When you try to start an Office 2003 program after you install an Office 2003 suite, or you try to start a 2007 Office program after you install a 2007 Office suite, you are prompted to provide a product key. After providing the product key, you may receive the following error message:
You have not entered a valid product key.
Please check the number located on the sticker on the back of the CD case or on your Certificate of Authenticity.
Or, you may experience the following symptom. Office 2003 or a 2007 Office suite seem to have installed correctly. When you try to activate Office over the Internet, the activation process stops responding (hangs). In this case, you receive the following error message:
Please wait while activation wizard initializes
To work around this problem, uninstall any unnecessary Office suites. This includes trial versions and individual programs.
Step 1: Start Add or Remove Programs
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type appwiz.cpl.
Click OK.
Step 2: Remove Office suites or individual programs
In the Currently installed programs list, locate and then click either the previously installed Office suite or the individual Office program.
Note This includes any trial versions of Office 2007 that were preinstalled by the computer manufacturer. For example, the computer manufacturer may have preinstalled 2007 Microsoft Office system or Office 2007 Home & Student Trial.
Click Remove.
Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the Office suite or individual program.
Step 3: Start any Office program and re-enter the product key
Retail versions of Office are self-repairing. To repair the version of Office that is installed, start any Office program and follow the instructions to enter the product key. To do this, follow these steps:
Note If a retail version of Office is not installed, go to step 4.
Exit any programs that are running and close all open windows.
Start an Office program. For example, start Microsoft Office Word or Microsoft Office Excel.
Type the product key for the retail version of Office when you are prompted.
Step 4: Reinstall Office
In some cases, you may have to reinstall Office.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type Appwiz.cpl, and then click OK.
In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, click Add New Programs.
Click CD or Floppy.
In the Install Program From Floppy Disk or CD-ROM dialog box, make sure that the Office CD is in the CD drive or DVD drive, and then click Next.
Click Finish, and then follow the instructions to complete the installation of Office.
Click OK when the Office Setup has finished.
Remove your Office CD from the CD drive or DVD drive.
Start an Office program, and then type the Office product key when you are prompted.
Tagged as:
Current,
Microsoft,
Windows
