Excel,Word,Publisher asking for Product Key

[Bunny]

I purchased a new computer for my employees from Dell. Now they can't get
into excel,word, or publisher without a prompt asking for the Product Key.
Why is this happening now?

 

[DL]

Is it a trial version of Office?
If a retail version of office, you uninstalled the trial version first?
In any case not a Vista question, should be posted to an Office group, &
include version of Office

 

[Bunny]

No it's not a trial version. I paid an extra $300 for this.

 

[Gordon]

No it's not a trial version. I paid an extra $300 for this.

Have they all been activated?

 

[Bunny]

Well, good question. I thought they had. To be honest, on all my other xp
version computers that I have bought I never had to activate my excel or
word. They were already installed with it. This computer came with them
installed as well but I guess not activated? This is my first and LAST
vista. So I would have to go to the CD's and get the key code then--correct?

 

[Malke]

Well, good question. I thought they had. To be honest, on all my other
xp version computers that I have bought I never had to activate my excel
or
word. They were already installed with it. This computer came with them
installed as well but I guess not activated? This is my first and LAST
vista. So I would have to go to the CD's and get the key code
then--correct?

This has nothing to do with Vista. You need to enter the Product Key which
you will find on the disks provided to you by Dell with your system. Once
you have entered the Product Key, start any one of the programs and follow
the prompt to activate Office.

Malke

 

[Bunny]

Thank you--I will do that. But I'm just saying that I have never had to do
this with a brand new computer that I have specially ordered. And I have
ordered many of them.

 

[Malke]

Thank you--I will do that. But I'm just saying that I have never had to
do
this with a brand new computer that I have specially ordered. And I have
ordered many of them.

Fine. Then this time Dell did it differently. FWIW, this is the way Dell has
always done this - and I've been ordering Dells for clients for years and
years. It still has nothing to do with Vista or even Microsoft. If you
order preinstalled extra software from an OEM, it's up to them how they
want to handle activation.

Malke

 

[Mick Murphy]

Dell have been doing this for 2 years that I know of.
My customers have had the same prob as you.

Have to insert Product Key on disks(their sleeves) provided by Dell to make
Office functional!

 

[HeyBub]

Well, good question. I thought they had. To be honest, on all my
other xp version computers that I have bought I never had to activate
my excel or word. They were already installed with it. This
computer came with them installed as well but I guess not activated?
This is my first and LAST vista. So I would have to go to the CD's
and get the key code then--correct?

Right. But the code is not on the CD itself - it's on the sleeve or box the
CDs came in.

 

[ray]

Thank you--I will do that. But I'm just saying that I have never had to
do this with a brand new computer that I have specially ordered. And I
have ordered many of them.

Just another reason to Love MS. BTW - have you ever thought of trying
OpenOffice.org and saving the $300?