Vista Business & OEM Office 2003 Professional

[ridgerunner]

I read in an earlier post that Vista and Office 2003 are compatible, and
wanted to be certain that also includes Vista Professional and Office 2003
Professional. I feel that I need to confirm and clarify the part of the
post about not being able to transfer an OEM version of Office. Does this
mean that if I buy a Dell laptop that I will not be able to transfer my OEM
Office 2003 from my old Dell desktop to my new laptop? I have the CD's that
have written on them "For a Dell Computer Only". This is very important to
me.

Thanks for your assistance,
ridgerunner

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Ridgerunner

Unfortunately, an OEM version of Office 2003 cannot be moved to a new
computer. Like Vista, it is tied to the first system that it is installed
on.

"Your installation cannot be activated" error message when you try to
activate Office 2007 or Office 2003:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826526/

 

[Homer Schwartz]

Call MicroSquish and explain that you have Office 2003 on ONE computer and
you will be allowed to activate it.

It should work on your other Dell. I have done it a few times when
upgrading from one Dell to another. No biggie.

 

[Mac]

If it says "For a Dell Computer Only", and you are buying a new Dell then by
rights you should expect it to be transferable. However you will need to
argue the point with Dell.

If I were you, I would pursue the matter... plus so long as you transfer
something from the old Dell (a screw even), then it is quite legal (not that
the EULA has ever been tested in any court of law).

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I read in an earlier post that Vista and Office 2003 are compatible,

That's correct.

and
wanted to be certain that also includes Vista Professional and Office 2003
Professional.

There is no edition of Vista called Vista Professional, but *all*
versions of Vista are compatible with Office 2003.

I feel that I need to confirm and clarify the part of the
post about not being able to transfer an OEM version of Office. Does this
mean that if I buy a Dell laptop that I will not be able to transfer my OEM
Office 2003 from my old Dell desktop to my new laptop?

That's correct. That's the nature of all Microsoft OEM software, and
its biggest disadvantage. Once installed on one computer, it may never
be transferred to another.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Microsoft OEM software is non-transferrable to a different computer.
It is licensed solely to the original computer it was installed and
activated on.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

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

:

I read in an earlier post that Vista and Office 2003 are compatible, and
wanted to be certain that also includes Vista Professional and Office 2003
Professional. I feel that I need to confirm and clarify the part of the
post about not being able to transfer an OEM version of Office. Does this
mean that if I buy a Dell laptop that I will not be able to transfer my OEM
Office 2003 from my old Dell desktop to my new laptop? I have the CD's that
have written on them "For a Dell Computer Only". This is very important to
me.

Thanks for your assistance,
ridgerunner

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I read in an earlier post that Vista and Office 2003 are compatible, and
wanted to be certain that also includes Vista Professional ....

There's no such thing. Do you perhaps mean Vista Business?

.... and Office 2003
Professional. I feel that I need to confirm and clarify the part of the
post about not being able to transfer an OEM version of Office.

All you needed to do was read the OEM Office EULA on your hard drive;
it would have answered this question.

Does this
mean that if I buy a Dell laptop that I will not be able to transfer my OEM
Office 2003 from my old Dell desktop to my new laptop?

No. OEM licenses are permanently bound to the firast computer on which
they're installed, and are not legitimately transferable to another
computer under any circumstances.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[ridgerunner]

Thanks to all of you for your prompt help.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

If it says "For a Dell Computer Only", and you are buying a new Dell
then by rights you should expect it to be transferable.

Since when can anyone "reasonably" expect an OEM license to be
transferable? They never have been in the past.




--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[ridgerunner]

Vista Business is what I meant to write.

There's no such thing. Do you perhaps mean Vista Business?



All you needed to do was read the OEM Office EULA on your hard drive; it
would have answered this question.


No. OEM licenses are permanently bound to the firast computer on which
they're installed, and are not legitimately transferable to another
computer under any circumstances.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand
Russell

 

[ray]

Thanks to all of you for your prompt help.

Never fear, you can indeed get virtually all the same funcionality (at
least what most folks need) by installing OpenOffice.org for free.