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Trouble With MS Genuine Office Validation
Julie188 writes "Here's another little gotcha with Microsoft license validation, discovered by security and PowerShell expert Tyson Kopczynski. The Microsoft Office 2007 add-on site refuses to download legitimate add-ons for Office 2007 when a legitimate — but not yet activated — additional Microsoft product is installed on the computer. In Kopczynski's case, the product was Visio. He writes: 'Let's back this license train up and look at why this picture is wrong: 1. I have a valid copy of Office 2007. 2. The Visio installation only failed the validation because I haven't activated it. 3. Microsoft has presented me with a page to buy Office, which I have a valid copy of... Dear Microsoft, When used incorrectly and in direct conflict of something that you are promoting, DRM sucks! By making the usage of your software a hassle, you risk further pushing more users of your applications to other solutions."
Office is activated, it's Visio that's not activated. Visio's non-activation is taking down the entire system.
This exact same thing happened to me just yesterday. My laptop came with a full trial copy of Office. I purchased a copy of Office Standard (only a few of the apps) and tried to use my key to validate my pre-installed copy (thinking it would only validate the apps I had purchased). But it didn't work so I installed my Office Standard and validated it with my key.
Then I tried to get the export-to-PDF add-in from the Microsoft site but it proclaimed that only one copy of Office on my computer was validated so I couldn't update the other. Net result -- un-install one; un-install the other; re-install Office Standard; back in business.
What a stupid pain.
"When used incorrectly and in direct conflict of something that you are promoting, DRM sucks!"
That's too long. DRM sucks period.
So updates to Office fail because a newly added product (Visio) isn't yet activated... seems to me that in this case the only update failure that would be understandable is one related to the added product (Visio). Other activated pieces of software should be able to receive updates without problems. Furthermore, if Visio fails validation and the response from Microsoft is to send the user to a page that suggest he purchase Office then that is just plain incorrect. It should send him to a page that says "activate Visio, dude!"
So, yeah, this isn't really Microsoft bashing. Though it maybe should be worded a bit more clearly so the problem is made apparent.
I like basketball!!1!
Read the article again.
He has an activated copy of Office 2007.
He has an unactivated copy of Visio. He doesn't say why, maybe he is evaluating it.
Because he has an unactivated copy of Visio, he is unable to upgrade his activated copy of Office 2007.
I would say he has a problem. His unactivated copy of Visio shouldn't screw up the functionality of his activated software, but it is.
...one of the main reasons I still use use Windows 2000! No DRM, no activation headaches, no secret file updates, no useless eye-candy, most stable MS OS ever... oh, the list just goes on....
'Let's back this license train up and look at why this picture is wrong: 1. I have a valid copy of Office 2007.'
Yep.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
NO. Don't get over it.
Office validation should be concerned about office & not anything else. It shouldn't
be SPYING on anything else. That sort of stupidity leads directly to these sorts of
unintended consequences.
I should not need to "activate" one program to get support for another.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/visio/default.aspx
I'm not defending activation here, far from it-
But Visio probably updates through the Office 2007 manager rather than stand alone and that's the reason Office 2007 won't update in general.
Which leads to some proper questions:
If Visio requires separate activation than shouldn't it require a separate update path?
If not, then shouldn't the updater be smart enough to update only the activated components?
And overall, what does this say about the concept of SEPARATE products requiring SEPARATE activation but morphing into a SINGULAR app. Does this not, in fact, affect my future upgradeability? (Oh sorry, you integrated Visio in 2007, for Office 2010 your only upgrade path is Office 2010 Ultimate)
You can do it over the internet or by a toll free phone call. You can only open Office apps so many times before you must activate it, so why delay?
First 3,000 customers get a free tote bag. (void where prohibited by law) Operators are standing by. Call now!
Damn! Do you write infomercials for the Thigh-Master or something?
What?
Love, Microsoft
PS We had asparagus for lunch. We're not apologizing, just letting you know the taste is about to get worse.
Kwisatz Haderach
Sell the spice to CHOAM
This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
If you look at MS's site, you'll find that Visio is considered an Office product. So, to clarify, he activated Office, installed (but did not activate) a new part of Office, and now it won't let him install Office add-ons. This is entirely an Office issue. You may not like what they're doing, but this has no bearing on whether it will have problems with an unactivated non-Office product. If it did, I would be mightily pissed.
I wouldn't give a shit what they call it, the end result is that they've locked him out of support for a product he purchased because he has something else on his machine. That's BS. Whether they consider Visio part of office is immaterial - clearly they can be purchased separately, so they can be supported separately.