OEM SOFTWARE QUESTION.

[jamerslong]

Ok, so i got 2 copys of ms office 2007 Business with my shiny new laptop. they are OEM. could i use the other Copy on a different PC or is it just kinda more like a backup copy of the discs? i know it has to be activated to be used.

[KristianJ]

I would assume that if both have product keys, you could use one copy on a different PC with the separate key. Otherwise, there's the allowance to use the software on, according to the license terms as I read them on my copy of Office 2007 Ultimate, a "licensed device" and a "portable device". I'd say though that if it's not some sort of error from whoever supplied the discs and there are not 2 separate keys, the second disc is a backup.

[loyukfai]

AFAIK and IANAL, and also technically speaking - OEM copies are meant to be installed on the exact machine which came with them.

If you have received 2 copies with 2 different keys, there're probably some mistakes occurred.

[bhurley]

Yes, in my experience OEM versions of Office can only be installed on one machine, which is why they're cheaper than the boxed versions you buy in a store (that usually allow you to install them on two computers, such as a desktop and a laptop).

[jamerslong]

i acctually have two unique Sets of codes.... so i figure i have two copies since the discs are essentialy worthless without the Codes.

"Technically" according to the EULA i can only use it on the Computer it came with. but is the OEM code like that of Windows Xp and the code is built to only activate on certin hardware profiles?

[bhurley]

i
"Technically" according to the EULA i can only use it on the Computer it came with. but is the OEM code like that of Windows Xp and the code is built to only activate on certin hardware profiles?

I don't think that's the case; rather, I believe all it means is that once you activate it on one computer you will not be able to activate it on any other computer. I think it "attaches" itself to the motherboard.

You should be able to reinstall it on your computer if for some reason you need to (i.e. if you wipe or replace your hard drive), but note that this isn't foolproof. I recently bought a Lenovo desktop computer that came with Vista and a trial version of Office 2007. I purchased Office 2007 when activating the trial, but later downgraded the computer from Vista to XP. When I tried to reinstall Office 2007, it wouldn't accept my product key. Maybe the problem is that I installed it on a Vista machine and was attempting to reinstall it on an XP machine --even though they were physically the same computer. Anyway I had to request a refund from Microsoft and am buying a retail version of the program.