Member Avatar for Thompsoninc

Hi, I just got a refurbished netbook with windows 7. I tried to install a trial version of MS Office 2007 but after I enter my product key I keep getting a message saying the trial period is over, and the features of Outlook, Word, etc. are still disabled. How do I remove a previously loaded trial version of Office 2007 and use the trial one that I downloaded since I've owned the netbook? I did remove the programs from the control panel before I downloaded my trial version but when I entered the product key & did the restart it's still saying the trial period is over. If I have to remove the programs again won't I be removing my trial version now and if so how can I get a new trial?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Xlphos

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A quick, practical summary for the situation described by : when a PC ships with an OEM trial of Office the visible uninstall (Control Panel) often leaves activation/registration data, templates and registry entries behind. That leftover state will make a freshly installed trial or a new key behave as if the trial already ran. For a reliable fix you need a full cleanup (not just the Control Panel uninstall). Microsoft: Uninstall Office from a PC. (learn.microsoft.com)

Steps to follow (do these in order):

  1. Back up everything you care about: Outlook PST/OST files, custom templates (NORMAL.DOTM), exported QAT files, custom dictionaries and any macro-enabled workbooks. The full-clean tools can remove custom settings and mail files if you don’t.
  2. Use Control Panel > Programs and Features to remove any Office entries.
  3. Run Microsoft’s complete removal tool (the Office uninstall / “Sara” tool / offscrub — e.g., o15-ctrremove / SetupProd_OffScrub) to remove leftover components, then restart.
  4. Reinstall the copy you want (or open an Office app and use the Activation Wizard to enter your purchased product key). Links and official instructions for the cleanup tool and activation are here: and Activate Office 2007. (learn.microsoft.com)

If the automated tool fails, Microsoft documents manual removal steps but those are riskier (registry edits, long procedures) and should be a last resort — contact the PC vendor if the trial was OEM-installed or Microsoft support if unsure. Trying a different Office build (what suggested) can be a quick workaround, but for a clean Office 2007 trial or full activation the complete removal + reinstall is the correct approach. (learn.microsoft.com)

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Member Avatar for Xlphos

Hello,

If you can't fix your problem try giving the beta a go for now .

Member Avatar for Thompsoninc

Hello,

If you can't fix your problem try giving the beta a go for now .

Yes, that worked for me! Thanks so much! 2010 isn't bad so far. Do you know how long this trial is good for?

Member Avatar for Xlphos

Hello,

According to this link it expire on October 2010. - better than a free trial.

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