PCFormat Forum Archive

Greetings, Clever People.

Assuming my boss orders a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet along with the new laptop i don' t think he needs, but is entitled to, would he be entitled to use a single Office 2013 volume license for both computers as is permitted with Surface RT, or would a secind license be called for?

First off, I don't think the Surface Pro ships with office, and if it does, it will probably only be a trial version.

That said, he would need to buy Office 2013 with a license for two computers. If he subscribes to Office 365 ($99 for a year) he can use it on up to five devices, but if he wants the regular retail version of office he has to fork out for a dual license version.

As a company we buy volume licenses from Microsoft....are you saying that we would have to two licenses to run Office 2013 if he had Surface Pro rather than RT?

StarPhoenix wrote:As a company we buy volume licenses from Microsoft

If you have VLK's for Office 2013 this question is moot.

If Office 2013 is not volume licensed but 2010 or earlier is you still need a 2013 license for each device running 2013.

are you saying that we would have to two licenses to run Office 2013 if he had Surface Pro rather than RT?

You are aware the Surface RT runs Windows RT, which isn't the same as regular old Windows and Office 2013 RT isn't the same product as Office 2013?

hamin_aus wrote: If Office 2013 is not volume licensed but 2010 or earlier is you still need a 2013 license for each device running 2013.

I believe Office 2013 is 1 key per machine. Yesterday I tried installing office 2007 onto my new ultrabook and the result was a failed activation. Tried phoning MS support and after giving the generated key it came back with 2007 can only be activated on 1 machine and no longer multiple. I'm sure 2007 could be done on 3 machines as could 2010.

Depends what version you had. IIRC, 2007 allowed two activations (one desktop and one laptop). 2010 came with different activations permitted for different products. When buying 2013 you can choose the version that allows one or two activations. Student edition normally allows three activations.

It is home and student. I installed it onto my desktop, which has gone through 3 changes since I got it and then I believe I installed it over 3 different laptops as I upgraded (laptop to netbook to ultrabook). Not sure how licensing works but everytime I traded in the laptops they got factory reseted.

Its been mostly the same throughout the last three versions:

1) Office 20xx Home and Student (OEM or PKC) and Home and Business are only allowed activation on one computer per license.
2) Professional is allowed to be installed on two computers, but both must use the same username and you must own both of them. Microsoft never checks, but assume they can and will anyway.
3) Home and Student 2007/2010 retail pack could be activated three times, but you need to specify how many computers you're installing it on. Once you get to the third activation, you select that its been on two other computers and it moves on. Over three, and you sometimes have to lie to the machine and tell Microsoft its only on one PC currently. Its not ideal, but their system doesn't track when Office is uninstalled or migrated.

Some copies Home and Student 2010 actually gave you three licenses with unlimited activations on one PC per license, which made things easier, but you had a tiny issue when re-loading the license on a new machine because you couldn't just use the phone service to activate it, you actually had to speak to a consultant and get them to do it for you. Bloody annoying, all because "0" isn't a valid answer.

StarPhoenix, your boss would be allowed to install the license on both if the volume package you're on uses Office Professional or Professional Plus. If its Office Enterprise, which is per-device IIRC, you'll have to check if you've already used up the pool of license activations. If you're still unsure, phone Microsoft's local offices and speak to a licensing agent to make sure.

Also, the Surface Pro doesn't come with Office 2013. Office 2013 H&S and H&B is now single-license only, Professional still retains the two-installs-on-two-devices feature in the EULA.