Transfer Office from one PC to another

Sam Russell

Is it possible to transfer Office from one PC to another? I have Office 2013 on one PC and want to upgrade it to Office 2016 Pro but want to put the older version onto another PC. Can it be done?

Fysh

You'd need a separate licence for each PC to do that, one for 2016 and one for 2013. If the 2013 licence is an OEM one you can't move it from the computer it originally shipped with, and if the 2016 licence is an upgrade rather than full licence it needs to be installed on a system with a qualifying previous version of Office.

This is from a licence-validity rather than technical perspective - you may be able to find ways of circumventing the licence requirementa, but discussion of such is not allowed here.

Sam Russell

How do I determine what the exact status of the licences that I have on my various laptops and desktops?

I have win 10, and win 10 pro on various machines, and I have Office Ultimate 2007 and Office 2013, and Office 2016 Pro.

Not sure of the origins of each licence.

Robert ninja

Surely the license key is somewhere in the ABOUT/HELP settings, or somewhere at least? Find it, note it and use it to activate the product on the other system you want to move it to.

Sam Russell

Robert ninja wrote: »

Surely the license key is somewhere in the ABOUT/HELP settings, or somewhere at least? Find it, note it and use it to activate the product on the other system you want to move it to.

I want to move Office Pro (2007) from my existing desktop and replace it with Office Pro (2016) but put the (2007) version on an old laptop. If I replace the desktop version, will it release the old version, or do I have to uninstall the old version in some official way before I install the new version?

I know the old version was purchased as a retail version, so I presume it can be moved but what are the detail mechanics of doing it?

.

Fysh

Tools like Magical Jellybean can help you find your product key if you don't have it saved somewhere, but be careful - there are versions around with malware bundled in.

In terms of the licence mobility, generally retail licences can be moved without issue. You shouldn't need to deactivate on the old machine before installing on the new machine. You should verify that your 2016 licence isn't an upgrade licence, though, as it may not install without an older pre-existing Office installation.

Robert ninja

It depends what key you have for 2016 version. If it's an 'upgrade' key then I honestly don't know. If it's a standalone license for Office 2016 then I suggest just putting Office 2007 on the old system you want it on via the retail disc or online download/torrent somewhere, activate it with your current key, then install and activate 2016 office on the desktop you want.

Or if it's not for work and you're ok with new software just use LibreOffice.

Retrovertigo

Sam Russell wrote: »

I want to move Office Pro (2007) from my existing desktop and replace it with Office Pro (2016) but put the (2007) version on an old laptop. If I replace the desktop version, will it release the old version, or do I have to uninstall the old version in some official way before I install the new version?

I know the old version was purchased as a retail version, so I presume it can be moved but what are the detail mechanics of doing it?

.

If you have the original disc or even an image of the version and have the original key, moving it should be fine. You technically have a finite amount of installations per retail copy but I wouldn't be worried unless you installed it across a load of machines.

Just try installing it and see if it gives you a query after you input the license key. If it doesn't then you're good to go.

Sam Russell

Is there a way of finding out from the key what version is covered?

Retrovertigo

https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/help/928116/how-to-determine-which-version-of-a-2007-office-product-is-installed