MS Office '11

[astoxos]

I plan to do a clean install on my mba for ML. Do i need to back up somehow MS office 11 or i can redownload it after with the same activation key i used when bought?

And a little sub-question: Are all the ms office contents needed? It comes with many apps together with powerpoint, word, excell that i dont even know what their purpose is.

Thanks in advance.

 

[kodeman53]

Why are you doing a clean install? It's a waste of time.

A restore from backup will bring Office back.

 

[astoxos]

@Kodeman53

I am old fashioned in this... I think a clean install benefits the system performance even in not old machines.

 

[kodeman53]

@Kodeman53

I am old fashioned in this... I think a clean install benefits the system performance even in not old machines.

At one time, people thought the earth was flat, too.

Either bring Office back by restoring your Applications (assuming you believe in restoring applications) or re-install and use your old activation code.

 

[Dragoro]

I personally love office 2011.

Back up all your documents from office on a seperate drive. Then go ahead and do the clean install. You can download office 2011 again (even the trial version) and then insert your cd key and youll have office 2011 again.

 

[The Tuck]

Jeez, people in this forum are not giving helpful answers. Except for the poster above. I would also like to know how this is done because with MS Office if you use the activation code 2 times, you're maxed out.

Tuck

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Also, after you do the install, be sure to run the Microsoft auto updater a couple of times to get the latest updates, security fixes, etc. It will play nicer with ML.

 

[Dragoro]

You should be able to call MS and get them to validate your cd key again, Tuck.

 

[kodeman53]

... if you use the activation code 2 times, you're maxed out.

This is not true. I've used mine at least half a dozen times. And even if it is 'maxed out', you can call them and after supplying them an explanation for why you need it, they will activate your copy of Office.

 

[astoxos]

Thanks for the reply guys.
It seems that i am going to upgrade to ML to avoid the backups etc.

 

[spaziobds]

if you do a clean install on the same machine (the same HD) you can reuse the product key as many times as you like. Watch out if you install on a different HD
I had my crashed iMac HD changed at an Apple Store, no way of reinstalling MS Office 2011 with the valid product key used ont he old HD (and no way to get in touch with MS people at help desk, at least in Italy)

 

[TallGuyGT]

You can download the Office trial from Microsoft's Mac page, enter your activation code, and have fully functional Office. The download is under a gig and doesn't take that long. I do that when I've clean installed.

 

[iMacFarlane]

I just did a clean install of ML on my MBA, re-downloaded the MS Office installer (~800MB), installed Office, downloaded updates (~250MB), then entered my product key.

I was informed during initial purchase that I could only use my key twice, but I've actually used it 3 times now. I'm not sure if it checks your hardware or what, but this is computer #2, so maybe that's why it let me activate beyond the initial 2 installs I am supposed to get.

I am like you, OP. A clean install will always result in better performance than an upgrade. I ran 2 years on my iMac, then did a clean install and that thing FLEW. So, on my next cruise, I'll make sure I steer clear of the edge of the world . . .

 

[eagandale4114]

I've probably run the installation code half a dozen times or so. No issues there.