I have a small group of colleagues, for whom I'm the pseudo IT administrator
(in addition to my day job). We have multiple copies of Office, and now
those copies are in multiple places. I am not sure I'll see some of the
original CDs again. I am trying to keep a log of all copies and who has them
installed. A few questions:

1) can I find install keys from within the programs, or do I have to have
the actual disks? If the latter, and I don't have the discs, what do people
do?
2) are the product ID codes found in Help About, linked to the install keys?
I ask because that will at least give me a way to make sure we all have
unique id's. If they are not linked to installs, and rather are issued new
upon each install, then the product id doesn't serve much purpose in trying
to track the original install keys

Hopefully that makes sense. Ultimately I want to have this log of install
keys and product id's with the hope that if we cannot find an install DVD at
some point, then we at least have the proper logging of the install keys to
use to reinstall copies or move them from one machine to another.

Thx for any advice.
--
Boris

Magic Jelly Bean
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
or Beleric Adviser
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
Can retreive the Product Key from the PC registry

You use any identical cd version, to that installed, together with an
individual Product Key that matches that version

"BorisS" <BorisS@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5B4EE17F-8B04-4BD8-A038-44CE2C731F03@microsoft.com...
>I have a small group of colleagues, for whom I'm the pseudo IT
>administrator
> (in addition to my day job). We have multiple copies of Office, and now
> those copies are in multiple places. I am not sure I'll see some of the
> original CDs again. I am trying to keep a log of all copies and who has
> them
> installed. A few questions:
>
> 1) can I find install keys from within the programs, or do I have to have
> the actual disks? If the latter, and I don't have the discs, what do
> people
> do?
> 2) are the product ID codes found in Help About, linked to the install
> keys?
> I ask because that will at least give me a way to make sure we all have
> unique id's. If they are not linked to installs, and rather are issued
> new
> upon each install, then the product id doesn't serve much purpose in
> trying
> to track the original install keys
>
> Hopefully that makes sense. Ultimately I want to have this log of install
> keys and product id's with the hope that if we cannot find an install DVD
> at
> some point, then we at least have the proper logging of the install keys
> to
> use to reinstall copies or move them from one machine to another.
>
> Thx for any advice.
> --
> Boris

so am I correct that the "product id", which shows up in my OL Help-About is
different than the S/N number, and therefore of no use to me in trying to
install again with that code? Also, do you happen to know where the
help-about type of functionality is in other office apps for 07, since there
is no help dropdown menu?
--
Boris


"DL" wrote:

> Magic Jelly Bean
> http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
> or Beleric Adviser
> http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
> Can retreive the Product Key from the PC registry
>
> You use any identical cd version, to that installed, together with an
> individual Product Key that matches that version
>
> "BorisS" <BorisS@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:5B4EE17F-8B04-4BD8-A038-44CE2C731F03@microsoft.com...
> >I have a small group of colleagues, for whom I'm the pseudo IT
> >administrator
> > (in addition to my day job). We have multiple copies of Office, and now
> > those copies are in multiple places. I am not sure I'll see some of the
> > original CDs again. I am trying to keep a log of all copies and who has
> > them
> > installed. A few questions:
> >
> > 1) can I find install keys from within the programs, or do I have to have
> > the actual disks? If the latter, and I don't have the discs, what do
> > people
> > do?
> > 2) are the product ID codes found in Help About, linked to the install
> > keys?
> > I ask because that will at least give me a way to make sure we all have
> > unique id's. If they are not linked to installs, and rather are issued
> > new
> > upon each install, then the product id doesn't serve much purpose in
> > trying
> > to track the original install keys
> >
> > Hopefully that makes sense. Ultimately I want to have this log of install
> > keys and product id's with the hope that if we cannot find an install DVD
> > at
> > some point, then we at least have the proper logging of the install keys
> > to
> > use to reinstall copies or move them from one machine to another.
> >
> > Thx for any advice.
> > --
> > Boris
>
>
>

The product ID is of no use if the software is needed to be
reinstalled, you need the 25 character "activation key" that
is included with the individual CD/DVD for installation.
This key can be retrieved using the software noted by DL
except the Belarc Advisor name was misspelled. The URL for
both programs are correct however.

Since I have many different systems with different
configurations of Office (some with every office version
from Office 4.3 to Office 2007 co-installed, I have a book
that lists every program, with it's install or activation
key, for each machine I own. It's difficult to create a
book like this after the fact if you don't have access to
the machine, but since I just print a Belarc Advisor
document for each machine it is relatively easy to keep it
up to date.


"BorisS" <BorisS@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F5DA2F45-CBED-4892-BC47-3CF37688A643@microsoft.com...
> so am I correct that the "product id", which shows up in
> my OL Help-About is
> different than the S/N number, and therefore of no use to
> me in trying to
> install again with that code? Also, do you happen to know
> where the
> help-about type of functionality is in other office apps
> for 07, since there
> is no help dropdown menu?
> --
> Boris
>
>
> "DL" wrote:
>
>> Magic Jelly Bean
>> http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
>> or Beleric Adviser
>> http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
>> Can retreive the Product Key from the PC registry
>>
>> You use any identical cd version, to that installed,
>> together with an
>> individual Product Key that matches that version
>>
>> "BorisS" <BorisS@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
>> message
>> news:5B4EE17F-8B04-4BD8-A038-44CE2C731F03@microsoft.com...
>> >I have a small group of colleagues, for whom I'm the
>> >pseudo IT
>> >administrator
>> > (in addition to my day job). We have multiple copies
>> > of Office, and now
>> > those copies are in multiple places. I am not sure
>> > I'll see some of the
>> > original CDs again. I am trying to keep a log of all
>> > copies and who has
>> > them
>> > installed. A few questions:
>> >
>> > 1) can I find install keys from within the programs, or
>> > do I have to have
>> > the actual disks? If the latter, and I don't have the
>> > discs, what do
>> > people
>> > do?
>> > 2) are the product ID codes found in Help About, linked
>> > to the install
>> > keys?
>> > I ask because that will at least give me a way to make
>> > sure we all have
>> > unique id's. If they are not linked to installs, and
>> > rather are issued
>> > new
>> > upon each install, then the product id doesn't serve
>> > much purpose in
>> > trying
>> > to track the original install keys
>> >
>> > Hopefully that makes sense. Ultimately I want to have
>> > this log of install
>> > keys and product id's with the hope that if we cannot
>> > find an install DVD
>> > at
>> > some point, then we at least have the proper logging of
>> > the install keys
>> > to
>> > use to reinstall copies or move them from one machine
>> > to another.
>> >
>> > Thx for any advice.
>> > --
>> > Boris
>>
>>
>>