Microsoft Campus Agreement Installation, Activation, and Product Key Questions
Where do I find my product key?
For media available to students and faculty/staff work-at-home users, the product key is located on a sticker on the back of the envelope in which your installation CDs came. For multidisc sets, the key will usually be on the last envelope.
For faculty and staff using volume license media on multiple computers (for use on University-owned computers only), the product keys will be available on a separate piece of paper or online.
The product key is 25-characters in five sets of five characters. There may be an eight-character part number beneath the key; this is not the product key. Please note that the product key is printed in a machine-readable font in which "B"s and "8"s often look similar.
DO NOT LOSE THIS KEY!
What happens if I lose my product key?
By and large, product keys are uniquely generated by Microsoft. If they are lost, they cannot be re-created. If you have lost your key, you will need to contact SDS.
Faculty and Staff using Windows XP or Office XP on departmental computers can access volume license keys for these products online (requires UT EID).
How many times may I install this software?
Each individual eligible to use software under the Microsoft Campus Agreement is licensed for one (1) copy of each product. Individuals with multiple qualifying eligibilities (i.e. student and employee) are still only licensed for one copy of each product.
The license for Windows operating system upgrade software entitles you to install the software on one computer only. If you have additional computers, you will need to purchase retail copies of the Microsoft Windows operating system for them.
Under the one license for applications in the Microsoft Office System (e.g. Office XP Professional, Office 2003 Professional, Publisher 2003, etc.), applications can be installed on two systems. Per the Microsoft Office End-User License Agreement:
1.1 Installation and use. You may:
(a) install and use a copy of the Software on one personal computer or other device; and
(b) install an additional copy of the Software on a second, portable device for the exclusive use of the primary user of the first copy of the Software.
Student and faculty/staff work-at-home media can be used to install and activate both installations using the product key included. At no time will an additional copy of the installation media or product be provided for the purpose of multiple installations.
Please note, installation and activation are two completely separate processes.
During installation, I get an error that the product key I entered was not valid
Errors during product installation (note, product activation is an entirely separate process) that report an invalid product key are usually the result of typing your product key incorrectly.
The product key is 25-characters in five sets of five characters. There may be an eight-character part number beneath the key; this is not the product key. Please note that the product key is printed in a machine-readable font in which "B"s and "8"s often look similar.
If, after verifying that you are entering the key correctly, you are still unable to install the product, you should contact Microsoft Installation Support. Microsoft offers unlimited installation support free of charge (long distance charges may apply) for products currently available. Please see http://support.microsoft.com/ for information on contacting Microsoft installation support for your specific product.
After installation of Microsoft Office, Office applications prompt me for a product key
Some users have reported that after successfully installing Microsoft Office, they are prompted to enter a product key when they run one of the newly-installed Office applications. Upon entering the product key you used to install Office, you get an error that "You have not entered a valid product key".
This is a known issue with Microsoft and is documented in their online Knowledge Base:
- Office 2000 and Office XP - OFF: You Are Prompted for the Product Key When You Open an Office Program (KB Article 321346)
- Office 2003 - "Invalid product key" error message when you start an Office 2003 program after you install Office Professional Edition 2003 (KB Article 836178)
This problem occurs when you install Microsoft Office on a system on which an Office family product (e.g. Word, Access, Works Suite, etc.) has already been installed. This frequently occurs when you purchase your computer from an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) such as Dell or HP that has pre-installed Microsoft Works Suite or Microsoft Office. When you install the Office suite, you create a conflict between the key you entered during installation and the product key already in the system from the pre-installed product.
To resolve this issue, uninstall Office, then uninstall the application or suite that was already on your computer. You should then be able to reinstall Office without difficulty.
If you have any questions about which products may be conflicting, or if you require any other technical assistance, you should contact the ITS Help Desk for technical support by calling (512) 475-9400.
Activation
Which products require activation? How can I tell if my product requires activation?
Most products covered under the MSCA now require activation. This includes, but is not limited to: Office 2003, Office XP, Office X for the Mac, Windows XP Professional, and Visual Studio .NET. These products should have a unique 25-character product key on one of the CD envelopes. DO NOT LOSE THIS KEY!
Some products were released to students as volume-licensed products (everybody gets the same key) that did not require activation, and then were later released as individually-keyed products (each CD set has its own key).
If the label surface of your CD is a solid color and has the words "Campus Computer Store", it was duplicated by the University and does not have a unique key. These CDs use a volume license key that can no longer be provided to students. Faculty, staff, and departments can retrieve this key using instructions under "What happens if I lose my product key?"
How many times can I activate a product?
Microsoft product activation uses the hardware configuration of your computer to tie your unique product key to your actual computer. Once you have activated a Microsoft product on your computer, you will not be able to activate it on any other computer¹. Typically, you can activate a product up to 10 times on this one computer. After you have reached the allowed number of activations, you may have to activate by phone and speak with Microsoft for further assistance.
Please see Microsoft Product Activation for more information on product activation.
¹ Microsoft Office suites and applications (e.g. Office Professional, FrontPage, Publisher, etc.) are licensed to run on one desktop computer and on a second portable computer for your exclusive use only. Office installation media should allow activations on two computers.
Does this mean I can't reinstall software?
Not necessarily. If you do not format your hard drive, product activation information should stay on your computer even if you reinstall Windows or other applications. You will not need to reactivate the software unless you have changed the hardware configuration of your computer.
If you do format your hard drive (formatting clears all information off of your hard drive) or if you alter the hardware configuration of your computer, you will need to reactivate the software.
It is up to you to contact Microsoft and resolve any activation issues. The University cannot intervene on your behalf and cannot provide you with additional product keys.
What if I get a new computer? Can I transfer the software?
Once you have activated a software product, the unique product key becomes linked to your physical computer in Microsoft's systems. If you try to install the software on a second computer¹, you will get an error.
If you want to transfer the software permanently to a second computer, you will need to activate the product by phone for the second computer after completely uninstalling the software from the first computer. There may be a charge associated with moving the activation from one computer to another, and Microsoft may limit the number of times the software can be moved.
It is up to you to contact Microsoft and resolve any activation issues. The University cannot intervene on your behalf and cannot provide you with additional product keys.
¹ Microsoft Office suites and applications (e.g. Office Professional, FrontPage, Publisher, etc.) are licensed to run on one desktop computer and on a second portable computer for your exclusive use only. Office installation media should allow activations on two computers.
I am activating my product and I get an error. What do I do?
The problem depends on the specific error you are receiving. Most errors that occur during activation will provide a toll-free number that you can call for assistance from Microsoft. You should be at your computer when you call this number.
If the error states that the product key entered is not valid (most likely to occur during installation), it is likely that you mistyped the product key. The product key is 25-characters in five sets of five characters. There may be an eight-character part number beneath the key; this is not the product key. Please note that the product key is printed in a machine-readable font in which "B"s and "8"s often look similar.
If the error states that you have exceeded the allowed number of activations, you may have to call Microsoft to have the activation count reset.
If the error states that the product is already registered on a different machine, you may be trying to install a second copy of the product when it is not allowed. When you first activate a Microsoft product, the activation software creates a "hash"1 for your computer. If you attempt to install the software on a computer that generates a different hash, either because you have materially changed the hardware in your computer or because it is a different computer altogether, the activation attempt will fail.
Please note that MSCA products can be installed on one computer and one computer only. If you have upgraded your hardware, or are permanently moving the software from one computer to another, you must call Microsoft in order to reset your activation information.
What if I don't activate a product that requires activation?
You must activate products that require activation. When you install MSCA products, they will indicate the time remaining for activation - either in days (typically 14 days for Windows) or in number of executions (typically you can launch Office applications 50 times) - after which the product will become unusable.
