Migrating Preinstalled Software to new PC

[GSCaupling]

A friend has an old PC that was shipped with MS Word, but she was never given the actual installation disk. She's buying a new PC and would like to keep using this version of MS Word on the new machine. I feel like she already has the license and should be able to continue using it.

Any thoughts on how to accomplish this? If we can verify the current license, would Microsoft send an installation disk?

Thanks,
G.S.

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[small]I[/small] [small]Hate[/small] [♥] [small]Ambiguity.[/small][/green]

 

[TonyJollans]

Without installation media it is almost impossible. And Word shipped with a new PC (if memory serves, it is probably Word 2000) would have been an OEM version, only licensed for the hardware it shipped with.

Enjoy,
Tony

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[tf1]

It is impossible to transfer most applications to a new PC without the media. And as Tony has said, any OEM software that comes with a new PC belongs solely to that PC and is not licensed for use on any other computer.

Probably the cheapest way to get Word onto the new computer is to purchase the Students version of Office. Personally, I'd recommend sticking to the 2003 version because it includes Outlook and W2003 was a stable and will be familiar to a user of older versions.


Regards: Terry

 

[fumei]

If you can actually find a non-OEM version of 2003 to buy.

G.S. this is a good demonstration of why it is a good idea to buy non-OEM versions of crucial/dependent software. Which, in my mind, definitely includes Office. I have not had an OEM version of Office installed on my last five computers. I have my own (non-OEM) copy which allows me to install it on any computer I want to, configured the way I want it to be configured.

Bottom line, if it is OEM then it is tied to that comnputer. This is point of OEM software.

Gerry

 

[cmeagan656]

..like she already has the license and should be able to continue using it.

She has the license but if it's an OEM license she paid roughly half the price of a retail license for it. That's how OEM licensing works, the licensing is cheaper but the trade off is that the software stays with the computer that it was originally installed on even if that computer dies.

Hope this helps.

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[GSCaupling]

Thanks everyone. I hadn't considered the very relevant fact that this was OEM software. I'm sure you are right that it was almost certainly licensed just for that machine.

Perhaps I can save her Word docs as something that MS [blue]Works[/b] can read since the new machine has Works.

thanks again,
GS

[Green]******^*******
[small]I[/small] [small]Hate[/small] [♥] [small]Ambiguity.[/small][/green]

 

[cmeagan656]

Word 2003 and Word 2007 allow you to save in Works 6.0 - 9.0 format so I'm sure that earlier versions will allow that also.

Hope this helps.

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[strongm]

>It is impossible to transfer most applications to a new PC without the media

Not quite true. The Microsoft Windows Easy Transfer Companion (original XP/Vista version) could transfer applications from XP to Vista. Sadly the current non-Companion version can only move fiels and settings, not applications. Not quite sure why Microsoft axed the product (and removed all live download links for the application from MSDN), but there you go.

Microsoft's product was based on Apptimum's Alohabob PC Relocator (which will do an XP to XP transfer) - they bought Apptimum back 2006. PC Relocator may still be available if you look hard

Laplink offer a similar utility, PCMover.

Having said all the above. I should point out that you should not use any of these tools to transfer OEM software