Buy Office 2003 question 2

[cimoli]

My friend wants to upgrade from Office 2000 to 2003. He predominately uses Access 2000 now. He uses Windows XP and 9 computer in the windows XP Lan.

We are not sure wether to buy 9 single Oem licensed copies or buy a 2 pack Oem Lan version (for 10 computers). There is also a chance that if business improves, he may want to use 12 computers someday.

So uses a Lan pack work better on the Lan than single copies? Or is the difference just how much one pays?

Do you know some places that sell the MS 2003 office Oem versions? (includes the access, word and excel).

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Kerflumper]

You can't buy OEM anything unless you are buying them with new PCs. That would be illegal. Why even consider 2003? If you're going through the trouble to make your Access 2000 DB work with 2003, why not just go with 2010 and put the effort through for a much newer version and be done with it for several years.

 

[cimoli]

Illegal ? I don't understand. I see a few, not many, websites offering original Office 2003 oem copies full sets.
Also, I thought that one needs to register the oem copy during the loading process. So I am not so sure what you say is accurate.

I have tried my friends access 2003 file on another person access 2007. It bombed out. All the vba was dead.
My friend has a small budget. He would have to pay someone thousands of dollars to upgrade to Access 2011.

there is nothing in 2011 that 2000 offers my friend.
he just wants to upgrade one level for certain things.

thanks for responding.

 

[Kerflumper]

It is only legal to obtain OEM licenses with a new computer and they can only be legally installed on that computer. That doesn't mean you can't find and buy such licenses somewhere online but those resellers are likely in violation of their agreements with Microsoft. Keep in mind that it only takes one disgruntled former employee to blow the whistle and cause big fines. I have seen it happen. Mostly in larger companies, but it isn't worth the risk.

If your friend needs the software for business, he needs to either buy retail or contact a reseller for volume licensing (starts at 5 copies).

 

[AnotherHiggins]

I agree with Kerflumper in that I don't see why you'd upgrade to 8-year-old software when 1-year-old software is available.

As for how OEM licenses work, this is fairly easy to figure out. just try Googling [google]microsoft office oem license[/google]. Here are some of the first hits I found:

[ul][li]OEM System Builder Licensing on Microsoft's own page[/li]
[li]Chip Pearson's FAQ on licensing[/li]
[li]Another description of licensing[/li]
[li]Here it is on e-How[/li][/ul]

And as an example, here's an excerpt of the description of an Office 2007 OEM license being sold by NewEgg:

Disclaimer:
Use of this OEM System Builder Channel software is subject to the terms of the Microsoft OEM System Builder License. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale. This OEM System Builder Channel software requires the assembler to provide end user support for the Windows

Running legal copies of MS Office ain't cheap, but neither is getting caught running illegal copies.

If price is a major concern, have your friend check out Open Office which is free and very good. Of course that doesn't help with your goal of getting macros written for Excel to run.

[tt][blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

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[strongm]

>All the vba was dead

That was most likely the security level.

 

[cimoli]

I wonder if I am using a wrong term. The websites googled seem to be bonifide resellers. I wish i were home and could show you one but i am elsewhere. By Oem, i meant without a ms manual book. I just wanted to buy the software. So i thought that was what oem meant. So i guess the places googled were not oem afterall. Yes, i want to buy legal of course. i will look at the sites mentioned above.

Also, "strongm" do you mean that if we bought access 2010, then all our vba would not be lost, if we change some security button thing? Can you describe? I am thinking, if i take my person access 2003 file over to a buddy with Access 2007, and then change that security thing, and if it works, then i can almost assume that my access 2000 friend could directly upgrade to access 2010 and hit the security thing. that might be a good verification.

Is it access 2010 or 2011 now ?

Thanks for helping us.

 

[strongm]

>Is it access 2010 or 2011 now ?

The latest is Access 2010

>then all our vba would not be lost, if we change some security button thing

Assuming that it is the security thing, then the VBA isn't lost, just disabled. By default Access 2007 through 2010 disables macros and VBA for security reasons.

You can globally reenable them fairly simply (or select a less strict setting). Here's one simple guide;

http://www.ageesw.com/macro.htm

Or you can uses the new Trusted Locations feature:

http://accessjunkie.com/faq_01.aspx

Or you can start signing your code. But that's more complex, and it doesn't sound like that's a route for you

 

[fumei]

I agree with Kerflumper in that I don't see why you'd upgrade to 8-year-old software when 1-year-old software is available."

Ummmmmm...bercause the 1-year old software is horrible??

< 60 50 working days until retirement

 

[AnotherHiggins]

fumei: I haven't used 2010 yet, but I really prefer 2007 now that I've taken the time to get past the learning curve.

I know you don't like the interface, but that doesn't make it horrible. Well, unless you used FileSystemObjects heavily in 2003, as I did. That does make the transition nasty. But I've clearly gotten over it.

[tt][blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ 181-2886 before posting.

 

[traycee]

I agree with the other posters. You might as well bite the bullet and go with Office 2010. The VBA and Macros in all of my older databases did work with the newer versions of Access. I just had to tell Access to 'trust' the application and enable macros. Works like a charm. Well...all except for a time.ocx which I did have to change. Minor issue.

 

[fumei]

Well, unless you used FileSystemObjects heavily in 2003, as I did. That does make the transition nasty."

Me too. Or how about FileSearch...hmmmm?

Or how about having to fumble about initially trying to find where they put things, or even things that are now even deeper buried?

I am STILL waiting for anyone to tell why the Ribbon is better.

Can you get used to it? Of course. Can you get used to it whereby you can function as well as you used to? Except for the tings mentioned that we now longer have, of course.

My continuing objection is why we have to be forced to do thse adjustments. I would NOT object if, after all the adjustments are made the Ribbon does make functioning in Word better. I am used to it (somewhat), but this has made me dislike it even more, because I see it even more as eye-candy, and handholding "user-friendly" efforts to the point of making users imbeciles.

< 60 50 working days until retirement

 

[Papa4]

FWIW I had an HP computer that died. I purchased a Dell Optiplex 960 used, installed a new hard disk, and installed
XP Pro (because I like it) and then I tried to install Office
2003 Pro OEM. This is the original CD that came with the HP

The install went fine, the Key was accepted just fine. When I tried to start Word, I received a message telling me the Office I have will ONLY work on HP or COMPAQ PC's

Is there any way around this? I'm thinking that if I borrowed a RETAIL version of Office 2003 Pro, I can use the
key that is on the OEM CD. My only problem is none of my
friends have a retail version of Office 2003 Pro.

If anyone knows a way around this, let me know.

 

[strongm]

You can only use the OEM software on the PC they came with. You cannot legally transfer them to a different machine (even another HP)

 

[lionelhill]

But can't you save yourself an awful lot of cash by using the Access runtime? If you set up your database on one working PC running a proper copy of Access2007, you can then distribute the front-end side of things as a run-time to any other PC you want. Microsoft offer the Access run-time so far as I know for free, and it can run on a PC that doesn't have office installed. The down-side is it is absolutely stripped to the bones from the user's perspective. There will be no ribbon, no menus, nothing, so absolutely every function your database users need will have to be provided by you (but that's quite good practice anyway).