Microsoft Office 2007 packaging booboo

[WT]

I was working on a co-workers home PC yesterday, with a few things she needed done, one being a fresh Office 2007 Home & Student install. She had Office XP, but .. *shrug* ..

Anyhoo, I peeled the clear tape off of the oddly shaped jewel box (took me about three minutes to figure out how to open that damn thing) and popped in the DVD, then had it upgrade the XP version to 2007. It asked for the product key, so I typed that number in, only to have it claim it was an invalid number !!!

Damn typos ... OK, I started over again and verified that each number was correct. The MS font can make an '8' look like a 'B' or an 'O' becomes a '0' if you aren't paying attention. Number typed in, and it STILL lists it as invalid !! So I then uninstalled Office XP and did a clean 2007 install ... SAME ERROR !!!

Now I was clearly confused, so I called MS and soon was elevated to a higher tier tech guy. Now I was dealing with 'Neil' and he had me log in at support.microsoft.com/EA and allow him to remotely check things out. He soon determined that my key was correct, but the physical DVD was in fact NOT Home & Student, but in fact the Standard edition DVD version ! MS packed the wrong DVD into the sealed package !!

For a 'fix', he had me download the trial version of Home & Student, and then use my proper key to activate that. I also have a number to call to trade the wrong DVD for the correct version, but I have never run across this one before. He didn't seem too interested in details either, so this must have been a problem that MS is aware of and dealing with.

Anyone else run across this ?? Office was purchased at Walmart around mid-February.

Cliffs:

1) Tried to install Office 207 Home & Student DVD (new in jewel box)
2) Kept getting 'invalid product key' error at activation screen.
3) Called MS for support, they remotely worked on the PC.
4) Tech found that the DVD was in fact Office 2007 Standard.
5) MS had me D/L the trial version of Home/Student and use the key to activate it.



I spent 3 hours working on that and a laptop that would lose it wireless connex after a reboot. I shoulda charged more than $80 for that, but I'm cheap. *shrug*

 

[LuckyTaxi]

1/10

 

[Parasitic]

Kinda odd...you would've expected Office to switch to the same installation platform as Vista, i.e. one disc for all different licenses.

 

[Carbo]

I'll Paypal you $10 for that CD and serial number. . .

 

[SinfulWeeper]

If its been activated, you better off buying a street photo of Jena

 

[her209]

Um... pics?

 

[alkemyst]

I don't know if it's something up with MS's validator or not, but I have had to call in 3 times this year to activate Vista and two Office installations all coming out of original packaging.

 

[Baked]

Pic of hot co-worker?

 

[randomlinh]

umm.. so they accidentally slipped the wrong dvd in, what is there to be interested about? It happens.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Thought this was a ZaneJohnson thread.

 

[eelw]

But isn't Office like Vista where the disk contains all different versions and the license key unlocks the appropriate features?

 

[WT]

But isn't Office like Vista where the disk contains all different versions and the license key unlocks the appropriate features?

Thats what I thought, but the DVD was clearly marked as Office Standard. I could understand the mixup if it was a Mom and Pop store selling their goods, but ... this is MS here, not a Korean sweat shop !