So as I recently got a new family desktop I was setting things up and had to install Microsoft Office. I bought a copy of Microsoft office earlier this year and thus proceeded to do the activation. I proceeded with the phone activation and spoke my Installation code for verification. It could not recognize the third group of numbers. Very well. Fine. I will just type it in. Same problem! In my frustration I tweeted that this is why people pirate software. Make a legitimate user feel like a prisoner enough times and they will want to run away and pirate.
Installation Code not recognized:
Product in question: Microsoft Office 2007. Note the activation restrictions: “Distribution and required product activation must occur in Malaysia”
Luckily the sorry does not end there with me cursing Microsoft and product activation. On the box it does say that activation must occur in Malaysia. So I Googled for a Malaysian proxy, configured Internet Explorers to user a proxy (Tools > Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings > Proxy server) and tried online activation and viola! Activated without any other problems.
Product activation for the following version of Microsoft Office 2007 is to done by calling 1800 6738 from a land lineonly, not a mobile phone line.
I was told from TechOneGlobal that there is no recourse for those people without a land line. You will need get a hold of a land line, which isn’t too bad because it is a told free number but still I believe that there should be way to activate without one. By the way, the activation process is all automated and can be done via voice or button presses. The voice interaction with the bot is a pretty interesting experience.
I had a few problems when activating this product without this knowledge:
Activation cannot be done over the Internet: as stated on the box it must be done in Malaysia. You must call the Product Activation phone number
I tried calling the number with my mobile phone: the number was engaged for over an hour and only the next day, did it give me an automated message saying that the number was not assigned. I had to call Tech One Global to find out that I needed to call using a land line in order to get through
Honestly these things should be made clear to the buyer to avoid the inconveniences I experienced. No where is it stated that you cannot activate online and that a land line must be used to call the Product Activation telephone number. Yes, it does say activation in Malaysia only, but it did have the Tech One Global sticker (stuck on the plastic wrap) saying that it is to be sold in Brunei only, so logically, they could have made the necessary changes in the activation process so that these items shipped to Brunei could be activated here instead of requiring customers to call.
Also, since the number is not available to mobile phone callers why did I get the engaged tone instead of the automated message saying that the number wasn’t assigned? It would have at least tipped me off earlier. Perhaps this is a telephony matter but it should state on the sticker that activation must be done via a land line.
Hopefully this will help you guys save time and answer any tech support calls you may get regarding this.
PS: I’m not sure if this is the only version sold in Brunei or if there are ones that can be activated within Brunei. For all to know I bought this at Yappe Computer so I suggest you look elsewhere to see if there are any other versions of Office that can be activated in Brunei
The Wheat Field 