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HELP - How to reactivate MS Office 2011 after restore from Time Capsule?

A

adamolabi

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 19, 2014
9
0
Norway
Hei guys,

I had to clean up my mac and delete the other user profiles. After restoring only my profile (the admin) I was not able to open my MS Office applications. It requires the long activation code that was on the CD when I bought it. I have tossed the CDs in the garbage after having installed MS Office on my machine and on another two machines. Is there a way, or do I have really to buy a new MS Office?

Your help guys is highly appreciated!!

Adam:(
 
Call MS, talk to them. You will most likely need a new copy though :(
 
adamolabi said:
Hei guys,

I had to clean up my mac and delete the other user profiles. After restoring only my profile (the admin) I was not able to open my MS Office applications. It requires the long activation code that was on the CD when I bought it. I have tossed the CDs in the garbage after having installed MS Office on my machine and on another two machines. Is there a way, or do I have really to buy a new MS Office?

Your help guys is highly appreciated!!

Adam:(
Click to expand...

You may need to do a full restore from Time Machine. That was the only way I was able to move my license from my old MBP to my new rMBP. Otherwise you may have to buy a new license if you don't have the product keys and such. Microsoft has no way to verify you purchased it otherwise.
 
Thank for the help guys. I am afraid I will have to buy s new one. Just tried to contact MS by phone but it seems that I will have ti bay a silly fee of 90 USD regardless their answer.

Restoring the whole machin is out of the question because it is too big that the machune stops responding...

Thank you a lot for helping!!!
Adam
 
Without the activation code, you're not going to be able to do much and unless you can provide proof of purchase/ownership I'm doubtful that MS will help.

My suggestion for the future is use something like 1Password to store the serial numbers of your apps. That way if you throw something away, or lose the email, you still have it in a second location.

I used to maintain my list of serial numbers in a text document that I just used spotlight to search for. That has saved my bacon on more then one occasion. 1Password makes life a lot easier.
 
Thank you for sharing, I think I will be doing that from now on. I hope that I will not have to re-buy all my software agian though.

Regards
Adam
 
When I had that problem restoring Windows due too many reinstalls and MS Office for Win they would always reactivate my key. Can't understand why they are making you pay. Just recently had that issue with Win7 on laptop and had no problem with MSoft.
 
Have a look on Google for a hack.
If you did purchase it legally originally you aren't technically doing anything wrong.

Barney
 
Just sign up for Office 365. You will then have access to Office on all your devices. In addition you will get free upgrades as long as you are a subscriber. a newer version of Office is rumored for sometime this year and if you have an iPad an Office 365 subscription will allow you to actually use Office on the iPad rather than just using it to view files. Depending on the subscription it could costs you either 10 a month, or $100 a year, which includes installing it on up to 5 PC's or Macs and up to 5 tablets plus 20GB additional OneDrive space.

With that being said, should you ever have to clean your device(s) again, all you will need to remember is your Microsoft log in and then you can just re-download the install and your docs will be safe and sound in the OneDrive.
 
TB07-NJ said:
When I had that problem restoring Windows due too many reinstalls and MS Office for Win they would always reactivate my key. Can't understand why they are making you pay. Just recently had that issue with Win7 on laptop and had no problem with MSoft.
Click to expand...

The payment os only for thei time when I call. I don't know, maybe this only happens here in Norway.

I actually did pay for the MS when I bought ot in 2011. The problem with pirate copies are that they are not reliable and many of the features cannot be activated properly.

I don't know is it stupid Msft or stupid post-Steve Apple Apple :(
 
We all love MS

I had the same problem when I migrated to a nMP from an oMP.
The friendly MS representative in India(?) said that I'd need to buy a new license for $140 (so $90 looks better, but still a rip-off.)
I got a Office 2011 on eBay for ~$55.
The catch is that I also did not have the distribution disk. That 21-digit number that comes up when Office starts is of no use. Further, there appears to be no way to save the registration key in 1password short of typing it in.
 
rwbarna said:
I had the same problem when I migrated to a nMP from an oMP.
The friendly MS representative in India(?) said that I'd need to buy a new license for $140 (so $90 looks better, but still a rip-off.)
I got a Office 2011 on eBay for ~$55.
The catch is that I also did not have the distribution disk. That 21-digit number that comes up when Office starts is of no use. Further, there appears to be no way to save the registration key in 1password short of typing it in.
Click to expand...
I'm sure there are "system information" apps that wil give you the actual Office reg KEY. Not sure what app for MACs since I just got one but there are quite a few for the PC. They list all the M'soft actual keys. Gotta be one for the MAC as well. It's usually an app that gives you detailed system information (cpu, vid, ram, software keys etc).
 
It simply did not open ehen I chose Norway from the list. I doubt it that my employer eould pay for ehen it is private anyways.

Thanks for sharing!
 
That was really stupid of noe, i saw the notification about your feed but opened it after i started restoring the whole HQ again. I deceded to that and then delete the other profiles manually and see, maybe the MS recognizes its place and works again.
 
If this is the same drive that originally had Office installed, you can bring over the license files from Time Machine. This link specifically identifies the files used in licensing.

Office for Mac 2011: Remove Office

http://www.officeformachelp.com/2012/12/office-for-mac-2011-remove-office/

The license is tied to a drive. If you replace the drive or get a new computer you have to reactivate.

The CD Key is printed on the CD sleeve. You can throw the sleeve away but not saving your keys is like buying a car then throwing away the keys.
 
Hehehe, you really made me laugh out loud. I have a little old Nissan Micra that I use ti get to work, last week I actually threw the keys in the garbage by mistake. And now the MS :)
 
Thank you for your feeds guys, it worked. I restored the whole back up with all the user profiles. Now I will delere the other profiles manually and will make sure to note down the serial number if I manage to find it somewhere in the system. I have already looked in the Key chain and About This Mac but found nothing. Any ideas?

Cheers,
Adam
 
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