Missing product key and microsoft had me delete word 7

time to get back on the phone with microsoft.

Hi Pat,

Just to verify. you have (or had) Microsoft Office/word 2007. It started asking for a product key. MS had you uninstall / reinstall. Still is asking for a key.

Do you have the original package and product key?

If not there are free alternatives.

I am going to say you had a demo version and it has expired.

Try using one of the free open source programs like OpenDocs.

Indeed, open office is great. Also if it was pre installed, then you may find if you have a backup partition, if you reset to factory defaults, the program could be back.

Good old Microsoft, I simply cannot understand how office worked for 2 years, the only reason why it would ask for a licence key is if it was in fact a trial version of office 2007 Installed by HP.
I wish you had not followed Microsoft`s advice, I would of told you there was a way to retrieve the licence key, and check if it was indeed a valid one for full use or a trail key. In any case Just forget office like said there are plenty of programs like open office that will do the same job as office 2007. And they are free.

Here is the link to open office aerowny, please click on the link bellow.

http://www.openoffice.org/download/index.html?utm_expid...

HP provides a document with all of it's computers that has the product keys (it has for years). Unless specifically asked for Office does not come preinstalled (works does but Office doesn't). I see 3 possibilities here:

1. Someone Phishing for a key
2. It was Works installed in which case a key is not required
3. Office was installed in which case a separate key would have been provided, if the key has been lost contact HP to see if they have it on file, if not a new key has to be purchased to reinstall Word (backup, backup, backup) or get a free alternative (OpenOffice or my favorite LibreOffice).