How to retain programs from a used MacBook?

[AroundTheFur922]

Aloha! I just bought a used early 2013 15" rMBP from Amazon to replace my 2012 13" classic MBP. I had intended to see if I could just do a fresh install of the OS when I received it in the mail and restore the newer computer from a Time Machine backup of my older machine, but then realized that the newer one had been shipped with a copy of Office 2011 on the system. My question is, is there a way to keep the version of Office that's on the newer machine while still transferring my TM backup to it?

 

[AroundTheFur922]

I apologize if this is in the incorrect forum if that's why nobody is responding. I tried Google searching this issue and couldn't find an adequate answer.

 

[simonsi]

I don't think you are in the wrong place, but this is a forum not a support line with a 2hr SLA so sometimes you just have to be patient.

Best I can suggest, assuming you don't have the product key, is to restore only your account as a new account from the TM backup to your "new" machine using migration assistant. That should leave the Office software intact and usable - although you will likely need the product key if in future you need to do any kind of fresh install.

You may also be exposed if the previous owner has a way of de-registering your copy in order to register his copy on a new machine, not sure if he would still require access to your machine now to do that.