Swapping office programs between machines (2003)

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I have MS Office 2003 Standard Edition installed on one machine, and just got a second machine with Office 2003 Basic (like standard, but w/o Powerpoint) pre-installed. I want to have Powerpoint on the new machine, not the old machine. (I.e., I’m NOT trying to get around the licensing terms or steal the software.) The easiest thing to do would be to uninstall Powerpoint on the old machine, whip out the XP Standard disks and try to install Powerpoint on the new machine. But I’m reasonably certain that because the two products (Standard and Basic) have different serial numbers, Windows will choke and try to do something bad to me if I try that. I also thought about just uninstalling the programs on both machines, and then re-installing them, each on the other machine. BUT, I’m afraid of what the product activation deal will do if I try that after having activated them already, and besides, it appears that because the Basic edition is OEM, it can ONLY be installed on the machine it came with.

I’ve tried for hours to find some info on the MS web site, or even just a customer service phone number, to no avail. (The only links labeled “customer service; non-technical support” link to phones for pay-per-incident technical support for specific products.)

Anyone have a clue how to do this, or at least an actual non-tech support service phone number at MS where they can tell me what to do (short of: “buy another copy of the standard ed. for $350, ha ha ha”)?

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You are right about the OEM version. It can only be installed on the machine that it came with. As for uninstalling PP on the one machine and installing it on the other (using a Custom install and installing ONLY PP), “Windows will [NOT] choke and try to do something bad to me”. The only thing that may happen is that you won’t be able to activate it on the second machine. You may be able to activate however, if you choose the “telephone” option rather than the “internet” option. This way, you can explain your situtation and what you’ve done. It may be worth a try. All they can say is “NO” . If this is the response, you can then uninstall from the second machine and reinstall back to the original. Reactivating on the original machine should go smoothly, as there have been no hardware changes on this machine.

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You are right about the OEM version. It can only be installed on the machine that it came with. As for uninstalling PP on the one machine and installing it on the other (using a Custom install and installing ONLY PP), “Windows will [NOT] choke and try to do something bad to me”. The only thing that may happen is that you won’t be able to activate it on the second machine. You may be able to activate however, if you choose the “telephone” option rather than the “internet” option. This way, you can explain your situtation and what you’ve done. It may be worth a try. All they can say is “NO” . If this is the response, you can then uninstall from the second machine and reinstall back to the original. Reactivating on the original machine should go smoothly, as there have been no hardware changes on this machine.

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The End User License Agreements for the non-OEM version includes the following:

SEPARATION OF COMPONENTS. The Software is licensed as a single product. Its component parts may not be separated for use on more than one device.

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Right you are Tony. Should have investigated this one a bit more thoroughly. Thanks.

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Right you are Tony. Should have investigated this one a bit more thoroughly. Thanks.

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The End User License Agreements for the non-OEM version includes the following:

SEPARATION OF COMPONENTS. The Software is licensed as a single product. Its component parts may not be separated for use on more than one device.

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If you have the time and money to burn, then call Microsoft. What is the price for a standalone version of Powerpoint? Buying that seems to be your logical option.

I would be very surprised if Microsoft gave you an install number – as there is no way they can verify that you are only installing part of the Standard Version.

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I’m not sure why it seems logical that I should have to buy a second copy of a program I bought to use on only one machine, when all I want to do is use it on only one machine …. just a different one from the one on which I first installed it. The only thing logical about that is that it appears to be my only option, and its only puprose it line Microsoft’s pockets with money the license agreement never was intended to give it. Sorry for the flame; not your fault, unless you wrote the license agreement and advised MS to make it impossible for users to call customer service with a licensing question.

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As I understand it, if you have a licensing question you can call customer service. They *should not* charge your credit card for a licensing question-but they require that you give them the number before they’ll listen to your question. I guess they do that just in case the question leads into an area for which they do charge support.

As for the ‘logic’ of buying a second copy, Microsoft intends that you think of Office as a single program. In those terms you can remove all of Office Standard from the first machine & install it on the 2nd. The reason for buying a second copy is because the OEM license for Office Basic doesn’t allow you to install it on the 1st. Not Microsoft’s issue in this case-I know of OEM’s who don’t use a restrictive license for their versions of Office. (White box OEM’s-and I don’t recall whether or not their versions of Office are OEM or Retail. It’s been a couple of years since I last bought Office pre-installed.)

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Well, the problem with calling customer service is that they won’t even give you a number unless you go through a whole series of *tech support* menus to explain what program your’re having a problem with (and they don’t mean “office” generally; they mean is it Word, or Outlook, etc.), what your tech problem is, etc. Also, there’ s no guarantee that they won’t charge me, is there?

That said, those folks who had the smarts to look at the EULA are to be thanked; I was too dumb to try that I guess. Reason: The EULA for the standard version allows installation on two machines, provided the second is mobile (as it is in my case). So, this solves my problem, although it makes me look even dumber for having bought the (evidently unnecessary) basic version for my second machine…..

Grrr. And you’re probably right: The vendor (here, IBM) might be to blame for this all.

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Well, the problem with calling customer service is that they won’t even give you a number unless you go through a whole series of *tech support* menus to explain what program your’re having a problem with (and they don’t mean “office” generally; they mean is it Word, or Outlook, etc.), what your tech problem is, etc. Also, there’ s no guarantee that they won’t charge me, is there?

That said, those folks who had the smarts to look at the EULA are to be thanked; I was too dumb to try that I guess. Reason: The EULA for the standard version allows installation on two machines, provided the second is mobile (as it is in my case). So, this solves my problem, although it makes me look even dumber for having bought the (evidently unnecessary) basic version for my second machine…..

Grrr. And you’re probably right: The vendor (here, IBM) might be to blame for this all.

Reply | Quote

As I understand it, if you have a licensing question you can call customer service. They *should not* charge your credit card for a licensing question-but they require that you give them the number before they’ll listen to your question. I guess they do that just in case the question leads into an area for which they do charge support.

As for the ‘logic’ of buying a second copy, Microsoft intends that you think of Office as a single program. In those terms you can remove all of Office Standard from the first machine & install it on the 2nd. The reason for buying a second copy is because the OEM license for Office Basic doesn’t allow you to install it on the 1st. Not Microsoft’s issue in this case-I know of OEM’s who don’t use a restrictive license for their versions of Office. (White box OEM’s-and I don’t recall whether or not their versions of Office are OEM or Retail. It’s been a couple of years since I last bought Office pre-installed.)

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I’m not sure why it seems logical that I should have to buy a second copy of a program I bought to use on only one machine, when all I want to do is use it on only one machine …. just a different one from the one on which I first installed it. The only thing logical about that is that it appears to be my only option, and its only puprose it line Microsoft’s pockets with money the license agreement never was intended to give it. Sorry for the flame; not your fault, unless you wrote the license agreement and advised MS to make it impossible for users to call customer service with a licensing question.

Reply | Quote

If you have the time and money to burn, then call Microsoft. What is the price for a standalone version of Powerpoint? Buying that seems to be your logical option.

I would be very surprised if Microsoft gave you an install number – as there is no way they can verify that you are only installing part of the Standard Version.

Reply | Quote