I'm unable to activate Office XP after upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7

Anonymous

I recently upgraded to Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (though since I upgraded from Windows XP technically I did a clean install of Windows 7). I'm in the process of re-installing all of my programs but I encountered a problem when attempting to activate Microsoft Office XP over the internet. I get a message that reads:

"We are unable to process your request at this time. Please try again later, or contact a Customer Service Representative by clicking OK and selecting the Telephone option. (0xb017)"

However, when I attempt to use the telephone option and select USA as my region, no telephone number is displayed. So, I'm at a loss for what to do. I haven't had any luck finding information regarding anyone with a similar problem. I would very much appreciate any help/advice anyone could give me!

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi guys,

I'll list the steps that I took which resolved the issue. Keep in mind, while it worked for me, I'm not 100% sure it would work for everyone.

First, use the option to activate Office XP by telephone and follow the steps until it asks you for a confirmation ID, this is what you'll hopefully be getting from a Microsoft representative. This window should also contain another ID number that the representative will probably ask you for.
Next, go to www.microsoft.com and click the “Contact Us” link (should be a small link at the bottom of the page).
On the page that comes up, click the link that says "Chat Now".
On the next page that comes up, click the link for "Product Sales, General Inquiries and Genuine Advantage Questions".
Fill in the required fields in the window that pops up and click "Start Chat" to talk to a representative.
Explain the issue you're having to the representative and he/she will probably ask you for the ID number I previously mentioned you might need. Give them the ID number, and he/she will hopefully provide you with a confirmation ID number.
Enter the confirmation ID number in Office XP to complete the steps for telephone activation. This worked for me, I hope it works for you!!

Hope this helps, good luck!!

0 comments

49 additional answers

Anonymous

2011-06-28T18:06:51+00:00

I had the same problem. I used the automated UK phone line on 0800 0188354. It's the same one I used for activating my retail copy of Windows 7 (which also refused to activate over the internet).

Be ready to enter about 100 numbers on your phone and PC, but it gets the job done.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Deleted

This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Comments have been turned off. Learn more
Anonymous

2011-09-13T21:54:20+00:00

Hi,

I had problems getting my office XP activated using the chat. They wanted me to click on a non-existant "change product key" link. Since I didn't have it, they gave me this number: 800-936-5700. I called, keyed in the installation ID number, then they contacted me with a person who asked how many computers had this particular copy of office, then they sent me back to the automated phone system and it gave me the code I needed.

I post this in case someone has problems getting the chat to work, so they can use the phone number instead.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2011-09-16T09:45:57+00:00

How do I activate my MS Office XP when re-installing in windows 07
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments