Problem registering Office:mac 2008

[DreaG2001]

I just bought MS Office 08 for Macs, and everything installed fully with the
registration key code. I restarted my computer. Now whenever I click on any
of the 4 applications (Word, Powerpoint, etc) they won't open. Instead "MS
Office Assistant" opens immediately asking me to "Get Started" by either
learning more or Registering. Whenever I click register and log in my
hotmail name/password, it takes me to a page "Mactopia" with long URL that
begins with https://profile.microsoft.com/RegSysProfileCenter/wizard but the
page is blank (white) except a gray bar at the top allowing me to sign out or
go to the homepage (also has a MS Search field). All i get is a constant
rotating green circle in the middle that appears to be processing something
but nothing ever happens. I can leave it like that for an hour and it gets
me no where. I have tried this endless times, reconnecting my internet,
shutting down and restarting my computer, etc.
If I can't get past this MS Office Assistant then i wasted my money because I
can't open any application. I've tried getting to the application indirectly
by opening old word documents but it still does the same thing.
Can someone please help me? I bought this software because it's an emergency
for work.
Sincerely,
Drea

 

[Diane Ross]

I just bought MS Office 08 for Macs, and everything installed fully with the
registration key code. I restarted my computer. Now whenever I click on any
of the 4 applications (Word, Powerpoint, etc) they won't open. Instead "MS
Office Assistant" opens immediately asking me to "Get Started" by either
learning more or Registering. Whenever I click register and log in my
hotmail name/password, it takes me to a page "Mactopia" with long URL that
begins with https://profile.microsoft.com/RegSysProfileCenter/wizard but the
page is blank (white) except a gray bar at the top allowing me to sign out or
go to the homepage (also has a MS Search field).

It is not necessary to register. Registration of Office for Mac just puts
you on a mailing list. You do not have to activate Office for Mac.

It also sounds like you've been hit by the "loop" bug.

Install and Update Errors
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/error/install_update.html#fails2>

Let us know if you continue to have problems.

 

[DreaG2001 via MacKB.com]

Hi Diane. Thank you for replying so promptly.
I took your advice and did exactly as you (and that site) said. Then I
clicked on an MS Office application (first Word then Powerpoint) and the
Office Setup Assistant immediately opened again but this time instead of
taking me to the "Learn More" or "Register" location, it took me to the
original location asking for the product key. I put it in exactly like the
first time when I originally installed it, and hit continue. That's where it
stops now. Hitting continue (lights up blue) gets me no where. It just stays
there. I quit out of it all and tried everything again. This time I emptied
my trash. Then performed the same exact procedure with same results. So now
I think i'm worse off then I was before, if that's possible. Very
frustrating. I looked through the other issues on the page <
http://www.entourage.mvps.org/error/install_update.html#fails2> but my issue
was not on there.

Do you have any other suggestions or know of someone who could help me?

Sincerely,
Drea

 

[Diane Ross]

Do you have any other suggestions or know of someone who could help me?

Please send the following to me for submission.

Send me an email:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/support_options/email.html>


a) did you ever install the Office 2008 beta?

b) what version of Office 2008 did you have installed (12.0 or 12.1.1)?

c) please send me the following files:

/Users/username/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office
2008 settings.plist

/Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Office/OfficePID.plist

d) please send me your product key from your CD.

I can submit these to the developer and he will be able to help. You are the
first person to have a recurring problem like this once the fix is used.

After you send me the files, use "Remove Office" then try the install again
to see if you can get it to work. You might even boot from a new User to
install. Go to System Preferences --> Create a New User in Accounts. Switch
to the New User by logging out/in or use Fast User Switching. Install from
the new User.

Be sure to install in the Root application folder.

I'll be happy to work with you personally to get you installed.

 

[Diane Ross]

d) please send me your product key from your CD.

If you have a scanner, can you scan the CD case for the product key.
Sometimes it's easy to confuse numbers and letters.

 

[Patrick Houlihan]

It is not necessary to register. Registration of Office for Mac just puts
you on a mailing list. You do not have to activate Office for Mac.

It also sounds like you've been hit by the "loop" bug.

Install and Update Errors
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/error/install_update.html#fails2>

Let us know if you continue to have problems.

Diane, I am having a problem identical to the one outlined in the original
post. I have tried to follow the instructions in the webpage you cited. That
page states that I should delete two files, Microsoft Office 2008
settings.plist and OfficePID.plist. Those files do not exist in the locations
given on the webpage.

Thanks for any help.

 

[bolney]

I too m having the exact same problem. I tried the fix then couldn't get
anywhere by clicking the "continue" button. I really need to get this
software working quickly.

 

[bolney]

I am having the exact same problem. I tried deleting those files and then
could not enter my key. When I typed it and hit "continue" nothing happened.
I tried hand typing it and copying it. Neither worked. It is very
important I get this resolved quick! Please tell me what I can do. Thank
you.

 

[Diane Ross]

I am having the exact same problem. I tried deleting those files and then
could not enter my key. When I typed it and hit "continue" nothing happened.
I tried hand typing it and copying it. Neither worked. It is very
important I get this resolved quick! Please tell me what I can do. Thank
you.

Quit all Microsoft applications (Easy way: log out/in with Shift key down to
disable any startup items.)
Drag the Microsoft Office 2008 folder to the Trash.
Empty Trash.
Reinstall Office 2008 from your original installation disk. See details

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/install_office2008.html>


(restarting before you launch any app is important!)

 

[Patrick Houlihan]

After posting in this and one other thread, searching online for solutions,
and asking my university's IT department for help, I've completely given up
on trying to use Office 2008. Whatever amount of money my university spent on
it was a complete waste.

I've gone back to Office 2004 for now and will eventually migrate to
non-Microsoft products. I've been a Microsoft Word user since the first Mac
version.

 

[bolney]

Diane,
It worked! It must have simply been that I had to hold down shift
while logging in. Thank you for the prompt and helpful support.

 

[Diane Ross]

Glad you are working correctly!

--
Diane

Diane,
It worked! It must have simply been that I had to hold down shift
while logging in. Thank you for the prompt and helpful support.

 

[Juan Frias]

Hey I have the same problems that most of the users had I found a solution
try downloading Mozilla Firefox instead of using safari as your internet
search engine. It works for me.