My old laptop died so I bought a new laptop. I installed my old 2003 Microsoft Office Professional Suite on it, but when I try to use it, a huge message pops up prompting me to activate Microsoft 365. Evidently new computers come loaded with all the Microsoft products, but if you don't activate them, they DISABLE all the work you've created in the past with any program in their suite. You can't edit them, you can't copy them, you can't do much of anything with them. Doesn't matter if you created them 10 years ago.

I do not want Microsoft 365! I do not want to rent their programs. I purchased the 2003 version, I know it, I like it, I do not need the latest and greatest--especially now that I'm retired and use my computer strictly for personal use.

Has anyone else encountered this situation? More importantly, has anyone figured out how to stop the activation message and use the programs they've already purchased?