HOW TO RESTORE 2011 MBA AS NEW (WHILE KEEPING MICROSOFT PROGRAMS)

[ET iPhone Home]

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE NEW 15" MBPRO WITH TOUCH BAR. I HAVE A 2011 MBA THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RESTORE AS NEW, BUT WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE MICROSOFT WORD, EXCEL, AND POWERPOINT PROGRAMS I PURCHASED WHEN I BOUGHT THE MBA BACK IN 2011 AND GIVE THIS LAPTOP TO MY PARENTS.

CAN I RESTORE AND KEEP THIS PROGRAM? OR WOULD I LOOSE IT IF I DO THE COMMAND + R TO RESTORE?

IF I RECALL, I BOUGHT THE MS PROGRAM FOR ONE INSTALL ONLY. I KNOW BACK THEN YOU CAN BUY THAT SAME PROGRAM AND ALLOCATE IT TO 3 (DEVICES) USES, SO I DON'T HAVE TH OPTION TO REINSTALL.

THANKS.

 

[keysofanxiety]

E.T. USE CAPS LOCK (please refrain, it makes it a lot more difficult to read and looks like you're shouting)

MS Office 2011 will run fine on multiple computers with the same licence. Not sure if it's entirely kosher, but it'll work.
[doublepost=1490193584][/doublepost]EDIT: re-read what you said. You can't do a CMD+R restore and keep just one specific application.

If you did a Time Machine backup, the licence for MS Office wouldn't transfer. It's one of the only things that doesn't copy over correctly for some reason, so you'll need to keep a hold of your activation code.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Make them a new user account, delete yours.

 

[ET iPhone Home]

E.T. USE CAPS LOCK (please refrain, it makes it a lot more difficult to read and looks like you're shouting)

MS Office 2011 will run fine on multiple computers with the same licence. Not sure if it's entirely kosher, but it'll work.
[doublepost=1490193584][/doublepost]EDIT: re-read what you said. You can't do a CMD+R restore and keep just one specific application.

If you did a Time Machine backup, the licence for MS Office wouldn't transfer. It's one of the only things that doesn't copy over correctly for some reason, so you'll need to keep a hold of your activation code.

My apologies for the caps. I still have the disc and box with the license number of the MS Office 2011. Can I simply insert the disc to my new 2017MBProTB and use the same license. The box says 1 installation only, so I don't understand why it would allow a 2nd installation to a new laptop?
[doublepost=1490213325][/doublepost]

Make them a new user account, delete yours.

This is a good option, but I want to erase everything before giving them the MBA, while holding onto MS Office (if at all possible).

 

[Boyd01]

Forum policy says we are not supposed to discuss ways to violate software licenses. So why not just completely wipe the MBA and install LibreOffice on it as an alternative? It is free and works really well: https://www.libreoffice.org

I setup a new MBA for a family member last year and her old version of MS Office would not run on the new machine. So I installed LibreOffice and she has been very happy with it.

 

[SpinalTap]

Office 2011 permits 3 x installations. Office 2016 only permits 1 x installatin.

 

[Boyd01]

The OP states "I still have the disc and box with the license number of the MS Office 2011. […] The box says 1 installation only". That seems very clear, perhaps the UK version is different?

 

[SpinalTap]

In the UK, Office 2011 permits 3 x installations.

 

[LT_Smash]

Just do CMD+R, set up the system, then use the disc to reinstall it.

1 install doesn't equal you install it once and the disc no longer allows you to use it, 1 install means you're only allowed to have it on one system at a time. You can always format the computer and reinstall it on the same system with the same license. You won't get a license error as part of your system specs are sent during the activation process; since it's going to match it'll allow the reinstall.

As for installing it on your 2017, that's a no go. Unless you remove it from the air so you meet the 1 install (read: 1 system at a time) requirement. I'd buy a newer version for the 2017, or use Pages/Numbers/Keynote, or something free like Libre Office.

 

[Kanunu]

I don't think we are really discussing violating software licensing if the installation is restricted to the same physical machine.

When my iMac died and I bought my Air, I used a backup by Carbon Copy Cloner to restore everything to the Air. On first use of Excel, I was prompted to put in my activation code. There were no problems with it being a different machine, although I did have 2011 which may allow more than one installation as noted above. One activation restores the whole suite. Although the machine was different, I do not consider this a violation, at least not of the spirit of the agreement, as the old machine was no longer functional.

Before that I had a similar situation with the iMac when the Seagate 1TB failed and I installed another drive. When the drive was recalled soon after, I installed again on the replacement from Apple. Each time, i simply put in the activation codes. There were a few other less expensive programs that demanded the same. If you could not restore from a backup, it would seem highly unfair to those who change hard drives to have to purchase software again. Between hard drive fails, upgrades and one complete machine collapse, I think I have installed more than three times but have not had Office on more than one machine at a time.