Microsoft Office Subscription

[ennersdale]

Hi all,
I'm currently confused (although it doesn't take much!). The laptop I have had Microsoft Word, but now it's stating that it is an Unlicensed Product.
Is there anyway I can get Microsoft Office for free? Or is there a license I can purchase that does not expire after a year, i.e. a 'lifetime' license.
I was unaware that this expired. All PC's I've previously had, I've never had this problem.

Many thanks...

[Jackdaw33]

Forget Microsoft. Download either Open Office or Libre Office, both of which are free and are compatible with Microsoft Office.

[fiction-factory]

Yes, some come with a one year subscription. You can buy a lifetime one. There are free alternatives -eg Open Office which are okay but I had issues when trying to use them at work from my pen drive or open docs sent by others

[fiction-factory]

I tried free ones for a year but I did have issues with them crashing or just 'hanging' when i tried to save, as well as problems when transferring docs or opening docs sent to me. If you are now a big user of word, spreadsheets, powerpoint type programmes then the freebies will probably be okay for you

[Buenchico]

Your version of Windows obviously only came with a trial version of Microsoft Office. To get the full product now you'll have to pay. Although Microsoft push their '365' (annual subscription) marketing model like mad, it's still possible to get a 'lifetime' version - but it's not cheap!

e.g:
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/software/office-software/microsoft-office-home-student-lifetime-for-1-user-download-10138623-pdt.html

However it's pointless paying for Microsoft Office anyway. The vast majority of AB members use OpenOffice, which is just as good and totally free:
https://www.openoffice.org/

(Libre Office and WPS Office Free are also popular with some people).

If you do opt for OpenOffice it's a good idea to change the default formats which it uses to save files, so that you can be sure that users of Microsoft Office can access them as well. Easy instructions here:
https://helpdeskgeek.com/office-tips/set-openof%EF%AC%81ce-org-to-save-in-microsoft-of%EF%AC%81ce-format-by-default/

[Guilbert53]

>>>majority of AB members use OpenOffice,

Sadly Buenchico has a habit of assuming just because HE uses a piece of software everyone else on AB does.

For example he often says about anti virus "the majority of users on AB" use a certain anti virus when in fact he has no idea what versions of anti virus we all run.

[Prudie]

I don't know if you work or who for but it's worth checking with your employers. I can get the full MS office home professional package through work for just under £10.

[Buenchico]

^^^ I've certainly never said that one particular antivirus is more popular than others among AB members. (I might have indicated though that AVG seems to be losing popularity, while Avast is gaining in it).

However I've read enough posts over the past decade or so to know that Firefox is the most popular browser here (with Chrome, perhaps surprisingly, in second place) and that ABers generally eschew using Microsoft Office (unless they got it free anyway). Certainly very, very few people here actually pay for it.

Of those who don't use Microsoft Office, it's clear from the large number of posts on the topic that OpenOffice is the most popular alternative here (possibly simply because it's the best known alternative) but that Libre Office seems to be gaining ground (possibly because of some excellent reviews lately in the technical press). WPS Office (formerly Kingsoft Office) only seems to have a handful of users here (and probably in the UK as a whole) but it's well-known (and well-reviewed) in its homeland of Australia.

[david small]

I purchased word 97 in1997 still works and is tiny.

[Guilbert53]

To answer your question about Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office comes in various packages (at different prices) and you need to look at what products (Word, Excel etc) come in each package.

You can buy a version of Office that is "own it forever" such as Microsoft Office Home and Student 2016 that comes with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote.

Once installed you can use it on your PC forever. It costs £120 from Argos but you can find it cheaper if you hunt around

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4552822

There is also Office 365 which is a yearly license.

This comes in various packs (one PC, 5 PC etc) and also with different software in different packs so check carefully what you get in the package.

Here is one version of Office 365 from Currys. At this price it only lasts 1 year!

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5727924

You can read more about the various Microsoft Office packages here (select the Products drop down for more on each version of Office)

https://products.office.com/en-gb/home

[Buenchico]

^^^ David:
Which operating system are you running Word 97 under?

I was going to suggest to Ennersdale that she seeks out an older version of Microsoft Office (possibly on eBay) but I wasn't too sure about which versions would run under, say, Windows 10.

[Hymie]

XP would happily run Word 97; but I had problems using it on Windows 7.

[donny48]

Chris, I run Word 2003 on Windows 10 without a problem.