Microsoft has blocked my KEY for Office 2010. Won't help. Now what?

[Matt_Stevens]

Two hours yesterday and four hours today. That's the length of time I was on the phone with multiple reps from Microsoft over numerous departments.

They have blocked my KEY for Office 2010 and will not discuss any way to fix it. I purchased it from my University in 2011 and downloaded it from the university. Two years ago I was forced to redo Windows 7 and when I re-installed Office 2010 it activated just fine. No problems!

I had to redo my system this past week and after a very long and torturous experience getting my Windows 7 activated (that key was blocked too, but they unblocked it) I installed Office 2010 and ran into this roadblock.

They insist my copy is pirated or... someone stole my key and used it for too many installs and therefore it is blocked and nothing can be done. Period.

So terrific. I backed up all of my email and contacts to a .PST file and now I am dead in the water.

Honestly I am not sure what to do here. Any ideas?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'm not sure there is any legal way to get around a blocked key, assuming you don't want to hire lawyers and try to take MS to the mat. Otherwise, they have the last word.

I'm assuming you talked to someone competent at MS.

Even though you may be totally innocent and are the victim of someone else's shady activities.

If your tolerance for frustration is as low as mine, I'd either buy a new Office license or look into alternatives. And pray for amnesia.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

They insist my copy is pirated or... someone stole my key and used it for too many installs and therefore it is blocked and nothing can be done. Period.

Did they specify what constitutes "too many installs" by any chance?

 

[TheGardener]

Are you still with the University? Did you actually check the University's campus agreement for the MS license? The details could be on-line at the university's website. If not, call their IT department.

Your right to use the software provided by the University may have ended, if you are no longer a student or employee. It wouldn't matter if you bought the hardware from them or not.

Regarding .pst files, you'll find a few threads on this website that answer your question on accessing them.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

They didn't tell me how many times the key was used. But I can say I'm pretty bleeping ticked off since I was using Outlook last week, backed everything up and now I am told to go bleep myself in a tin can.

I called the University today and received the run around. The thing is, everything they sold was a full retail version with retail rights. So the ownership doesn't end once you leave school. But the university sure as heck doesn't care to help anyone who is no longer there.

Spending over $100 on Software I have already purchased is absolutely out of the question.

I have absolutely no idea how to proceed. This was an exhausting process.

 

[Metron]

www.openoffice.org

 

[ImpulsE69]

........................

 

[lxskllr]

https://www.libreoffice.org/

ftfy

 

[RampantAndroid]

Two hours yesterday and four hours today. That's the length of time I was on the phone with multiple reps from Microsoft over numerous departments.

They have blocked my KEY for Office 2010 and will not discuss any way to fix it. I purchased it from my University in 2011 and downloaded it from the university. Two years ago I was forced to redo Windows 7 and when I re-installed Office 2010 it activated just fine. No problems!

I had to redo my system this past week and after a very long and torturous experience getting my Windows 7 activated (that key was blocked too, but they unblocked it) I installed Office 2010 and ran into this roadblock.

They insist my copy is pirated or... someone stole my key and used it for too many installs and therefore it is blocked and nothing can be done. Period.

So terrific. I backed up all of my email and contacts to a .PST file and now I am dead in the water.

Honestly I am not sure what to do here. Any ideas?

Check your PMs.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I'll look into Openoffice and FTFY but I must say, it's Outlook 2010 that is the big big loss. I also have Office 2007 Student and could easily install it for Word, but it does not have Outlook.

Outlook is the key. I used Outlook Express with Office 2003 and loved it. Then with 2010 I migrated to regular OUTLOOK. I have used it for four years and know it well.

I suppose I'll have to restore my PST file to my unactivated copy while I have 28 days to figure out HTF to move on from this loony situation.

Microsoft sure knows how to tick off everyone. Including the people (like me) who have actually PAID for their overpriced software.

I should mention I thought about just going back to Office 2003, but not only is there no way to import that PST file, it's not supported and therefore open to malicious attacks. Too risky to use Outlook Express , I think.

 

[Berryracer]

Two hours yesterday and four hours today. That's the length of time I was on the phone with multiple reps from Microsoft over numerous departments.

They have blocked my KEY for Office 2010 and will not discuss any way to fix it. I purchased it from my University in 2011 and downloaded it from the university. Two years ago I was forced to redo Windows 7 and when I re-installed Office 2010 it activated just fine. No problems!

I had to redo my system this past week and after a very long and torturous experience getting my Windows 7 activated (that key was blocked too, but they unblocked it) I installed Office 2010 and ran into this roadblock.

They insist my copy is pirated or... someone stole my key and used it for too many installs and therefore it is blocked and nothing can be done. Period.

So terrific. I backed up all of my email and contacts to a .PST file and now I am dead in the water.

Honestly I am not sure what to do here. Any ideas?

Same exact thing happened to me 3 days ago. I have a valid Office 365 Home subscription but I also have an Office 2010 Professional Plus key that I bought in 2009. I have called them many times to activate it as I format a lot and change hardware often. But it is always being used on one computer. Now they tell me that the key is blacklisted. So I asked for this case to be escalated after spending several hours calling them back and forth, they finally said this key cannot be unblocked because there is a certain limit on to how many times the hardware can be changed / key reactivated manually and now it's a dead key.

Lesson learned, never buy anything from Micro$haft

 

[ImpulsE69]

Why not? If he paid for it, there is nothing wrong with my suggestion. If we wanna talk ethics, let's talk about a billion dollar corporation with policies such as what is described. That attitude is the attitude of a company who knows they have one over on you. There is no customer service.

 

[Z15CAM]

I don't want to comment on this thread.

 

[lxskllr]

If we wanna talk ethics, let's talk about a billion dollar corporation with policies such as what is described. That attitude is the attitude of a company who knows they have one over on you. There is no customer service.

In the free software movement, our perspective is different. We see that Microsoft is doing something that mistreats software users: making software proprietary and thus denying users their rightful freedom. But Microsoft is not alone in this; many other companies do the same thing to the users. If other companies manage to dominate fewer users than Microsoft, that is not for lack of trying.

This is not meant to excuse Microsoft. Rather, it is meant as a reminder that Microsoft is the natural development of a software industry based on keeping users divided and subjugating them. When criticizing Microsoft, we should not focus so narrowly on Microsoft that we let other proprietary software developers off the hook.

https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/microsoft.html

OP; for your mail problem, try Thunderbird. Email's too important to rely on proprietary software that can be arbitrarily snatched away at any time, for any reason.

 

[Charlie98]

Outlook is the key. I used Outlook Express with Office 2003 and loved it. Then with 2010 I migrated to regular OUTLOOK. I have used it for four years and know it well.

You can forget that. Like you, I continued to use O'03 because it was simple and clean... except when I tried to reinstall it after an OS refresh. O'03 is EOL so MS is not even allowing activation any longer. I had to go out and buy a retail copy of O'13 (which I detest, but it's what works.)

I've had issues with reinstalling Office components over the years, but usually the teleprompt activation cleared it up by asking how many versions I was running... I just did it after the aforementioned OS refresh and Office '10 without issues.

O'10 will be dead in a few years, anyway, might as well pony up the $100 for O'13... unless you want to do that stupid Office 365 thing, which I don't. Point is, you are setting there with no email, quibbling with Them about your license... it's a exercise in futility.

 

[Ketchup]

It is a new system. Microsoft will only let you "move" it so many times with that type of license. You may want to get Office365, or buy a home and student version, or one of the free programs listed, if you change systems often (which it sounds like you do).

 

[VirtualLarry]

It is a new system. Microsoft will only let you "move" it so many times with that type of license. You may want to get Office365, or buy a home and student version, or one of the free programs listed, if you change systems often (which it sounds like you do).

So THIS is how MS is forcing people into subscription services... BLACKLISTING their VALID keys.

Edit: I would re-read the EULA, and if it doesn't specify a limit to re-installations, then if you have your original purchase receipt, take MS to small claims court, and demand a refund of the purchase price. Though I don't know if MS would ever let you collect, should you get a default judgement.

I got fed up with MS's licensing as well. That's why I'm running Linux Mint 17.1 on my main rig. Ahh, FREEDOM!

 

[Ketchup]

So THIS is how MS is forcing people into subscription services... BLACKLISTING their VALID keys.

Edit: I would re-read the EULA, and if it doesn't specify a limit to re-installations, then if you have your original purchase receipt, take MS to small claims court, and demand a refund of the purchase price. Though I don't know if MS would ever let you collect, should you get a default judgement.

I got fed up with MS's licensing as well. That's why I'm running Linux Mint 17.1 on my main rig. Ahh, FREEDOM!

To be fair, this is a license that is probably $10 or less. There could very likely be a limitation in the EULA.

 

[VirtualLarry]

The thing is, everything they sold was a full retail version with retail rights. So the ownership doesn't end once you leave school.

Said it was retail version...?

 

[cen1]

I would just say crack it but that's probably not the answer you were looking for.

Unless you are doing some advanced stuff in Office or some super Excel-fu you should be perfectly fine with libreoffice.

As for outlook, I use Thunderbird on daily basis with 4 email accounts, absolutely no problems.

 

[Ketchup]

Thunderbird is great for personal use. I like Outlook's features at work, but have no need for them outside of the office.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I'm another advocate for Thunderbird, especially over Outlook for personal use. The problem though is the OP has mail in Outlook and getting it out of outlook is a PITA. When M$ stopped Outlook Express I migrated to Thunderbird because of the Outlook liabilities that the Op is suffering from right now.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm another advocate for Thunderbird, especially over Outlook for personal use. The problem though is the OP has mail in Outlook and getting it out of outlook is a PITA. When M$ stopped Outlook Express I migrated to Thunderbird because of the Outlook liabilities that the Op is suffering from right now.

I agree. Every so often I get a burr up my bonnet to go to Thunderbird or Mailbox... and then I try to migrate my Outlook files over... and then I go back to Outlook. What I probably need to do is to just start using Mailbox, leaving Outlook as an archive for the rest of it's life... and finally cut the umbilical cord.

 

[nemesismk2]

i would use openoffice because it's as good as anything from microsoft office. yes i replaced microsoft office with openoffice and i've not missed replacing microsoft office.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I could not care less about WORD so openoffice and others are meaningless. I can easily install Outlook 2003 or 2007.

It is OUTLOOK 2010 that I need. Outlook 12010's PST file cannot be imported into 2003's Outlook and 2007 does not have Outlook. So I am stuck needing 2010.

I've decided I need to restore my email to Outlook 2010 so that I can at least prepare it for migrating to something else. The only problem is, something went wrong and I now have multiple accounts and Inboxes after importing the PST file. I can recall this happening about 2 years ago after a reinstall and going through days of hell trying to fix it.

If anyone can lend a hand, i'd be grateful. I honestly am tearing my hair out as this nightmare will not end.