'll never be
able to move office xp installation (or reinstall it on the same machine) if
MS stops supporting it.

 

[ANONYMOUS]

Ron,

The 120 days is from an Article (about Windows XP) by late Alex Nichol,
MS-MVP. Have a look here:

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php#howlong

I assume the same rules apply about other retail products. OEM
reinstall on the same system always require telephone activation as
piracy seems to be on the increase with these types of CDs.

As far as I know, the Retail Version of any products can be moved to any
systems provided it is first uninstalled from the first system.
However, it is your word against Microsoft's and nobody is going to come
to your house to check you have done what you claim to have done. It is
a question of trust.

As far as MS support is concerned, they are required to continue support
for at least 10 years after first release of the product. After that
nobody knows what happens but it is likely that a patch may be issued to
avoid activation once the support has ceased. MS can't continue to have
a database of people's products installation for ever. The cost comes
into the equation whether to have a database permanently or not. Office
XP was release in 2002 and so by the time 2012 comes, people would have
stopped using their XP product - at least this is the theory! I still
use some DOS products and Windows 98SE! But hen I am eccentric!

hth