Install Office on a Different Computer

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You can certainly use an OEM license to qualify for an upgrade *on the same
system*, but not on a different one.

 

[Beth Melton]

What Suzanne said. ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Beth,

Actually, you can use an OEM edition CD as the qualifying product to install a retail edition upgrade. Outside of the U.S. there
are some issues that would make precluding that a problem, so the OEM products are accepted as upgrade qualifiers when installing
Office on another machine.

=============
You can't use an OEM version of Office as a qualifying product on another
computer. You noted, an OEM version is tied to the computer it is installed
on and the license cannot be transferred to another computer. The original
version and upgrade are considered a single product and cannot be separated.
So if the OEM license is dead it can't be used at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Beth Melton]

That's not my understanding or what I've been told when I've asked about
licensing, which includes OEM . Do you have a link to content that explains
this?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Beth Melton]

Thanks for your email with your rationale behind why you feel an OEM version
can legally be used as a qualifying product on another computer. It's
too bad you were unable to find a link citing the legalities of OEM
licensing.

I still stand by the fact that since an OEM license cannot be transferred to
another computer and the fact that the original version and upgrade are
considered a single product and cannot be separated. If you can't use the
OEM license on another computer then you can't use its license in
conjunction with an upgrade on another computer.



Now, does it work? Sure. Is it legal? I think that's the primary question at
hand. <g>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Gordon]

Now, does it work? Sure. Is it legal? I think that's the primary question
at hand. <g>

I think "legal" is not the right concept. It /may/ be in violation of the
EULA, but is the EULA legal? MS has certainly never tested any so-called
violations of its many different EULAs in a court of law in any country -
and that says to me, that the reason they haven't is because they wouldn't
win.

 

[Beth Melton]

I think "legal" is not the right concept. It /may/ be in violation of the
EULA,

You're right, that's probably a better way to put it.

but is the EULA legal? MS has certainly never tested any so-called
violations of its many different EULAs in a court of law in any country -
and that says to me, that the reason they haven't is because they wouldn't
win.

Since I'm not an attorney I really don't know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Terry Farrell]

I'm still looking for a written answer to this. At the moment I can only
confirm that (my old employers) still sell Upgrades and use the old OEM CD
from the scrapped PC as the qualifying app. They are trying to find the
source of the information.

Terry Farrell

 

[Beth Melton]

Please let me know if you find something, Terry. I was verbally told it
couldn't be used as a qualifying product on another computer in a session on
licensing a summit or two ago.

I did a little searching too. I haven't found anything that explicitly
discusses OEM licensing and upgrades but this link seems to imply it can't
be used on another computer:
http://www.microsoft.com/ireland/smallbusiness/buy/officesbe/newpc.mspx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Terry Farrell]

Beth

I agree that this does certainly imply so. It still seems a bit hazy because
if you purchase a retail pack upgrade for the old PC, the Eula for the
upgrade implies it is transferable (with no mention of the qualifying app
needing to be transferable too). It is a bit of a shady area unless there is
something written.

Normally, we would call Microsoft business support for queries like this,
but lately we have been getting different answers to licensing queries
depending on who answers the call!

Terry