I've searched google for hours and not found a workaround for this issue: I have Office 2007 Education and it allows up to 3 activations on 3 separate computers. Currently I have it activated on 2, and I just installed it using bootcamp and activated it successfully. However, I am currently using VMware Fusion and I anticipated being able to load Office without an issue through the virtual machine. Unfortunately, it's now telling me (when loaded in VMware) that I have to activate office 2007 again. Problem is that it has already been activated 3 times, so it's not allowing me. Everything still works fine on bootcamp, but apparently VMware is being treated by office as another physical PC. Has anyone found a successful workaround to this? Someone on another forum suggested changing VMware's MAC address to the same as OSX and XP's, but I can't figure out how to do this. Any ideas?
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Office 2007 activation issue with VMware Fusion
- Thread starter Pat H
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I wouldn't worry too much about it. Next time you install Office on another machine and it asks you to contact Microsoft, just give them a call and explain the situation, they will give you an authorization code. Microsoft know that these kinds of situations are happening all the time.
After having problems with 3 previous new mac machines which I had to return for a replacement, I have installed a single OEM version of XP on 4 different machines and have had to call up Microsoft 7 times so that I could install it in Parallels as well as Boot Camp.
Hi, Ive got a similar problem, I use office xp and if i use it on windows through fusion its ok but if i boot directly into windows via bootcamp it asks to be re activated. if i do reactivate, when i next go into windows through fusion again i have to reactivate again. I just try to remember not to use office if im in windows directly.
Actually I just tried to open Office in Boot Camp after I had already registered Office 07 both in Boot Camp and then Parallels and it also asked me to re-activate the product. It works fine in Parallels.
Thankfully I have absolutely no use for Office in Boot Camp, only in Parallels, but it is annoying.
I was thinking about calling MS to explain the situation and get another activation code, but there's 2 problems I can foresee with this, 1. the MS support rep has no idea what I'm talking about and thinks I'm trying to install a pirated copy of Office 2. I get a code to activate it on fusion, and then when I restart fusion at a later time the MAC address changes and I have to reactivate (at which point I'm SOL). Has anyone activated office on Fusion and then had to re-activate later for some reason? If not, getting an additional activation code might be worth a shot.
I dont pesonally have office 2007 but if you ring up Micosoft just tell them that you upgraded the Ram/logic board whatever they should give you another activation code or tell them that you have a Mac and your trying to install it under fusion,its been done many times before
Infinite # of activations needed
I think I have the same prob as gazcaz. At least in my case it seems that a single instance of office can't hold two activation codes. So when I activate in Bootcamp the next time I use Vmware I need to re-activate. If I re-activate in vmware, then the next time I boot up into Bootcamp I have to re-activate, etc. If you wanted to use the software in both environments then I would have to re-activate every time.
Unfortunately even though I have Office 2008 for Mac I have that excel crashing problem, so I need to use Excel in Vmware when I am in OS x.
Maybe I am doing something wrong, because it seems most people on have to activate once. It might be that my windows was activated in both places before I activated office. not sure.
I think I have the same prob as gazcaz. At least in my case it seems that a single instance of office can't hold two activation codes. So when I activate in Bootcamp the next time I use Vmware I need to re-activate. If I re-activate in vmware, then the next time I boot up into Bootcamp I have to re-activate, etc. If you wanted to use the software in both environments then I would have to re-activate every time.
Unfortunately even though I have Office 2008 for Mac I have that excel crashing problem, so I need to use Excel in Vmware when I am in OS x.
Maybe I am doing something wrong, because it seems most people on have to activate once. It might be that my windows was activated in both places before I activated office. not sure.
I'm affraid there's no workaround for this one. I just made an administrative install of office xp using the /a command. I copied the contents of the folder on the root of my windows partition. Now I just have to click through the wizard, which renders the issue just a little annoying but not a real problem. I also got a bootleg version of office:mac 2008, but the lack of support for VBA obliges me to use office through fusion. AppleScript is really useless in this regard. I thought about installing 2004 again, but it's not worth the sacrafice.
I have the same problem with this. Office 2008 under Mac. Office 2007 under XP. If I run Fusion from the Mac and open Office 2007, I have to reactivate it. When I boot into XP under boot camp, I have to reactivate it again.
A solution would be very welcome as this is driving me mad.
A solution would be very welcome as this is driving me mad.
Does anyone know a way of getting out of this looping hell?
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Is there a way to stop this happening over and over again?
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Boot camp XP = reactivate Office 2007
Fusion XP = reactivate Office 2007
Is there a way to stop this happening over and over again?
Isn't it terrible that this is probably the only way around this problem, albeit not strictly legal.
I suppose there may be a small chance of convincing MS to supply a copy. Nah, barking at the moon even thinking of this:-(
Just shows how lousy Microsoft's licensing is. Remember everyone: we exist to pay money to Microsoft. Now don't forget it.
Microsoft Article
Please see this Microsoft article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919895/
According to VMWare, you need to active twice, once in Bootcamp and then again in Fusion. My all other applications was activated twice. I called Microsoft when it showed that I reached maximum attempts. They were very helpful. Now I have Office 2007 running in Fusion. But then Bootcamp activation failed. The file OPA12.DAT is the one that keeps this information.
Please see this Microsoft article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919895/
According to VMWare, you need to active twice, once in Bootcamp and then again in Fusion. My all other applications was activated twice. I called Microsoft when it showed that I reached maximum attempts. They were very helpful. Now I have Office 2007 running in Fusion. But then Bootcamp activation failed. The file OPA12.DAT is the one that keeps this information.
Sorry to revive an old thread, but is there any permanent fix for this? It is very annoying, and the "fix" has to be done every time you switch.