Member Avatar for forumdude123

Hello, I have a microsoft 2003 office disc small business edition upgrade and I am wondering if i can install it in more than one pc (hopefully legally). My friend installed his copy on 12 pcs and they're running fine! please let me know

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by chris5126

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Good points from and — a few practical clarifications that weren't spelled out.

License type matters. Retail, OEM and Volume licenses behave very differently: OEM keys are normally tied to the original PC and not transferable; retail licenses are for one copy at a time and may be moved only under the EULA rules; volume licensing is the proper route when you need many seats and uses its own agreement and keys. Which SKU you actually have determines what is legal, not whether the installer will run.

Activation and compliance are separate issues. Office 2003 uses product activation; reusing a single product key on many machines will trigger activation checks and may force phone activation or refusal. Keep original packaging, the COA/product key sticker, and purchase receipts — those are what Microsoft or an auditor will ask for if the legitimacy of installs is questioned.

A short checklist to be safe:

  1. Identify the licence type (box, COA, part number).
  2. Read the EULA inside the package for transfer and seat rules.
  3. If deploying to multiple PCs, get proper volume licensing or buy additional retail/upgrade licenses.
  4. For transfers or unusual cases, get written confirmation from Microsoft licensing or an authorized reseller.

A working install does not equal a legal licence. If there’s any doubt about permitted installs, document the licence entitlements or contact Microsoft licensing before rolling software out to multiple machines.

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Member Avatar for chris5126

it depend on how many licences you purchased. If your friend bought twelve licences (ie with twelve different product keys) with his business cd then he can install it on twelve pcs legally if not it will still install just it wont be legal (but will still work and provide full functionality with the option to download all updates) just depends on how honest you are and how much you care!!

Member Avatar for forumdude123

he had one cd, and i called microsoft today, and just for everyone's info, it can be installed on as many pc's as you want as long as you have an older microsoft works of office app. installed. thanks for replying.

Member Avatar for chris5126

yes that is true as these will have thier individual licence keys which will be vaild (in certian curcumstances) for upgrades!

commented: your post is good, thanx for taking the time to be a good samaritain. +1
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