Out of "activations" on Visio Std 2003: how can I get around this?

[Liz27]

Out of "activations" on Visio Std 2003: how can I get around this?

I have a perfectly good copy of Visio Standard 2003. Unfortunately, between getting new PCs and replacing hard drives, I'm now out of activations.

I don't really want to upgrade because I don't like the ribbon and, at 64, I don't want to spend the money. However, I use Visio at home fairly regularly, and haven't seen anything else that quite does the job. I would not be opposed to buying other reasonably priced software, if it works like Visio, reads Visio files, and has menus instead of ribbons.

I'd pay for a new Product key, or a new full copy if the price were reasonable, but I've spoken to MS three times now and they don't sell either, nor will they extend the number of activations on my key.

I don't know where to, safely, look to buy a legitimate activation key that will be good for more than one activation on one PC. We upgrade hardware every few years. I've seen full products, but they are still over $100, and I find that high for old software.

I don't really want to hack the app, but I'm clearly not getting anything like help from MS.

Has anyone any suggestions for getting around this issue?

This makes me sad, as I still have a copy of Visio 1.0 on 3.5" floppies. 16-bit and doesn't work on any machine I currently own, but still ...

 

[carwiz]

You may still be able to activate Visio but you'll have to contact Microsoft.

These may help:
About Visio activation - Visio

Activation and registration information of a Microsoft product

 

[Liz27]

I'll read your links, carwiz, thank you, but I don't have much hope if it involves contacting MS. I did that three times already and always got the same answer: no. Not supported; we don't extend activations' you will have to buy a product or product key; we can't tell you where to get either one; we can't even tell you how to tell a legitimate source of a product key from a scam.

 

[strollin]

I ran into a similar situation using Office 2013 the other day. When I went to activate Office on my new machine the activation failed reporting that the key had been activated the max number of times. I called MS activation line and followed the prompts, had to enter a long string of characters but eventually the system reported that my copy had been successfully activated. I have done this a number of times over the years for various MS products and have never had the activation refused nor have I ever needed to talk to a human. All was accomplished via thier automated system.

 

[Liz27]

Ah. Yes, that would work for a copy of current software, but Visio 2003 is past its support period. I believe that ended in April of this year. When I tell the support site what I have, it dumps me to a page that basically says, "you have no support options but the user forum." I posted there and got a phone number, but that's where I was told "no" 3 different times.

Thanks anyway.

 

[carwiz]

The thing is that you never "own" software unless you write it. What you buy is a license to use it and receive updates. The license is good for so long then it expires. Your drivers license isn't good forever either.

 

[Liz27]

Technically, carwiz, that is correct. However, doesn't that really apply to "owning" the copyright? Which, of course, the software buyer does not own, any more than a reader owns the copyright to a book just because he bought a copy of the book instead of borrowing it from the library. If I bought a copy of The Hobbit, and a new printing came out, I think it unlikely that Unwin would require me to purchase a new copy. If they printed books that spontaneously disintegrated after 10 years, people would be up in arms. If GM told me that I had to stop driving my car because it was over 10 years old and I had moved, therefor garaging it in a new location, the lawyers would have a field day. Hmm. Perhaps GM is not a good example just now, but you get the idea.

I understand that no software company wants to have to provide tech support to any given version of an app in perpetuity. It would be absurd. I started my computing days in an office with Word 1.0 on 5¼" floppies; the spell check was on a seperate floppy and it had an anagram program. If I still had a copy of that version, I wouldn't want to still use it even if I had a machine to run it on. Most upgrades are great, but not all. I'll bet everyone on this forum has had at least one upgrade of something that he didn't like as well as the earlier version. And I'm not asking for tech support, just the ability to install the application and have it run fully and completely.

I'm going to keep looking for an alternative, I think. Much as I like and am used to Visio and the rest of the MS Office suite, I, as a retired individual, not working in an office environment or needing the latest and greatest to keep up with other businesses, am not willing to pay the significant amount of money that Microsoft wants for new software. I learned about shareware in 1981. I've been a supporter of the "try before you buy" concept ever since, and have bought and paid for dozens of such offerings over the years. I know that Apache office draw doesn't do what I want, but there must be something out there that won't leave all my existing Visio files in limbo.

 

[carwiz]

It has nothing to do with a copyright. Copyrights restrict the copying of intellectual property. A license is issued when you agree to the terms of the contract covering the software. If you agree to the contract, you're allowed to use the software. That is a license.

I feel your pain. I go back before Word 1.0 but I wouldn't want to use that software today. And I sure wouldn't want to use the PCs I was using back then.

 

[GEWB]

Hello Liz27 - Send me a PM on this forum. Regards, GEWB

 

[GEWB]

You asked about similar programs - I've used iGrafx Flowcharter but it is very pricey ($599 USD per seat latest version).

Regards,
GEWB

 

[Liz27]

Ouch. I can get a copy of Visio 2003 on Amazon for less than that. But, partly it's my finances, and partly the principle of the issue.

But thanks, anyway.

 

[GEWB]

Hello Liz -

Check your SevenForums PM mail.

Regards,
GEWB

 

[jimbo45]

I'll read your links, carwiz, thank you, but I don't have much hope if it involves contacting MS. I did that three times already and always got the same answer: no. Not supported; we don't extend activations' you will have to buy a product or product key; we can't tell you where to get either one; we can't even tell you how to tell a legitimate source of a product key from a scam.

Hi there

If Ms has genuinely said (and there's no reason to suspect they didn't) that this is an out of life totally unsupported product then I would (although I'm probably on thin legal ground here) regard it as "Abandonware" and search out one of those "unofficial activation tools". Rules of the Forum prevent naming the product, how to use it or where to get it from - but my view is that you've tried to activate legally and Ms won't support you saying "No Longer Supported" - Well my answer is "...There's always more than ONE way to skin a cat...."

That's my PERSONAL view however -- It's between YOU and your MAKER whether you go down the route I've suggested. My way certainly won't be endorsed by a lot of people either so over to you.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[rabynum]

Microsoft is justified in stopping support for older products because of lack of revenue from those products. However under the axiom "if is isn't broke, don't fix it", I don't believe that Microsoft is justified in terminating the functionality of perfectly good software in an attempt to force users to buy the latest versions of their software. This is really an issue if the user does not like the way the user interface on the latest version of the software works. A good example of this is Windows 8. Imagine how much of an uproar there would be if Windows 7 suddenly stopped working after Windows 8 had been released, or even more so after Microsoft Windows 10 subscription services start charging yearly fees for the use of Windows 10. The analogy of purchasing a hard copy book is perfectly good in this circumstance.

Personally, I don't like the user interface on Windows Office 2007 or later. I don't like having to retrain each time there is a major release of Office applications. I may be an "old fuddy", but I like the way that Microsoft did the 2003 version of Office applications. I want to keep using Office 2003 applications each time that I upgrade my computers. Microsoft's refusal to allow the software to function makes me want to find an alternative to Microsoft applications instead of buying the VERY EXPENSIVE newer versions, or to have to spend money each year on a subscription service. For retired technical people such as myself, this is a problem for Microsoft.

As a side note, Microsoft is no longer supporting any kind of activation of Visio 2003. Perhaps we should recommend users look for some other vendor's software that will do the same thing that does not have the "activation" problem that Microsoft is presenting to its users.

 

[jimbo45]

You asked about similar programs - I've used iGrafx Flowcharter but it is very pricey ($599 USD per seat latest version).

Regards,
GEWB

Hi there

At that price you might just as well buy the current version of OFFICE !!!!.

A cheaper solution might be to temporarily buy a subscription to Office 365.

Cheers
jimbo