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Old 08-16-2016, 08:58 AM
skylark53 skylark53 is offline Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Windows 7 64bit Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Office 2013
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Default Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional

Suddenly, after around 8 years of trouble-free use, I'm getting an error message when opening a document in Word 2003: "you must activate your Microsoft Office 2003 installation". It is ONLY happening when the internet is down.

This is a real problem as I can no longer edit ANY word document. A spot of letter, poetry, or diary writing is what I typically do when not browsing.

I haven't changed anything about the machine; it's just my home admin PC, vintage 2007. Nothing new at all.

Does anyone have any clues about why this is happening and/or how to fix it? Thanks!
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Old 08-17-2016, 12:46 AM
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Have you tried repairing the Office installation (via Help|Detect & Repair) in any Office application?
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Old 08-17-2016, 08:17 AM
skylark53 skylark53 is offline Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Windows 7 64bit Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Office 2013
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Thanks for the suggestion, Paul. I have not tried this but am loth to do so, because when I click on Help\Detect & Repair (in Word), I read that I shall lose (amongst other less-important things):
  • The security level for each application
  • [My] username - and I assume my password
Because I bought the computer secondhand I have no idea whether there is an Office username and password and if so what they are. I do not have the installation disks (if they were to be requested).

Do you know of any explanation for this sudden request for validation? What the message actually says is "You must activate your MS Office Prof. Edition 2003 installation to function properly with the recent changes made to your computer hardware". I absolutely have not changed anything about the computer. I don't even know how to take the cover off.
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Old 08-17-2016, 01:35 PM
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macropod macropod is offline Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Windows 7 64bit Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Office 2010 32bit
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A repair will not have any of those effects. In some cases you may be asked for the installation media, but your lack of it suggests you don't have a license to use the copy you have.
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Old 08-17-2016, 01:56 PM
skylark53 skylark53 is offline Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Windows 7 64bit Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Office 2013
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Paul,

The software is correctly licensed and I do have the installation key. I just don't have the media. More to the point, it's the MS Office username and password that I don't know. the Detect and repair window that opens says I will lose my username (and I assume password). I would then be in a worse position, as at the moment I can at least use Word and Excel when the internet is working.

Do you have any idea why I am suddenly being asked to validate? The message reads "You must activate your MS Office Prof. Edition 2003 installation to function properly with the recent changes made to your computer hardware". (My italics.) I absolutely have not changed anything about the computer. I don't even know how to take the cover off.
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Old 08-17-2016, 02:27 PM
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Without wanting to place too fine a point on it, if you don't have the media, username or password, it is most unlikely that you have a valid license. Regardless, if you create a restore point, then do the repair, you can revert to the current setup if you subsequently find yourself unable to access the files. The errant message about hardware changes suggest there's something more serious going on with your system.
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Old 08-17-2016, 02:41 PM
skylark53 skylark53 is offline Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Windows XP Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Office 2003
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IS there usually a username and password for an Office 2003 system? Even when I used such a system at work I don't recall ever logging in to Office. You just switch on, log onto your PC and the Office programs just work.

(I'm aware that with Office 2013 you do have a username and password.)
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Old 08-17-2016, 02:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skylark53 View Post
IS there usually a username and password for an Office 2003 system?
No. I have never encountered such a system. I assumed from your posts that there might be some other feature of your system requiring this. Even having Office set up in a non-Administrator account to run only with Administrator privileges would require that - but then you'd have to know both the username & password to use it.
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Old 08-17-2016, 03:12 PM
skylark53 skylark53 is offline Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Windows XP Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Office 2003
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The only sign that I might be asked for a username [and posssibly password) is in the Help box in Word - see attached.

I am still perplexed about why I get this Validation message. It's probably totally unconnected but System Restore warns me that "changes made to drive(s) F:E:\ after this point cannot be reversed". (Also see attached.) But these drives only exist (temporarily) if I plug in a USB, camera etc. They are not usually there.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Word_D+R_message.jpg (60.1 KB, 14 views)
File Type: jpg SysRestore_warn.jpg (15.6 KB, 14 views)
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Old 08-17-2016, 04:14 PM
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macropod macropod is offline Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Windows 7 64bit Suddenly being asked for activation key, MS Office Professional Office 2010 32bit
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The re-entry of the username and initials has nothing to do with passwords - it's simply the default username Word assigns as the author for each document. If you don't re-enter them, Word applies the userid for your Windows login.

As for drives E & F, simply don't attach any drives to a USB port while doing a System Restore.
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