Webs’ Random Ideas

I have been using office 2007 for awhile now at work so I can support it, and I really like it. I like it a lot in fact. Not as much as OpenOffice, but for a M$ product, Office 2007 aint bad. The trouble with this software really comes along with the Trial Version…

From M$ themselves:

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Trial Version is the essential software suite for home computer users that enables you to quickly and easily create great-looking documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and organize your information in one place, making it easier for you to get things done. 60-day trial version.

Important Notes:
The Office 2007 trials on this site are available to US residents only.

This is right from their download site. The only thing listed under important notes is what I supplied. No information has been removed to make M$ look bad (at least as of 3-13-07 4:00P). I state this because there is a little known fact about M$ office that has affected quite a few people.

If you do not want to buy the software you had better back up your files or save them as a different format before your trial period ends. If you do not do this you will not be able to do practically anything with those files once the trial period ends. The files are essentially locked in Microsoft purgatory in an attempt to force you to buy the software.

This is so blatantly stupid beyond any level of what I have seen from M$ I was tempted to call their support number and scream at them and see what they could offer, but I was able to find a couple solutions online that look plausible:

1: Download OpenOffice, the link is on the sidebar of my site
2: Move the clock date back to about 2 months ago, or to the date of when you first installed the product
– Then save all the files as an “.rtf” file
– This file type will not give Microsoft the chance to take control of it
3: Try uninstalling the trial version from “Add or Remove Programs” then download a Brand New Trial version from Microsoft’s website

I do not know if any of these work for certain, but I will update this post if I come across new information. I was planning on posting some links with more information, but I could not find any and the solutions are not that complicated. But if I find anything I will let you all know.

As for now, use OpenOffice and stay away from M$ trial versions…