Laptop with Vista -problems with Office and Outlook Express

[moggie 939]

This is a puzzler. My sister who lives a long way from me is having problems. She says she bought her laptop from PCW about 3 years ago and all of a sudden she has had a message from MSoft saying that her MSOffice on it is not genuine and she has lost this, Word and her Outlook Express!!
Now... I said that you can download free OEx, old version, but when I tried for her it said that OEx was never compatible with Vista - yet she has been using it since she got her computer!
A friend got the laptop for her at the time and set it all up - she no longer has the original discs that came with it when it was purchased.
I know that Vista was not the best OS (I use XP), but does this indicate that at some time a non genuine version of MS Office got put on it and this has only just been noticed by MSoft?
I know that it is out of guarantee, but if she took it to the Tech Guys at PCW and paid the basic 'check fee' would they be able to tell what has happened - she has the original receipt. She says she def. has Vista. What has gone wrong? She is elderly and not tech savvy.
Thanks
Moggie

[ChuckFickens]

"she has the original receipt. She says she def. has Vista"

Does that receipt also have office on it?

If not I'd guess they guy that got it and set it up for her put a illegal copy of office on it.

(What's OEx BTW??)

[ChuckFickens]

OH right... sorry, OEx is outlook express...

Outlook express is not part of office and is no longer availble, outlook express was the home version of outlook that did come with office.

[AlBags]

Yes ..
Best way is to remove Office and install a replacement.
Also check here ref: Outlook Express.
http://windows.micros...nload-outlook-express

[galeck1947]

This may have been a trial Offfice version and some how along the line it never got updated to the genuine version because the upgrade assitant may have been corrupted . Microsoft do checks at random and have found this. Outlook Express is not part of Vista it has Live Mail unless she is using Office Outlook which is part of Office full suite. Maybe a good time to upgrade to Windows 7 and then get the programs for mail and can use Wordpad which is very good in Windows 7 as a word processor.

[moggie 939]

Thanks very much everyone. I will tell my sister all this. MS Office seems expensive to buy - over £100? Any suggestions for getting it cheaper (genuine of course)
Thanks
Moggie

[ChuckFickens]

how about open office, it's free and is plenty good enough for most peoples needs.

http://openoffice.org

And thunderbird for the email (also free)

http://www.mozillames...om/en-GB/thunderbird/