Is there any way of checking the status of MS Office 2008 product keys without actually installing the software? ("Status" meaning if the keys have already been used or not).
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Can status of Office Mac 2008 product keys be checked?
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Why? Office 2008 does not require activation. My Home and Student version came with three product keys which could be used over and over.
Correct, Office 2008 does not require activation... You can install on multiple Macs with the same license code, if none of those Macs are on the same network.
The Home & Student version comes with 3 keys. If you have 4 Macs on the same network, you can install on all 4 if you want. But, only 3, with different license, will run Office apps at the same time while connected to the network. Office checks for other Office apps running on the same network. Same license will not work from two or more Macs. Disconnect from the network, and you could have dozens of Macs, all running with the same license. But, no network/internet which would allow the Macs to "see" the others.
The Home & Student version comes with 3 keys. If you have 4 Macs on the same network, you can install on all 4 if you want. But, only 3, with different license, will run Office apps at the same time while connected to the network. Office checks for other Office apps running on the same network. Same license will not work from two or more Macs. Disconnect from the network, and you could have dozens of Macs, all running with the same license. But, no network/internet which would allow the Macs to "see" the others.
Office 2008 only checks the local area network to make sure no other machines (on the network) are using the same key - and it is only able to check when its running on the other machine. There is no activation involved and the same key could be used on every machine.
Thanks. I'm asking because I sold a used copy (at least two unused product keys, to the best of my knowledge) of 2008 Office Mac, Home & Student to someone on ebay who is claiming, after receiving it, that he is unable to install the product because all the product keys must have been used up, contrary to what I advertised.
The error message he says he received after attempting to install the software is "install failure". I told him that there must be some other issue involved, such as OS incompatibility or failure to logon as system administrator prior to installation or some other non-product key issue, but he is having none of it, and now I am forced to give him a full refund.
The error message he says he received after attempting to install the software is "install failure". I told him that there must be some other issue involved, such as OS incompatibility or failure to logon as system administrator prior to installation or some other non-product key issue, but he is having none of it, and now I am forced to give him a full refund.
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Right... 
Product keys for Office 2008 don't get "used up", unless you have too many computers on the same network, where you will not be able to launch other Macs with the same key already applied.
The product key, good or bad, won't prevent installing Office 2008, and also won't give an install error.
The buyer has some other issue that will probalby work if he tries "uninstalling" Office, using the uninstaller on the install CD.
Then, run install again.
However - sounds like someone that you won't convince, when their mind is already made up.
Product keys for Office 2008 don't get "used up", unless you have too many computers on the same network, where you will not be able to launch other Macs with the same key already applied.
The product key, good or bad, won't prevent installing Office 2008, and also won't give an install error.
The buyer has some other issue that will probalby work if he tries "uninstalling" Office, using the uninstaller on the install CD.
Then, run install again.
However - sounds like someone that you won't convince, when their mind is already made up.