Microsoft license

[David]

My lap top is connected to the internet by broadband, and I run Microsoft word 2003, and Microsoft publisher 2000.  Both are fully legal programs which were supplied with my Dell computer, and are registered to me and my e-mail address.

I have bought my wife a new lap top from Dell, but it did not have the above programs with it.

Can I legally load my fully licensed copies of the above programs to her lap top, and then connect her to the internet through the livebox wifi connection (same e-mail address), or would this be a breach of the Microsoft license?

Thanks,

David

[Dick Smith]

My understanding is that you can register three computers. This is meant to take into account your use of a desktop and a laptop, plus another (work-home?). Certainly you can register two, as I have the same arrangement with Office (and all other software).

[The Riff-Raff Element]

If it were her laptop, then you could be on shakey ground. Of course, if it were your

laptop a second installation would be perfectly in order. That's how I

understand the licence. My BIL works for the evil Microsoft, so I'll

ask him next time I speak with him and post the response.

[Deimos]

I had always thought that the "several computers" thing was for your own use and not that "buy one licence, get three".

Ian

Edit: To clarify, I had the impression that the laptop was David's wife's and this would be a 2nd person using the same license. It was in that regard I raised the "not buy one, get three" comment.

[Dick Smith]

No, Ian, please read what I wrote.

I have a single licence, and I have registered Microsoft products on 2 machines and no-one has ever complained. Or checked whether or not my laptop was being used by my wife, so it might be sensible (but I'm sure someone has thought of this already) to register the laptop software in the same name as the desktop software, after all they are conjoined in a sense.

I have been told that three registrations are acceptable but I've not tried it.

[LaBucherie]

If you got your MS programs with your Dell computer, then they willl be OEM versions. I think you will find that you can only use them on the machine they were supplied with.

The full, paid-for version allows the program to be installed on more than one computer owned by the same person.

I suggest that you check the licence agreement. Click on 'Help' then 'About...' in Word and check the EULA.

[David]

Thanks all,

I have checked the license agreements, and they seem to say that I can only load the products on one single computer.  There seems to be no allowance for loading them onto two computers, even if both computers are mine, and both are used at home.  Could this be correct?

At different times I bought two lap tops, both with windows xp, and I use one and my wife uses the other.  I loaded the word and publisher which had come with a previous computer onto my lap top and they both work well.  The previous computer is now out of use.

After reading your posts, but before reading the license agreement, I loaded both programs onto the other lap top, and they work well.  That lap top is not connected to the internet, but I was planning to connect it.

It seems to me that I should be able to use the programs I bought (that is, I did not buy them separately, but they came with a new machine that I bought, on their own separate disks), on my own personal machines, even if there are two of my machines.  It seems that the license agreement does not allow this.

Must I now remove the programs from the second lap top?

If I did not, and I connected it to the internet, it seems to me that even though both computers are registered to me, and use the same e-mail address, microsoft could identify that there were two different windows xp systems using the same word and publisher programs.  Would this cause me a problem?

Many thanks,

David

[Dick Smith]

My licence (license) for Office specifically states that I can install it on 2 machines for my own use.

"You may make a second copy (not sure what that means exactly, I assume it means install a second suite) on a portable device" - this is stipulated to be for the use of the person who is the primary licensee, so I guess that comes down to whether or not you can square your conscience/persuade Microsoft over your wife's use of the software.

No2 son, who deals with this stuff professionally, has told me that Microsoft aren't very interested in tracking down people with 2 copies of Office, one of them totally legit, when there are companies with 500 pirated copies to chase!

I have been regularly connecting to the internet with 2 copies from the same licence for about 8 years, and never been nicked yet!

[Owens88]

And while we are at it. Does everybody realise that the criteria for buying the cheap 'educational licenses' of windoze pods are VERY WIDE.

 

Then again . OpenOffice is a free download.

[Dick Smith]

And they take your word for it - I've never had to order on headed paper or anything like that. Apple gives good educational discounts on hardware and software, too.

[Dick Smith]

I was just putting away the box for my Office 2004 (Student & Teacher Edition) when I saw that on the back it says:

"This product is licensed to be installed on three personal computers or other devices in your house for non-commercial use by people who reside in your household."

Now, whether or not the same applies to non-educational versions I don't know.

[cooperlola]

Mr cooperlola and I have a pc and a laptop each, plus one of the pc's went bang a couple of month back.  I have therefore reloaded my Office xp 5 times now and it has never objected in spite of the 3 computers only warning - updates and everything work fine. Like Dick, I don't know about educational ones though.

[More2Learn]

I have reloaded the same copy of MS Office 2000 on my PC's a number of times and have no problems other than having to note down a new service number. I have even allowed the PC's to advise MS of the new installations.

I don't think you will have many problems, as I have this on one desk unit and one laptop. I have had to do complete software reloads for a number of reasons, viruses and also system problems.

I understand that it would be different if I was trying to load the same copy of the O/S onto different computors as the system loading tells MS what the processor and component ID's are and MS will refuse to enable the package which then shuts down in 7 days as a pirate copy.

More2Learn.