Solved Microsoft Office out of box helper

[pare]

Can some one please help me with this frustration?
I bought this Laptop (HP ProBook 4520s)
When I go to Control Panel-Programs and Features I can see Microsoft Office 2010
When I go to start-All programs I can see Microsoft Office 2010 and when I click to open it, this dialog box opens which gives me 3 options.
One that says; I already purchased office 2010 and when I click to activate it asks for product key and UAC ask for permission to make changes about this Microsoft Office out of box helper. Option 2 is to go online to purchase and option 3 is to use Office Starter 2010
Well since I bought Office Home and Student 2010 Family Pack (I did install it on my desktop) I would like to install it on my laptop since I can use it on 3 computers.
The question is, what should I do with this Microsoft Office 2010 that reside on my laptop. Has it actually been installed on my laptop?
Why do I see it in programs and features? Should I uninstall it? Can I activate with the product key of Office Home and Student 2010 the one I bought?
Thanks guys.

 

[t-4-2]

Can some one please help me with this frustration?
I bought this Laptop (HP ProBook 4520s)
When I go to Control Panel-Programs and Features I can see Microsoft Office 2010
When I go to start-All programs I can see Microsoft Office 2010 and when I click to open it, this dialog box opens which gives me 3 options.
One that says; I already purchased office 2010 and when I click to activate it asks for product key and UAC ask for permission to make changes about this Microsoft Office out of box helper. Option 2 is to go online to purchase and option 3 is to use Office Starter 2010
Well since I bought Office Home and Student 2010 Family Pack (I did install it on my desktop) I would like to install it on my laptop since I can use it on 3 computers.
The question is, what should I do with this Microsoft Office 2010 that reside on my laptop. Has it actually been installed on my laptop?
Why do I see it in programs and features? Should I uninstall it? Can I activate with the product key of Office Home and Student 2010 the one I bought?
Thanks guys.

Yes. Uninstall the " Office 2010 " from your computer via Programs and Features.
For a good measure, please use this tutorial also....
How do I uninstall Office 2003, Office 2007 or Office 2010 suites if I cannot uninstall it from Control Panel?
Scroll down to Office 2010 suites and click that " FixIt " button.

Then you can go ahead installing Home & Student 2010.


Editing :
Your Office 2010 Starter is not a trial version. It is a full version of very limited programs included.

excerpt:
Microsoft Office Starter 2010 gives home users who are buying preloaded PCs the ability to perform the most common and basic productivity tasks right out of the box. Office Starter consists of Microsoft Word Starter 2010 and Microsoft Excel Starter 2010 only, reduced functionality versions of Microsoft Word and Excel with advertising. Office Starter is available only as preloaded software on select new PCs with the option of upgrading to the full Office suites at any time.
Office Starter is not trial software — you can continue to use it as long as you need. When you’re ready to move up to Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, Microsoft Outlook 2010, and the rich functionality in a full Office version, upgrading is just a few clicks away. See which Office suite is right for you.

 

[seavixen32]

The Microsoft Office 2010 is a trial version installed by the computer manufacturer.

As t-4-2 explained, if you've already got a version of Office 2010, just uninstall the trial version first, and then install your own version.

Make sure you use either Microsoft's Uninstall Programs or any third-party uninstaller such as Revo to uninstall the trial software, don't just delete it from the Programs folder.

 

[pare]

Thank you t-4-2 and thank you seavixen 32

I will uninstall this Microsoft Office 2010 (trial) in order to install my own purchased software.
I already paid $150,=
Thanks for the links.
I hope it goes well and I hope there will be no leftovers in the registry.
Right now I am debating if using Revo uninstaller.
That's why I don't like to much stuff on my computer.
I am not crazy about uninstalling stuff.
You guys have been great!

 

[t-4-2]

Thank you t-4-2 and thank you seavixen 32

I will uninstall this Microsoft Office 2010 (trial) in order to install my own purchased software.
I already paid $150,=
Thanks for the links.
I hope it goes well and I hope there will be no leftovers in the registry.
Right now I am debating if using Revo uninstaller.
That's why I don't like to much stuff on my computer.
I am not crazy about uninstalling stuff.
You guys have been great!

Do you have particular reason to use Revo uninstaller ?

What does the " native " uninstalling appication, namely Programs and Features, unable to do while Revo Uninstaller can ?
I also gave you the link which is designed specifically to uninstall Microsoft Office suites.
Why would you even contemplate another 3rd party to the job ?

 

[pare]

The reason I am considering using a third party application to do this uninstalling is that because I have read numerous time
(including in this forum) that the uninstall feature in Control Panel doesn't always function well.
It might fail to uninstall. Particularly with MS Office. If I go ahead and use this feature anyway will it also take care of the leftovers in the registry?
I quess I won't find out if I don't take the courage to try it out.
I must say that I have CA PC-Tune up (this one I gave permission to the sales man and I did pay to put in on my laptop)
the question is can I rely on this program?

 

[t-4-2]

The reason I am considering using a third party application to do this uninstalling is that because I have read numerous time
(including in this forum) that the uninstall feature in Control Panel doesn't always function well.
It might fail to uninstall. Particularly with MS Office. If I go ahead and use this feature anyway will it also take care of the leftovers in the registry?
I quess I won't find out if I don't take the courage to try it out.
I must say that I have CA PC-Tune up (this one I gave permission to the sales man and I did pay to put in on my laptop)
the question is can I rely on this program?

You have this " thing " about 3rd party softwares.
You would rather put a blind trust on them instead of what Microsoft has built-in for you in your computer.

>>>I must say that I have CA PC-Tune up (this one I gave permission to the sales man and I did pay to put in on my laptop)

Let's just say that the salesman had done a super job. He got you purchasing that tune-up thing.
Here is a review of it :
CA PC Tune-Up 2 review | Software | Reviews | PC Pro

I gave you 2 methods to uninstall MS Office. I have done what I am supposed to do.
The rest is your call.

 

[Irene]

Hello pare

I think you will find the appropriate answer in the following thread:
Microsoft Office Home & Student Family Pack - Microsoft Answers

For the computer that has an installation of Office 2010, if the installation has not yet been activated as a Trial, click on the Office 2010 link in the Start Menu and when you are shown the dialofg box with the choices of (1) I already purchased Office 2010, (2) Go online to purchase Office 2010, and (3) Use Office Starter 2010, choose the first option and enter your Office H&S 2010 product key when requested.

If the Office 2010 installation has already been activated as a Trial, and the Trial is either Office Home and Business 2010 or Office Professional 2010, it would be best to uninstall the Trial before installing the full retail Office H&S 2010.

 

[pare]

Ooh well, this sounds good.
Does this mean I can use the product key of the Office Home & Sudent 2010 that I purchased, with this trial version on my laptop?
The one on my laptop doesn't mention what version it is.
It just say Microsoft Office. Will I be O.K.????
I did ask if there was a possibility to do this in the first place but then I thought, that sounds like a strange question.
But I like the idea of not having to uninstall anything.
Especially now that I have been told that the PC-tune up that I have on my laptop is not one that I can rely on.
Irene thank you very much for this link.

 

[Irene]

All should be fine, providing that you have not activated the Office 2010 Starter.

Please let us know how it goes.

 

[Barman58]

I would personally advise that you remove the existing version and install the version that came with the key you intend to use. Either way should work equally well but experience teaches that a totally fresh install is more stable over time.

as for the best method of removal either the built-in or the Revo method is viable though the built-in method may need some manual tweaking. Historically, the windows uninstaller is conservative in it's action, keeping any .DLL or registry entry that may be needed by other applications, Revo and other third are more aggressive so can do the job without the manual tweaks.

 

[Bill2]

Before you uninstall from your computer, please remember that Office Starter is an eminently usable edition, it'll also save you a license. If one does not need to create ppt presentations, the included word and excel are just fine for normal users, to view presentations the free ppt viewer can be downloaded and installed. The value of Starter also lies in the fact thats its not for sale in the market or available as a download, once you wipe it from the computer its gone.

So maybe you should assess your requirements before overwriting with your purchased edition, and if you do go ahead, make an image of your current windows install so starter can be available to you later.

 

[pare]

Well guys, I was determined to go ahead and activate the trial version that came with my laptop, with the product key that I have purchased with Office Home & Student 2010 but after reading Barman and especially Bill's thread I think I will have to take a break and sleep on it for a couple of days.
I was planning on doing it the weekend any way.
I suppose this Office Starter is not free of charge!
Whichever decision I take I will let you guys know.
Thanks guys.

 

[NOBullNO]

RE: Whichever decision I take I will let you guys know.

July came and went some time ago and November will be gone soon. Since you never did let these guys know what you were going to do, I thought that I should make this post. After reading this thread, I decided to follow Irene's advice and choose the first option and enter my Microsoft® Office 2010 product key when requested. As far as I can tell, this worked for my (already installed) Microsoft® Office Home and Business 2010. Indeed, after choosing option number 1 (I already purchased Office 2010), the computer "recognized" Home and Business as the version of Microsoft® Office that was already installed on my computer. The computer asked me to select "Microsoft® Office Home and Business 2010" (there were no other options offered to me) and the computer then asked me to enter the Product Key for the already installed and activated Microsoft® Office Home and Business 2010. I complied and (to the best of my knowledge) this worked, as follows. There is no longer an icon pinned to the Start Menu that says "Microsoft® Office 2010" and there is now only one item listed in Programs and Features that reads Microsoft® Office 2010. Actually, the one that has disappeared was listed as "Microsoft® Office 2010" and the one that remains is listed as "Microsoft® Office Home and Business 2010". - And that is NO Bull from New Orleans!

 

[Irene]

Thanks for your contribution, NOBullNO. Welcome to the forum!

Feedback is always gratefully received - it gives clarity to others seeking help with the same problem.

 

[pare]

Hi guys, especially Irene and NOBullNO,
I am sorry for not getting back to you guys. Completely forgotten.
Well I did install MS Office Starter and it worked fine for a month or so and then all of a sudden it stopped working.
What I did was, I uninstall it and I did install MS Office Home and Student that I purchased some time ago.
I feel sorry I did not try Irene's method and just use the product key to activate the one that was installed on my laptop but the thing is I could not tell which version that one was.
Nevertheless I am satisfied now with the one I have on my laptop rightnow.
Thanks again guys.
You are very thoughtfull.

 

[Irene]

Thanks for letting us know, pare. Good to see you again.