Summary: Depending on the situation, the number of machines you can install a single copy of Microsoft Office on is unclear.
I wanted to know if we're allowed to use a legal copy of Microsoft Word (legally meaning I purchased the disk) on more than one computer. I switched computers and now I need to install it on a different computer than the one I'd been using before. The old computer is still active. Can I re-install on my new computer? Will it recognize and allow me to use the product key?
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If you're moving from one computer to another, the answer is easy. But if you're adding an installation, the answer isn't quite as clear.
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If you're moving your installation of Office (or Windows, or pretty much any licensed software package) from one machine to another, the answer is simply "yes". That means you plan to stop using the package on the old machine, and start using it on the new. No problems, no conflicts, and no questions. About the worst this scenario might get is with over-aggressive anti piracy techniques that might require you to contact the software's manufacturer to verify that you're moving, and not copying, the installation in order for its activation to succeed.
On the surface, copying is also simple: it's illegal. Regardless of whether the application can be installed on another machine, and whether or not it works, most software license are "single seat"; meaning that you're allowed to have the software installed on only one machine at a time.
In practice things get just a little grayer than that, though. Some software publishers have license agreements that state you may install on a certain number of machines as long as only one is in use at any time. Others allow you to make a single copy of the software as a backup.
For Microsoft Office specifically, I was lead to believe some time ago that one could install it on up to three machines for personal use. Today I must assume that's wrong, as I can find no documentation to back that up.
There are plenty of options besides purchasing an additional copy of Office, especially if you can't justify the additional cost. Consider:
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Article C2212 - November 1, 2004
With reference to your article: "How many machines can I install a single copy of Microsoft Office on?", Is it safe to assume that the "Currently Published" EULA available from the MS website applies to Office Pro 2003? Maybe I should open the disk and see what the disk copy of the EULA that came with 2003 says. What do you think?
Posted by: Peter Brixey at July 10, 2009 7:07 AMHey Leo, regretfully your summary:
"Depending on the situation, the number of machines you can install a single copy of Microsoft Office on is unclear."
Is totally correct. So correct that Microsoft themselves can not answer the question. I have been trying to get an answer for over two weeks now. Here is some of the fun I have had:
1) Asked numerous vendors only to get answers anywhere from 1 to 2.
Posted by: Kevin Satterfield at September 13, 2009 2:51 PM2) Went to the Microsoft web site and downloaded the Office 2007 license agreement, Office2007HNS_MSLT_EN, which reads 3 devices.
3) Contacted Microsoft only to be told by them that I never replied back to an email they sent (Note: this was their FIRST reply to me. Wrote back and waited over a week, no reply. Wrote again threatening to escalate the problem. Got a reply the next day that said it depended on which Office 2007 product I had. According to the rep Home and Student can be loaded on three computers and the others only two.
4) Went back out to the Microsoft web site via a search on Office 2007 License and the we page where it states this in question #18, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927921, does NOT answer the question but sends you off to the Privacy page which has NO information at all about the number of computers you can load Office 2007 on.
5) I am currently in the process of once again asking the Microsoft rep via email to explain the Inconsistency between the license agreement on their site and his reply. If I ever get anything concrete, (in the form of a legal license agreement and not just a reps opinion) I will try to get back to you.
I'm back! Got the reply back from Microsoft today and here is what they said:
"All the versions of Office 2007 can only be installed on two computers apart from Office Home & Student 2007.
I have already sent the feedback regarding the change in the license agreement to my supervisor & the web design team & soon the changes will reflect on the License Agreement."
Seems they were unaware of the discrepancy in the online version of the license agreement.
But here is something that will help your "viewers". The best way to obtain the license agreement is to view it directly via their copy of the software, (if it is loaded). In Office 2007 Microsoft "hid" the About box which gives you access to the license agreement. To find it do the following:
1) click on the round Office button at the left top of the window
2) click on the ???? Options button at the bottom right of this pop up window. ???? is the name of the application you opened, Ie Word, Excel, Access, etc.
3)In the left hand column at the bottom, click on Resources
4)On the Resources page on the right hand side the last entry should be About. Click on the About button to the right
5)On the about screen around 2/3 down on the page click on the blue text that reads View the MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS and there is your software license agreement which will tell you how many "devices" (computers) you can load your version of Office 2007 on.
I know it is not the easiest process but it is the most exact. Hope this helps everyone.
Posted by: Kevin Satterfield at September 14, 2009 11:13 AMThanks Kevin, I was just about to go out and buy another office disc, have just checked and I can use it up to 3 times - awesome.
Posted by: Deborah at February 7, 2010 1:27 PMProblem is Deb, "using" something 3 times is not the same as installing it on three "separate" computers, in legalese terminology.
MS is hyper-legalese prone.
Example 'a': I have 2 computers. I will load my MSO software to 2...and sell the third use to a friend to off set my costs.
Q: Legal? (my take is no)
Example 'b': I have 3 use MSO software. I use #one, my GF uses #two...and my friend uses #three.
Q: Legal? Maybe, depends. If we all chipped in to buy it (Since a corporation can be 62 gazillion shareholders, so can any other "person". So when you register it you should type "Deborah et al" LOL), MS would be bound by the contract to provide the service to the contractee(s) just like they would to your family or any business that bought the product for the use of it's employees.
Keep in mind if the agreement says "for non-commercial use", meaning you are not allowed to sell their product, it raises another problem; IE: what if I sell the computer w/ the software installed?
MS has no enforceable right to dictate where you "assign" your purchased "right" of ownership...unless you ceded to limited, non-transferable possession from the outset (which would require any such computer that was resold to be wiped blank, without an OS etc. or illegal if it had any thus contracted software installed -something I doubt even MS in all their greedy multibillion dollar magnificence wants to start....
...because like me, people will simply start to use open office, for free!
Hope this was helpful.
Posted by: Paul at March 8, 2010 4:18 PM