Microsoft KB Archive/827293

= How to activate a Product Trial Program License in Office 2003 programs =

PSS ID Number: 827293

Article Last Modified on 3/11/2005

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Office 2003, All Editions
 * Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
 * Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003
 * Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
 * Microsoft Office Project Standard 2003
 * Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
 * Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003
 * Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2003

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For a Microsoft Office XP version of this article, see 293194.



IN THIS TASK

 * SUMMARY
 * ** How to Activate Microsoft Office 2003
 * How to Skip Activation
 * How to Determine the Trial Expiration Date
 * How to Continue to Use Office
 * REFERENCES



SUMMARY
This article describes how to activate the Product Trial Program version of Microsoft Office 2003. You can use the same procedure for any other stand-alone version of Office 2003 trial products.

The 30-Day Trial program version has a finite subscription period. The subscription period begins when you activate your product and continues for one month. When the license expires, you must remove the product and install a new copy of the product or convert the trial version into the full retail version of the product.

The Product Trial Program version is included in the following programs:
 * Microsoft Office 2003 Professional
 * Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
 * Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003
 * Live Communications Server
 * Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
 * Microsoft Office Project Standard 2003
 * Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
 * Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003
 * Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2003

For more information about the Microsoft Office System Trial Software, visit the following Microsoft Web site.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/trial/default.mspx

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How to Activate Microsoft Office 2003
When you start any Office program for the first time after you install Office, the Microsoft Office Activation Wizard automatically runs. You are presented with the Activate by using the Internet activation option.

When you click the Activate by using the Internet option, the Office Activation Wizard automatically contacts the Microsoft licensing servers through your Internet connection. If you are using a valid product key that has not been used previously, your product is activated immediately.

After you activate your product, you have a license to use Office for a period of 30 days on a single computer.

If you do not activate the product, the programs will start to run in reduced-functionality mode. In reduced-functionality mode, you cannot save modifications to documents or create a new document, and additional functionality may be reduced.

No existing Office files or documents will be harmed, and you can easily change Office out of reduced-functionality mode by following the instructions that are outlined in the screens presented.

To activate your product by using the Internet, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start any Office program.
 * 2) In the Office Activation Wizard, click the Activate by using the Internet option, and then click Next.
 * 3) Read the Microsoft Office Privacy Policy page, and then click Next.
 * 4) On the Customer Information page, type your personal information.

The only field that you must complete is the Country/Region field. Select the appropriate country from the list, type any other information that you want, and then click Next.
 * 1) On the Special Offers page, you have three choices for obtaining information and offers from Microsoft.

None of these options is selected by default. If you want to receive the information or offers from Microsoft, select the options that you want, type your e-mail address, and then click Submit. When you click Submit, your information is sent to the Microsoft licensing servers. When your information is validated, the Activation Complete page appears, and you can use the Office programs until the date that is specified on this page.
 * 1) Click Finish.

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How to Skip Activation
If you do not want to activate your copy of Office, you can click Activate Later on any page of the Office Activation Wizard. Click Exit to close the wizard.

Note If you decide to activate your license later, the Office programs start to run in reduced-functionality mode.

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How to Determine the Trial Expiration Date
To find out when your version expires, start any Office program, and then click Activate Product on the Help menu. The expiration notice appears.

Code that runs every time that you start an Office program is built into Office. This code detects when your product license expires and automatically provides reminders about pending expiration dates, well in advance of expiration. As the expiration date approaches, the reminders increase in frequency. The following table shows the frequency of the reminders for the Product Trial Program version.

Length of time until expiration Reminder appears
If you wait for your license to expire, you can start Office programs a total of five times before they start to run in reduced-functionality mode.

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How to Continue to Use Office
You can convert an Office 2003 Trial edition into a full retail version by purchasing a perpetual license for Microsoft Office 2003.

For additional information about how to convert to the full retail version, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

831023 HOW TO: Convert a Microsoft Office 2003 Trial Edition to a Full Retail Edition

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