Receiving an error that my product key is invalid

Anonymous

My Office program is asking me to enter my product key, and when I do, it keeps giving a message saying that my product key is invalid. I don’t know what else to do, I’m sure I’m entering the right numbers and letters.

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Anonymous

Hi Sangeetha

This is a very common question, and the answer is usually one of these two scenarios:

1. Did you just install Office from a retail box you just purchased? If so, go to Control Panel, Programs, Programs and Features and see if there is another copy of Office installed besides the suite you just installed. Some pre-installed Trial Office 2007 suites can conflict with the product key validation process. If you see a duplicate copy of Office installed, then uninstall it and try to run your new Office program again. Chances are your product key will work now.

2. If you are using the 25-digit product key that you found on a sticker on the bottom of your laptop or on the back of your desktop case, then you are using the wrong key. This key is the product key for the Windows operating system, and NOT for the Office Suite. The correct product key for the Office suite will be in one of these places:

a. Inside the retail Office 2007 box (if you bought Office from a retail store)

b. Inside an e-mail from the online website where you purchased Office

c. On the outside of the CD case, on a sticker

Microsoft has a knowledge base article that goes into more detail around the invalid product key scenario. It is located at

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836178 , and would be a good place to go if these instructions above do not resolve your issue.

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82 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-10-01T02:48:26+00:00

I'm having the same problem with Word 2000. I JUST OPENED THE PACKAGE...but it's telling me that it's the wrong product key. Is it something to do with it being a 2000 version? I think this is the one that came with the computer a few years back (about 3?).
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Anonymous

2010-09-22T18:33:22+00:00

My Office program is asking me to enter my product key, and when I do, it keeps giving a message saying that my product key is invalid. I don’t know what else to do, I’m sure I’m entering the right numbers and letters.

When does a phone number become available to talk to a techenical person regarding this subject? I have wasted half a day trying to get a product key to be "valid" and nothing works. I have a 60 day trial (free) of microsoft office 2010 that came pre-installed on a new computer. Before trying to activate the product, I could print anything with the computer. since attempting to activate the trial office 2010, I cannot print anything. I get a alert message that "OneNote must be started to allow this action (printing ?) to operate.

Please help me quickly ! I've already lost valuable time due to just trying to activate office 2010 trial. Please !!! Soon I must delete and remove office 2010 from the computer in order to do other tasks.

Hardee

proposed as a QUESTION !! NOT an answer.
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Anonymous

2010-09-21T15:11:44+00:00

@9BREN & @Scott jr

Do you have any other versions of office installed on the computer?

If there is any other version of office installed on the computer try uninstalling it and then try installing office 2010 on the computer and check if it helps.
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