new MacBook Prod -can't install Office 2008 "Your product key is not valid."

[atltdm1]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Just received a brand new MacBook Pro 13", purchased Office 2008 for Mac (Student edition), attempted install and receive "Your product key is not valid." each and every attempt (6X). No "trial" version of Office 2008 installed (certainly Apple didn't install it).

Any ideas?

 

[atltdm1]

Software was purchased new from Virginia Tech, and was sealed.

 

[John H. Holliday]

Software was purchased new from Virginia Tech, and was sealed.

No wonder it doesn't work. It was probably packed or sold by one of your
football players on his part time job in the book store...

 

[Justin]

No wonder it doesn't work. It was probably packed or sold by one of your
football players on his part time job in the book store...

That was productive.

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

Software was purchased new from Virginia Tech, and was sealed.

Sealed how?

A genuine Microsoft product will be packaged in a box similar to one of
these you see here
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/Office2008/default.mspx> and the
box will contain a printed DVD disk (not burned). The disk will come in
a sleeve with the product key on a yellow sticker on the back. This is
what you will enter when installing the software.

If you received something other than this then you will need to contact
Virginia Tech. Otherwise, call Microsoft and request a new product key.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

 

[atltdm1]

Bill - the software was purchased through the university's Campus Agreement (not retail through the bookstore) as Microsoft Part # 731-01793 "Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac with Service Pack 1". FYI: the DVD came in a sleeve w/ a yellow product key label along with another label "Media Tag X14-86969" on the back of the DVD sleeve. The DVD sleeve was sealed in a clear plastic sleeve (bag).

ZERO apps have been installed on this MacBook since it was received from Apple until the ill-fated attempt to install Office 2008. From my perspective, either the product key is invalid "as printed" (MS would have to verify the check-digit/encoding), the wrong DVD was somehow inserted into the DVD sleeve (unlikely in a production environment) or … Office 2008 thinks another copy was installed by Apple?

Your recommendations on potential solutions are welcomed. Just don't say "contact Microsoft for a replacement product key". I've already been down that road and found that the links on <https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?&c1=505&gprid=12853&&st=1> do not work – as a matter of fact, this issue was reported directly to you on 7/23/2009 2:23 AM PST by (e-mail address removed) who was having Office 2008 activation problems -- your response was "Try this again or from a different computer. All the links here work for me." -- well, at least you didn't add "try re-booting". Nonetheless, the links are (still) broken for this 20+year IT veteran, too.

 

[Diane Ross]

Your recommendations on potential solutions are welcomed. Just don't say
"contact Microsoft for a replacement product key". I've already been down that
road and found that the links on
<https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?&c1=505&gprid=12853&&st=1> do
not work – as a matter of fact, this issue was reported directly to you on
7/23/2009 2:23 AM PST by (e-mail address removed) who was having Office 2008
activation problems -- your response was "Try this again or from a different
computer. All the links here work for me." -- well, at least you didn't add
"try re-booting". Nonetheless, the links are (still) broken for this 20+year
IT veteran, too.

I just tested the links and they work for me. I wonder if this is why you
are having a problem with your key. I'm not sure if the installer calls out
for verification or if it's in the installer.

Invalid Product Key after updating to SP2

<http://tinyurl.com/nmogr5>

If the fix here doe not work, you can send me your keys for verification in
the comments.

 

[CyberTaz]

Unfortunately there isn't much that users in the newsgroup can do with
regard to Invalid Product Key issues. As you've indicated, those have to be
handled by the developer. I know there were a number of keys that were
pirated & have been invalidated. Whether yours is within that range I have
no idea. Use the following phone number to contact Microsoft:

1-866-474-4882; M-F, 5:00 AM ­ 9:00 PM Pacific Time

Or try this page: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/contactus.mspx

Also, I'm not sure why the link Bill supplied didn't work for you ‹ there
could be any number of reasons including ISP issues. FWIW, it does work from
here using either Safari 4.0.3 or Firefox 3.5.3, but it could have been a
temporary glitch as well.

Good Luck |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Diane Ross]

– as a matter of fact, this issue was reported directly to you on 7/23/2009
2:23 AM PST by (e-mail address removed) who was having Office 2008 activation
problems

Just so you are aware, this is not an official Microsoft forum. We are your
peers.

 

[JimG]

Sealed how?

A genuine Microsoft product will be packaged in a box similar to one of
these you see here
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/Office2008/default.mspx> and the
box will contain a printed DVD disk (not burned). The disk will come in
a sleeve with the product key on a yellow sticker on the back. This is
what you will enter when installing the software.

If you received something other than this then you will need to contact
Virginia Tech. Otherwise, call Microsoft and request a new product key.

Hope this helps!

Hi Bill,

Microsoft has entered into special agreements with certain higher
education institutions. Typically, the higher ed institution is
responsible to burn their own copies of office on their own media and/or
provide downloadable installers. The disc delivered by Virginia Tech may
not have been properly prepared before distribution, as the special
agreements require the campus distributor to create a special installer
version that when installed by a valid user does not require a product
ID during installation.

Also part of these special agreements is that the campus that provides
the install media is responsible for support. In this case, the disc
should be returned to the Virginia Tech organization that distributed it
and they should provide a new, properly prepared install disc.

-Jim

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

Microsoft has entered into special agreements with certain higher
education institutions. Typically, the higher ed institution is
responsible to burn their own copies of office on their own media and/or
provide downloadable installers. The disc delivered by Virginia Tech may
not have been properly prepared before distribution, as the special
agreements require the campus distributor to create a special installer
version that when installed by a valid user does not require a product
ID during installation.

Also part of these special agreements is that the campus that provides
the install media is responsible for support. In this case, the disc
should be returned to the Virginia Tech organization that distributed it
and they should provide a new, properly prepared install disc.

Hi Jim!

Yes, I'm aware of this. I wouldn't have been so explicit with my
explanation if the poster hadn't mentioned he had purchased "Student &
Teacher" edition and mentioned it was "sealed".

That tells me he's not purchasing one of the educational volume licenses.

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

 

[atltdm1]

THE PRODUCT KEY WAS NOT VALID (confirmed by MS) - CASE CLOSED. Thanks go to KS.