Product Information > Office 2003 Editions Convertible Trial

Activate Now, Decide Later

Purchase your Microsoft Office Edition and convert from your trial version

Updated: September 15, 2005

Use this page to learn how to purchase a perpetual product key and convert your Microsoft Office 2003 Editions Trial version to a full product version. The purchased perpetual product key should be of the same edition and language of your trial software. Upgrade editions are available for Microsoft Office Standard 2003 and Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003.

Note  A perpetual product key can be purchased either online or through an authorized retailer.

On This Page
1. Convert the trial from an Expiration Reminder or the application Help menu1. Convert the trial from an Expiration Reminder or the application Help menu
2. Select Enter Product Key or Buy Key Online2. Select Enter Product Key or Buy Key Online
3. Enter your perpetual product key to convert the trial to a full product3. Enter your perpetual product key to convert the trial to a full product
4. Accept the Microsoft End User License Agreement to continue4. Accept the Microsoft End User License Agreement to continue
5. Launch a Microsoft Office program, and activate your perpetually licensed Microsoft Office 2003 Edition5. Launch a Microsoft Office program, and activate your perpetually licensed Microsoft Office 2003 Edition

1. Convert the trial from an Expiration Reminder or the application Help menu

In any of the trial expiration reminder messages presented to you in the last 30 days of the trial period, click Convert. This will send you to the Office 2003 Setup page.

Example of Microsoft Office 2003 Activation Wizard

Or in any of the Office 2003 Editions programs, in the Help menu click Activate Product. This will send you to the Office 2003 Setup page. You can do this at any time during the trial period, or even after the trial has expired.

Example of how you can start the conversion process.
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2. Select Enter Product Key or Buy Key Online

Example of how you can obtain your product key online

The Microsoft Office 2003 Editions Trial is preinstalled on new PCs with Microsoft Works installed. This qualifies you to obtain the retail upgrade version and price of your Microsoft Office 2003 Edition. When determining which Office 2003 Edition to obtain, please be sure to specify the upgrade version if you are considering Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003 or Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003. Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003 is available only at the affordable new user price, if you qualify. To see if you qualify, visit the Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003 Web site.

Conversion Options

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Enter Product Key
If you choose to obtain the full product version from an authorized reseller, click Enter Product Key and insert the Microsoft Office 2003 Edition CD into your computer. When you insert the Office 2003 CD into your PC, the PC will detect the trial software. If the perpetual software is the same language version and edition as the trial software, you will receive a message stating that there is no need to uninstall and reinstall the product software.

Note  If you choose a full product version it should be the same version and language as the trial software. Visit the Office 2003 Editions Trial Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

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Buy Key Online
If you have chosen to obtain the product online, in the Microsoft Office 2003 Setup dialog box select Buy Key Online and follow the subsequent on-screen instructions. You will be routed to the Microsoft Web site and the Microsoft e-commerce vendor to obtain a product key. You will then be returned to the Office 2003 Setup. If you have trouble locating the Office 2003 Setup after purchasing a perpetual product key online, open an Office 2003 application and select Activate Product from the Help menu.

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3. Enter your perpetual product key to convert the trial to a full product

Example of where to enter the product key

In the Office 2003 Setup, enter the perpetual product key from the retail edition or online confirmation page or e-mail message. With the retail product packaging, the 25-character perpetual product key is typically found on a sticker inside the CD case. If you purchased the perpetual product key online from the Microsoft e-commerce vendor, enter the key presented online into the Product Key field on the Office Setup screen.

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4. Accept the Microsoft End User License Agreement to continue

Example of the End User License Agreement

You must accept this agreement to convert the software. Select I accept the terms in the License Agreement and an alert window will open saying that the Office 2003 Edition is being updated.

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5. Launch a Microsoft Office program, and activate your perpetually licensed Microsoft Office 2003 Edition

Example of perpetual activation dialog

After launching the full version for the first time, you will be prompted to activate it. Once activation is complete, the trial is converted to perpetual with no uninstall or reinstall being necessary. Additionally, the End User License Agreement is switched from trial to perpetual, which means that going forward; your software will be supported by Microsoft Corporation.


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