Product Key

[Bob H]

I have a emachines (Gateway) computer with Vista Home Premium 32 - Bit
installed. When I try to open a .pps file I am asked for a "25 character
Product Key". I cannot locate this Product Key as any numbers I find in
paperwork and items received do not approach 25 haracters and nothing is
labeled Product Key.

 

[Charlie42]

I have a emachines (Gateway) computer with Vista Home Premium 32 - Bit
installed. When I try to open a .pps file I am asked for a "25 character
Product Key". I cannot locate this Product Key as any numbers I find in
paperwork and items received do not approach 25 haracters and nothing is
labeled Product Key.

Under the assumption you are using Powerpoint to edit/view .pps files:
Microsoft Office is asking you to enter it's product key. This product key
can usually be found along with the installation media, or printed on a
certificate.

If your Office suite is a trial edition, you will have to purchase it in
order to get a product key. Keep in mind, there are other alternatives such
as the free OpenOffice suite or Microsoft's Office Viewers (read-only).

Enter the product key for your Office system program:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA101769311033.aspx

PowerPoint Viewer 2007:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...40-14e1-467d-8dca-19d2a8fd7485&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft Office Communities newsgroups:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx

Charlie42

 

[John Barnett MVP]

My emachines' came with a 'trial' version of Microsoft office pre-installed,
I assume yours is the same. The trial period is 'around' 60 days or so,
after which you either need to buy a product license or remove the trial
version from your PC. As I already had a full retail copy of Office 2007
before I purchased this machine, I opted to uninstall the trial version.

It is amazing how many sales people forget to tell you that the machine you
are buying is littered with 'trial' software (Office, Norton etc) and send
you away believing that you have really got a damn good deal. It is only
when you get the machine home and start trying the different software that
you find that you have to buy the trial software after the trial period.

As suggested by Bob Open Office is good 'free' office suite, after all
Microsoft Office is rather expensive. Also Microsoft has got a PowerPoint
viewer (which is free
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...40-14e1-467d-8dca-19d2a8fd7485&displaylang=en )


--
--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Jeff Strickland]

PPS is a PowerPoint file, which is a component of MS Office. To use
PowerPoint, you have to use the Office Product Key, OR install a free
PowerPoint Viewer -- sorta like Acrobat Reader, you can view files but not
create or edit them.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Computer manufacturers often install a trial version of Microsoft Office.
If you are getting a prompt to type in a Product Key when opening a Microsoft
Office program, it s likely the trial period is over and you'll need to purchase a
license (product key) for Microsoft Office.

The product key affixed to your computer is for Windows Vista (the operating system)
and not for Microsoft Office. Please review the following:

How to determine whether you have a trial edition of a 2007 Office suite or program installed:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927920/en-us

How to convert a trial version of a 2007 Office suite or program to a full retail perpetual license version:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927756/en-us

How to buy the 2007 Microsoft Office suites:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/suites/FX101678741033.aspx?ofcresset=1


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows System & Performance

---------------------------------------------------------------

:

I have a emachines (Gateway) computer with Vista Home Premium 32 - Bit
installed. When I try to open a .pps file I am asked for a "25 character
Product Key". I cannot locate this Product Key as any numbers I find in
paperwork and items received do not approach 25 haracters and nothing is
labeled Product Key.

 

[Jeff Strickland]

My emachines' came with a 'trial' version of Microsoft office
pre-installed, I assume yours is the same. The trial period is 'around' 60
days or so, after which you either need to buy a product license or remove
the trial version from your PC. As I already had a full retail copy of
Office 2007 before I purchased this machine, I opted to uninstall the
trial version.

It is amazing how many sales people forget to tell you that the machine
you are buying is littered with 'trial' software (Office, Norton etc) and
send you away believing that you have really got a damn good deal. It is
only when you get the machine home and start trying the different software
that you find that you have to buy the trial software after the trial
period.

From the perspective of the salesman, if you know how to uninstall this
crap, you do not need to be told that you can do it. And if you do not know,
they really do not want to watch your start to look like a deer in the
headlights explaining about all of the stuff that you are going to want to
remove as soon as you get home.

PS
YOU could have installed your copy of Office on top of the Trial Version and
saved a step.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Actually, Jeff, I am well aware that I could have installed Office over the
trial version, but as soon as I got this new machine the first thing I did
was to create the recovery disk and then the whole hard drive was
reformatted (it came with Vista premium). After reformatting I installed
Vista Ultimate and then installed Office 2007.

I agree that if you know how to uninstall the 'crap,' as you put it, you
don't need to be told that you can do it. A large percentage of new users
actually don't know how to uninstall an application. My point is that many
sales people, especially in the UK, are more interested in bandying software
names about in an attempt to get a sale rather than explaining that the
software they are talking about is only a trial version and you will need to
fork out £200 or more on top of the price you already paid for the PC to get
the full version.

I've actually gone into a computer superstore and made out that I knew
nothing about computers and the cash register signs light up in the sales
person's eyes. They then lead you away saying 'this machine is £400 but it
is only basic, it really won't do what you want it to do (did I actually say
what I wanted the PC to do?). How about this one at £800, this has got this
gizmo and that gizmo and it has Microsoft Office and Norton Security
pre-installed and is a great bargain. I've only got a few left (so why is
there a pile 8 feet high?) you won't regret it. This PC is virtually future
proof (strange saying 'future proof' when everyone knows that the brand new
PC you just purchased will be out of date within a matter of day.)'

The sale person's face usually turns to horror when I finally drop the hint
that I am a Microsoft MVP, Beta tester (not only for Microsoft but for other
software companies too) and a Computer Journalist and that what the sales
person has just told me is a load of cr*p!

--
--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Jeff Strickland]

Actually, Jeff, I am well aware that I could have installed Office over
the trial version, but as soon as I got this new machine the first thing I
did was to create the recovery disk and then the whole hard drive was
reformatted (it came with Vista premium). After reformatting I installed
Vista Ultimate and then installed Office 2007.

I agree that if you know how to uninstall the 'crap,' as you put it, you
don't need to be told that you can do it. A large percentage of new users
actually don't know how to uninstall an application. My point is that many
sales people, especially in the UK, are more interested in bandying
software names about in an attempt to get a sale rather than explaining
that the software they are talking about is only a trial version and you
will need to fork out £200 or more on top of the price you already paid
for the PC to get the full version.

Your point is well taken, but I would suggest that most buyers are not
interested in software names outside of their particular interest being
bantied about. If a buyer askes if the Acme Suite is installed, the sales
guy will answer that specific application or bundle, but not say a word
about the others. He certainly will never talk about stuff a machine might
have preinstalled and then go into how to get rid of it. A buyer that hears
how to rid himself of stuff may automatically assume he has to rid himself,
and that leads to the obvious question, "if I have to get rid of it, why is
it there?" No salesman wants to watch his buyers eyes glaze over in
confusion about doing stuff, and concern that he may need to acutally pay
for service to get stuff off of a machine that the makers put on.

I've actually gone into a computer superstore and made out that I knew
nothing about computers and the cash register signs light up in the sales
person's eyes. They then lead you away saying 'this machine is £400 but it
is only basic, it really won't do what you want it to do (did I actually
say what I wanted the PC to do?). How about this one at £800, this has got
this gizmo and that gizmo and it has Microsoft Office and Norton Security
pre-installed and is a great bargain. I've only got a few left (so why is
there a pile 8 feet high?) you won't regret it. This PC is virtually
future proof (strange saying 'future proof' when everyone knows that the
brand new PC you just purchased will be out of date within a matter of
day.)'

The sale person's face usually turns to horror when I finally drop the
hint that I am a Microsoft MVP, Beta tester (not only for Microsoft but
for other software companies too) and a Computer Journalist and that what
the sales person has just told me is a load of cr*p!

The sad part of that story is that the sales person probably has no clue
that he is selling a load of crap.