Don't remember email address used to activate Microsoft Office

I must agree with groovy_person that some MS helpdesk staff is lackig the will to help people that call in. I mean everything is solvable - if there is a will.

I personally was also in charge to solve the issue when one of my customers forgot the name of the account (email address she created just for activation purposes) to activate Office 2013. She rememberd only part of it - her surname. She activated the product but didn't install it imediately. Then I was asked to install it and got into the trouble.

So I called to MS helpdesk in Czech Republic but the only thing I got was the lady "on the other end of wire" found out the product was really activated under the account mentioned above and that she cannot help me any further, she cannot tell me the name of the account - because of privacy of course. It sounded rationally so I gave up.

Because I needed a quick solution, I downloaded and installed Libre Office which was absolutely good for what she did. Furthemore I decided to rethink whether I will go the same way (Libre Office instead of MS Office) with her other colleagues. The true is only a few people in that firm needs things like VBA or so.

But after a week I looked at the box of that Office that was locked for my user which still lay on my desk. I called to MS again and got to talk to different person now. She also tried to bump me off but I was more pushing this time argumenting by that I paid for their product after all so why I am forced to discard it just because one of my users is so dumb not to note just created username.

Then we settled on that I will send her activation key, purchasing bill, and picture of product label on the box. Then they asked me in reply to create another account on MS website. Then unregistered the product from the old, unknown account and registered it with the one I created on my own. Problem solved!

Radek

I purchased Visio Standard 2013 back in March 2013 from a local retail store (Staples) at a cost of $299.99, and I have been using the software successfully since then. At the time of my purchase/initial installation (although I don't recall doing it) I must have created a Microsoft account in order to download the software to my computer (as it was a medialess installation), but I don't have a record of the email address I used to create this Microsoft account.

Last week I purchased a new computer and I now wish to transfer the license for my Visio software over to the new computer. I attempted to do this myself on the Microsoft website and was unsuccessful, so I called in to the Microsoft Support line (1-800-642-7676).  After conversations with various people for over 5+ hours (including being transferred upwards of 15 times, and being disconnected 3 times) I have been unsuccessful in speaking with anyone who can help me. Everyone so far has confirmed that without the email address associated with the Microsoft account with which I registered this Visio software, I will be unable to re-activate this software on my new computer (even though I have already uninstalled it from my prior computer).

I still have everything from when I bought Visio:

• The Product Key
• The box & enclosed installation instructions
• The receipt from Staples showing the purchase

I offered several times to provide photos showing all of these items, to prove my purchase/ownership of the software, but they were not open to that.

I am very upset and think that it is UNETHICAL of Microsoft to essentially "rob" me of the software I paid a lot of $$ for just because I don't remember what email address I used to set up the Microsoft account at the time. 

Note - I only have 2 email addresses (and I only had these same 2 email addresses in 2013 when I would have set up this account) and today I double and triple checked these addresses with Microsoft and they claim neither one has my Visio product associated with it.

MicrosoftMUST be able to offer another alternative!  Even after supplying my 25 digit Product Key to two different tech support people (who both checked and verified that it was a valid product key; and one of the 2 men even told me the date of my purchase/install which was correct!) they could not resolve the issue. They told me without the email address I was stuck and, should I wish to continue using Visio, I would need to go and re-purchase the software again.

This whole process has been maddening.   I am incredibly disappointed with Microsoft.  Their system is absolutely unfair and unethical and they should be ashamed of their policy and inability to provide better customer care.

That is a variation of a fairly common problem people have with the Office 365 licensing "scam" <grin> .  Now People lose track of the email address they used, rather than losing the product key.  It is a better "money maker" for MS because there is no tool people can possibly use to retrieve the email from MS.  We used to be able to extract the product key, until MS broke that option with Office 2013.

The only fix I know of is to invest several more wasted hours talking to MS support. Keep asking for transfer to a supervisor.  What you are looking for is someone who is willing to disable the current product key and issue you with a new one.  There are a (very) few support supervisors who have been reported (on this forum) to do this. The trouble is finding one ...

Sorry, I know as advice it sucks, but that is the only fix I know of.  

Rather than calling standard MS Support, you may have better luck trying the activation system phone support.  Try doing a phone activation, but rather than entering a product key, just wait a long time until you are offered the option of talking to a live "service" rep.  They are more likely to be able to replace your product key since they have access to the activation system.  Most other support people do not have access to the activation system.

Hi Rohn007,

Thanks very much for your reply to my post. I appreciated it quite a lot. I am not sure I have enough energy in me to pick up the phone and "go to battle" with Microsoft again today after yesterday's draining experience.  But if I get a second wind tomorrow I will definitely heed your advice about asking for a supervisor (persistently) and trying the activation department. Thanks for the tips!

Best wishes,

unhappy_microsoft_customer