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    Taking Windows 7 and Office 2010 licenses with me in a platform upgrade?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by balane, Mar 30, 2011.

  1. balane

    balane Notebook Consultant

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    Can I do it? This is not a laptop but a desktop computer, a home built. (If this is in the wrong area please move.)

    I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and Office 2010 Pro installed. I want to move into a Sandy Bridge system and that will require a new motherboard/RAM/CPU and that's just getting warmed up.

    How can I legally transfer my software licenses to the new system?

    This may be a really simple question but for some reason I'm having a really hard time finding an exact and concise answer.

    Thank you for any advice.
     
  2. RainMotorsports

    RainMotorsports Formerly ClutchX2

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    If you bought an OEM copy (the cheaper than retail one) then it is locked to that motherboard. If you paid for the full retail you will be able to call and get it activated over the phone if there is a problem. They may or may not still offer paying a fee for issuing a new activation to the OEM copy.

    Office license should not be a problem at all. I havent messed with Office since 2007 but you can talk to the people with activation assitance and get any problems taken care of. Uninstall it first and or look for any kind of license deactivation.
     
  3. balane

    balane Notebook Consultant

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    OK, thank you very much for the information.

    In this particular instance these are both retail boxed versions so a couple of phone calls should take care of it.

    I want to be careful because I plan on selling some of my hardware to fund the build and if I lost my software that would really hang me out to dry on the replacement costs.
     
  4. RainMotorsports

    RainMotorsports Formerly ClutchX2

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    :p you will notice i rewrote my entire post before you finished!
     
  5. balane

    balane Notebook Consultant

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    Question, if the Vista copy I upgraded to 7 from was an OEM copy would that have any effect?

    I went from Vista OEM to Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade.

    Just to be safe, that won't have any bearing on things when it comes time to activate it via the phone on the new system build?