Frequently Asked Questions

Windows 8.1 and Windows 10

The product key is located inside the product packaging, on the receipt or confirmation page for a digital purchase or in a confirmation e-mail that shows you purchased Windows. If you purchased a digital copy from Microsoft Store, you can locate your product key in your Account under Digital Content.

Windows 7

The product key is located inside the box that the Windows DVD came in, on the DVD, on the receipt or confirmation page for a digital purchase or in a confirmation e-mail that shows you purchased Windows. If you purchased a digital copy from Microsoft Store, you can locate your product key in your Account under Digital Content.

Academic Products

Your product key is located on the receipt page when you purchase or in the Order History section of the WebStore from which you ordered the software.

Devices Pre-Installed with Windows

Before using operating system copies from this site for install, re-install or recovery on devices with pre-installed operating systems, see your device manufacturer or reseller for the customized drivers and applications specific to your machine. Using operating systems copied from this site for install, re-install or recovery may void your support agreement with your manufacturer or reseller. Any drivers or programs that were installed by the device manufacturer or reseller may be removed during installation.

Windows 8.1 & 10: The product key may be embedded on the motherboard or may be on the Certificate of Authenticity sticker on the bottom of the device.

Windows 7: For devices that came with Windows 7 pre-installed, the product key may be on the Certificate of Authenticity sticker on the bottom of the device.

For more information about Windows product keys and genuine Microsoft products, see What is a product key and How to Tell site.

The most common issue is the use of a product key for a product not currently supported by the site such as an Upgrade key, an MSDN key, product keys for pre-installed media or an Enterprise edition key. For access to MSDN products or Enterprise edition visit the MSDN Portal or the Volume Licensing Service Center. Upgrades and pre-installed media are not currently supported by the tools on the site.

If you believe you have a valid product key and are still receiving an error, please contact Support.

Not all “system builder” products for Windows 7 are currently available on the site. We are working to add more, but for now, we suggest you contact Support.

Yes, but you’ll need your product key. Go to the Academic Products download page and select the version of Windows to begin.

The media creation tool (Download Tool Now button) will not run on a Mac device. You can still download an ISO file with one of these options: Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. This will give you a web-based download option that should run on most browsers.

Before using operating system copies from this site for install, re-install or recovery on devices with pre-installed operating systems, see your device manufacturer or reseller for the customized drivers and applications specific to your machine. Using operating systems copied from this site for install, re-install or recovery may void your support agreement with your manufacturer or reseller. Any drivers or programs that were installed by the device manufacturer or reseller may be removed during installation.

You can download an ISO file copy of Windows to use with a non-Windows device. Follow these links for Windows 10, Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 ISO download options best for non-Windows devices.

The terms 32-bit and 64-bit refer to the way a computer's processor (also called a CPU) handles information. The 64-bit version of Windows handles large amounts of random access memory (RAM) more effectively than a 32-bit system. Not all devices can run the 64-bit versions of Windows.

If you have a Windows operating system installed, open File Explorer or This PC.

1. Right click on This PC or Computer in the navigation pane and select Properties.
2. In the System information screen, find the System type entry. This will indicate what type of processor your device has.

If you do not have an operating system installed, you should refer to the documentation that came with the device. Most device and processor manufacturers also provide information regarding processor capabilities on their websites.

For other options and more information on Windows 7 visit the Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit FAQ page or download and run the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

After you've created the installation media, do one of the following to install Windows:

• Connect the USB flash drive to the PC where you want to install Windows, browse to it in File Explorer, and then open the setup.exe file. Follow the instructions in setup.
• If your PC is set up to boot from a USB drive, connect the USB flash drive to the PC where you want to install Windows, restart (reboot) it, and then follow the instructions in setup.
• If your PC is set up to boot from the DVD drive, insert the DVD into your PC, restart (reboot) it, and then follow the instructions in setup.

You can use the ISO file to create bootable media for installation or recovery. You can also install Windows on your current device by opening the ISO file, selecting the Setup and following the instructions.

To create bootable media such as a bootable USB drive or DVD, you will need an ISO burning or mounting software. We recommend always using a blank USB or blank DVD because contents may be deleted when creating a bootable image.

If you are creating media from a Windows 8.1 machine, you can also right click the ISO file and select either Mount to mount the image to the current device or a USB drive or select Burn disc image to burn a DVD (this requires a DVD burner and a blank DVD).

If you are creating a DVD from a Windows 7 machine, you can right click the ISO file and select Burn disc image or Open with, then Windows Disc Image Burner to burn a DVD (this requires a DVD burner and a blank DVD). This DVD can be used to install media and is bootable.

If you are creating media from a Windows 7 machine, you may need to use a separate burning or mounting software such as the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. Before using this tool, be sure to read the Information and Instructions. You can also right click the ISO file and select Burn disc image to burn a DVD (this requires a DVD burner and a blank DVD).

You can also visit Microsoft Community to research other options.

To use the bootable media, make sure the device you will be installing on is set to boot from a USB or DVD. Then connect the USB or insert the DVD, restart (reboot) the device and then follow the instructions in setup.

Windows 8.x and Windows 10 Pre-installed: You can download and use media from this site on your device and it will install correctly. In most cases you will not be asked for a product key during installation, the product key is included on the motherboard. However, after installation, the device will NOT contain the specialized drivers and software that came pre-installed from your manufacturer. *If you are prompted for a product key during installation, refer to How do I find my Windows product key? question above.

Windows 7 Pre-installed: We strongly recommend you contact the device manufacturer for support.

If you are looking for MSDN products or Enterprise editions visit the MSDN Portal or the Volume Licensing Service Center.

The media from this site can be used to create bootable USB drives and DVDs which will allow you to access recovery tools.

A product key is a 25-character code that comes with a Microsoft Office product. The product key allows you to install and activate the Office product on your PC.

Your product key is 25 characters and is found in different locations depending on how you acquired your Office product.

• If you purchased Office on a traditional disc the product key should be located inside the package on a label on the card opposite the disc holder on the left side of the DVD case.
• If you purchased an Office product key card the product key should be located inside the package on a label on the left side of the case.
• If the product key is not inside the package, please review the instructions in the package.
• If you purchased and downloaded Office online the product key should be on the confirmation page and/or email that was sent to you when you downloaded the software.
• If you purchased a new computer with Office preloaded the manufacturer of your computer should have included either media or a Microsoft Product Identifier card in the box that has the product key. The product key is located on the Certificate of Authenticity.
• If you need additional help locating your product key, please refer to these resources:
  • Office 2010
  • Office for Mac 2011

Download times vary by location, internet connection speed and the size of the Office product you are downloading. It is recommended only high-speed broadband connections are used to download your file(s).

We recommend that you download the file to your Desktop, so it is easy to find to initiate the installation. You can download the file anywhere you like, just make sure that you remember the location where you saved it, and the name of the file. Do not rename the file that you are downloading; it may cause installation problems.

After the download has completed, go to the location that you saved the file at and double click on the new icon to start the installation.

Some pop up blocker and firewall programs, as well as proxy servers, may prevent communication with our server. If you utilize these types of applications, you may need to disable them. Please check your system for and disable any of the following and remember to turn them back on when you’re done:

Firewall - These are designed to stop downloads from non-approved sites.
Anti Virus Programs - These will try to stop or scan a download. It may cause the download to be corrupt or damaged.
Download Monitors - Programs such as GoZilla! and NetZip are not compatible with our server and will sometimes block or stop downloads.
Screen Savers - In some instances, screen savers can interfere with the download process. If you have a screen saver that is starting while you are downloading, please disable it temporarily until your download is complete.

If you require assistance disabling any of the products noted, please contact the manufacturer’s technical support.

If you become disconnected while files are being downloaded through your web browser, reconnect to the internet and retry your download.

Click on the links below for information about installing Office products

• Office 2010
• Office 2007
• Office for Mac 2011

Click on the links below for information about activating Office products

• Office 2010
• Office for Mac 2011

Office 2007: If you run into problems, try searching online help or get answers from the Office Community. Need to talk to a person? Answer Desk is ready to help you with whatever you need.

Office 2010: If you run into problems, try searching online help or get answers from the Office Community. Need to talk to a person? Answer Desk is ready to help you with whatever you need.

Office for Mac 2011: If you run into problems, try searching online help or get answers from the Office Community. Need to talk to a person? Answer Desk is ready to help you with whatever you need.

Backup media for Office 2010 products is no longer available. You can create your own backup media by downloading to an external storage (USB) device or to a DVD.

If you stored your product key on a previous version of the Office download site and are unable to find it based on how you acquired Office, check your email. If you are an Office 2010 or Office 2007 download customer, you were sent an email message containing the product key when you first set up your account. The email would have come from the domain trymicrosoftoffice.com. If you downloaded Office for Mac 2011, you can contact Support through the How Can I Get Support? section in the FAQ. You’ll need to provide the email address that you use to sign in to the download site along with your product and purchase information.