Solved Perpetual version of MS Office 2010 ?

[bawldiggle]

How do I identify a perpetual retail version of MS Office 10

About 6 months ago I purchased a 3 user boxed pack from a reputable supplier here in OZ.
- the product code is on the inside front cover of the plastic "box"

Now I cannot remember where I bought it, nor can I find the sales receipt.

Is there any way of identifying perpetual version from the "Product sticker" ?

Thank you ?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I bought a 3 license pack of Office 2010 Home and Student a year or so ago.

This was SKU 79G-02144.

The disk itself has exactly one number on it:

X17-54227-01

You use the terms "product code" and "product sticker".

Neither of those terms appears on my disc.

There are several variations of "Office 2010". You don't say which you bought.

 

[bawldiggle]

Hi ignatzatsonic

Sorry about the lack of info, comes from midnight brain cells ...

MS Office Home and Student 2010
[x3] Family pack (for non commercial use)
SKU -790-1900 ... on a seal now split when pack was opened
Disc: X17-54227-01 ... "Do not lend or make illegal copies -- DVD"
​

On the back of the cardboard label inside the sealed plastic box :- Product key 2KTM-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
- a yellow label with a very long bar code

At this "Types of Retail Microsoft Office 2010 Product keys" Windows club article the first "type" Retail Perpetual Product Key for boxed Products matches the location of my product key exactly. Including the location, and under the "Office Quick Start Guide"
- I assumed there is a clue in Product Key to identify types
- the referenced/link Microsoft KB2002262 is meaningless to me .

My previous Office is/was 2003 and so far it appears to be perpetual, although I have only used it three times in 12 years.
- MS have become more cagey since then

My reason for updating Office is that 2010 is the last version to support VBA
- I have written too many addins (XLAs) over the last 12 years, and one in particular with 58 functions and methods that mounts as a menu-bar item. Obviously it fails under "ribbons" and XLA/XLS files are unstable, where as the newer XLSx structure is more stable. I can handle rejigging the addins to the ribbons but I am beyond learning the new MS language that replaces VBA.
To many birthdays

Thank you for your help

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'm not sure what your question is.

Your disk and my disk both bear the same X17-54227-01 on the disk proper, even though they were sold under different SKUs.

The Product Key that you need for installation is presumably the number beginning with 2KTM.

My product key is 25 characters long--5 groups of 5 characters.

Again--what's the problem and/or question?

My licenses are perpetual. Up to 3 installations at any one time.

 

[bawldiggle]

I'm not sure what your question is.

Is my box set perpetual ?

Your disk and my disk both bear the same X17-54227-01 on the disk proper, even though they were sold under different SKUs.

I assume the SKUs might also represent country/region ?
- I am in Australia (down-under)

The Product Key that you need for installation is presumably the number beginning with 2KTM.

My presumption also

My product key is 25 characters long--5 groups of 5 characters.

So is mine

My licenses are perpetual. Up to 3 installations at any one time.

How do you identify "perpetual from info on the packaging or disk?
- mine does not say "Retail" nor "OEM" so I guess one of the character-strings on the box or disk identify "perpetual" ?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

see comments in bold

I'm not sure what your question is.

Is my box set perpetual ?

I can't recall ever seeing MS use the term "perpetual" in regards to a license. For Office, for Windows, for anything. If they have, I've missed it.

By inference, you mean "lifetime, one payment only, not a subscription where I have to pay periodically".

Yes, I think your license is perpetual, to use your term. What would lead you to think it wasn't?

There are "pay as you go" Office licenses, but I'm not sure why you think you might have one. I'm not sure there were any such licenses for Office 2010. I thought that was a later development, but I could be wrong.

Your disk and my disk both bear the same X17-54227-01 on the disk proper, even though they were sold under different SKUs.

I assume the SKUs might also represent country/region ?
- I am in Australia (down-under)

Yeah, that would be my guess--different country, maybe purchased through a different channel, so different SKU.

My product key is 25 characters long--5 groups of 5 characters.

So is mine

As I'd expect. I think that's a world-wide standard.

My licenses are perpetual. Up to 3 installations at any one time.

How do you identify "perpetual from info on the packaging or disk?

I ironed that out at the time of purchase in 2013. At that time, I was dead set, 100 percent, committed to avoiding subscriptions. I wanted to pay just once and I wanted a fully transferable "retail" license, not OEM. At that time (2013), newer versions of Office were out and it looked to me like most of them involved either a subscription or were OEM. The OEMs seemed to have limited transfer rights and it was questionable whether or not they could be moved at will to new hardware. So I made a point of avoiding that. In mid-2013, it was quite difficult to find retail Office 2010 Home and Student. I only needed ONE license, but was willing to buy the 3 pack to avoid the subscription/OEM issue. The supposed price differential was only something like $30, but on the day I bought I could not find at 1 user license at any price. 2010 was getting rare by that time.




- mine does not say "Retail" nor "OEM" so I guess one of the character-strings on the box or disk identify "perpetual" ?

I don't have the original packaging so I can't say.

You and I have identical codes on the disk proper, so I'd assume you are perpetual, particularly since you have no evidence to the contrary.

As an aside, I researched what the "3 licenses" really means and came to this conclusion:

A full retail version of Office 2010 H&S is licensed for 3 working installations, not installs. You can install as often as needed provided you don't exceed 3 working installations. In the worst case scenario you may have to use phone activation, wait to speak to a real person, then explain.

3 working installations means exactly that, 3 working PCs. If it was installed on 3 PC's and 1 PC failed, then that means it’s now 2 working installations. You can install on the same PC as often as required. The installation doesn't detect anything, MS Activation servers can detect that the program was installed at some stage, but cannot tell what PC it was installed on.

If online activation fails with a message of “too many installations” use phone activation, do not respond to any prompts until given the option to speak to a real person, then explain you are installing after a failure of the previous PC and are within the 3 working installation limit.

 

[Ranger4]

bawldiggle, have a look at the Q 12 & Q 13 at this MS website. According to this there are 3 types of licences,

Perpetual
Subscription
Product Trial version

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/927921

 

[bawldiggle]

@ ignatzatsonic
You are right

I also phoned MS (here in OZ) ... their off shore call centre.
- after 45 minutes got an answer ... it was a painful process ... MS phone support from here leaves a LOT to be desired

Yes my "pack" is perpetual ...
As you stated exactly ...

A full retail version of Office 2010 H&S is licensed for 3 working installations, not installs. You can install as often as needed provided you don't exceed 3 working installations. In the worst case scenario you may have to use phone activation, wait to speak to a real person, then explain.

3 working installations means exactly that, 3 working PCs. If it was installed on 3 PC's and 1 PC failed, then that means it’s now 2 working installations. You can install on the same PC as often as required. The installation doesn't detect anything, MS Activation servers can detect that the program was installed at some stage, but cannot tell what PC it was installed on.

If online activation fails with a message of “too many installations” use phone activation, do not respond to any prompts until given the option to speak to a real person, then explain you are installing after a failure of the previous PC and are within the 3 working installation limit.

Thank you for hanging in there for me ... now I would like to find GOLD ... Win 7 pro 32bit (x3)

 

[bawldiggle]

Hi Ranger4

All sorted, My Office 2010 package is perpetual
- I have located a single PC perpetual licence for Office 2010 and did not want to buy it (again) if my current disk/disc was already perpetual

Thank you for lead/link too

 

[Ranger4]

Glad to hear it's all sorted & thanks for getting back.