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Office from old hard drive to new laptop

Tags:
  • Laptops
  • Windows XP
  • Hard Drives
  • Office
Last response: in Windows XP
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August 22, 2014 2:16:14 PM

I bought a copy of office for a VERY reduced rate through my former employer's exchange license and installed it on my wife's laptop. Since then, her laptop died a much needed death. I took out the hard drive and put it in an external USB 3.0 case so her files were still available. How can I get that office package over to her new computer? I don't have access to the emails from Microsoft with the registry information. It will not open from the external location, and my attempts at moving files over did not work, either. Ideas?

More about : office hard drive laptop

a b D Laptop
August 22, 2014 2:20:13 PM

My guess is that Microsoft would not rely just on the registry for determining a file's directory. This would be way too easy for someone to transfer MS Office to their friend's PC. Microsoft probably has some form of an encrypted file in the MS Office directory that contains the data related to ownership and proper directory, and if the directory does not match that file's current directory, MS Office won't run.

That is just my guess, so I would recommend getting out your MS Office CD disk and you should be able to use it up to 3 times.
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August 22, 2014 2:22:58 PM

Thanks. Problem is that with that purchase, it was a download and not a physical CD.
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a b D Laptop
August 22, 2014 2:25:23 PM

If you have the download code, try it again, although assuming you use XP not sure if Office 2003 would work still downloaded.
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August 22, 2014 2:37:38 PM

Thanks guys. I will try it later tonight. Have to go to work now and keep the streets safe!!!
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a b D Laptop
August 22, 2014 2:52:36 PM

There is also Google Drive for free :) 
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a b D Laptop
August 22, 2014 3:26:46 PM

Hi

Presuming the old Hard drive is working there are a number of programs which can extract theMS Office key from the registry files on the old hard drive
one example is Nirsoft produkey

you need to get the correct version of MS Office which matches that key

eg Office 2007 or 2010
Pro, Enterprise etc

The offer was usually limited to employers with Enterprise licences and allowed their employees to use Office on home computers.
There was the choice of getting a CD in a libary case with printed key or download version with emailed licence key.
(I got Office 2007 & 2010)

If download version is still on the laptop hard drive you can use that for re-installation

regards
Mike Barnes
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