by Jay Frost

Despite my best efforts to keep all software discs, I couldn’t find an original box for Microsoft Office Professional Pro 2010 when I wanted to transfer it to a new computer. I spent quite a lot of time Googling it, expecting even if I couldn’t find it on Microsoft’s website that other popular software sites would be able to give me the free trial version, into which I’d enter my serial number and be done with it.

These searches proved to be in vain. Site after trusted site kept redirecting the most recent Microsoft Office trial version, where my 2010 serial number wouldn’t be of much help. They seem to have really clamped down on this, and it was frustrating! Especially when places like CNET have pages called Microsoft Office Professional 2010 advertising the free trial download.

This seems unfair! People have purchased the software and simply want to uninstall and reinstall on a new computer without having to by the newest version! And they lost track of their install CD because they moved three times and you hardly ever need it anyway! Grrr.

I’m sure there are good reasons for this – aside from causing lots of grief and increasing profits. And, as I eventually found, there’s a proper way to get what I was going for.

Search instead for Microsoft Office 2010 backup disc. Bingo! It asks immediately for my valid product key, then provides the download link. (With another Office product, however, this didn’t work. I got help from Microsoft via chat, gave them my product key, and they gave me the link directly.) I’m sure this applies to other Microsoft products.

Problem solved. Now I don’t even have to worry about saving the original discs for years … (though I probably couldn’t if I tried.)