Tech Tip: Change Microsoft Office’s serial number, Easy!
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Over a year ago we published a tip detailing how to change the serial number on an installed copy of Microsoft Office X or Microsoft Office 2004. That tip described a technique for digging around in library preferences, and hunting down an invisible OfficePID file.
It turns out there is a much, much, easier method!
The Remove Office tool that comes with Microsoft Office 2004 has a hidden feature that removes the serial number on installed copies of Microsoft Office (both version X and 2004).
Tip: You can find the Remove Office app in the Microsoft Office 2004 application folder inside the Additional Tools folder.
When you see the the initial “Welcome to Remove Office” splash screen, hold down the Option key. The Continue button will change to read “Remove Licensing Information Only.”
When you click the button, a second screen appears warning you that “files you no longer need must be removed from your computer.” These files include that difficult OfficePID file. Make sure all your Microsoft Office applications are not running, and click “Remove.”
The Remove Office tool will process for a bit. When it is done you can quit (ignore the warning that nothing was removed). When you launch Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Entourage the next time, you’ll be presented with the opportunity to enter a new serial number.
Now, that’s much easier! No hidden OfficePID file, no preferences.
Tip: What if you need to change the serial number for Microsoft Office X, and don’t have access to 2004’s Remove Office tool? Here’s a trick: Download the free Office 2004 Test Drive which includes the needed Remove Office tool!
Source: The difficult version of this tip (Tip #43 Change Microsoft Office’s serial number) was published on May 30, 2005. Since then about 50 people a day have visited that tip through various Google searches. We were delighted to discover this easier technique on the great Mac OS X hints website.
October 11th, 2006 at 9:26 am
Sorry but what does it mean ’splash screen’ ?
November 10th, 2006 at 10:54 am
doesn’t work for Office 2004 test drive… doesnt ask for a serial..just starts the 30 day trial over again..
November 15th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
Tried it with test drive ages ago and it worked. Tried it again after downloading testdrive just today and it didn’t work. Has something changed?
November 20th, 2006 at 9:06 am
sorry, posted before but with wrong e mail. now you have my correct one, any suggestions what I can do?
January 1st, 2007 at 6:32 am
Geez, doesn’t work for me. Even tried the older tip. Deleted all that stuff, but the Test Drive is still running. BIZARRE?!
HELP ME! I WANT MS OFFICE!
January 23rd, 2007 at 11:29 pm
What is the ¨option key¨?=)
February 8th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Realised I had the same serial on my new MacBook as my iMac after transfering everything via Target Disk Mode. As I had the Edu version of Office I thought I could simply change the serial with this tip. Unfortunately I have tried this on both machines without any success at all and ended up uninstalling and then reinstalling office
Ug, how PC of me!
February 20th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Did not work for me either. Office just started again as usual. Tried on an Intel Mini and MacBook–had to do the whole reinstall!!!
November 27th, 2008 at 9:44 am
WOW that was EZ
Thanks
November 27th, 2008 at 11:21 am
It looks like we should run an updated tip for changing the serial number for Office 2008, because this method does not work with the latest upgrade. Here is a reported method from entourage.mvps.org:
Delete these two files on one of the machines:
~:Library:Preferences:Microsoft:Office 2008:Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist
where ~ is your home folder, and
HD:Applications:Microsoft Office 2008:Office:OfficePID.plist
When you start an Office app, you’ll be asked for a CD Key.
(Happily, the 2008 version of OfficePID.plist is no longer an invisible file.)
January 1st, 2009 at 7:16 am
Craig speaks the truth. His method worked like a charm for the 2008 version
January 8th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Craig is a genius. It works perfect!!! Thanks a bunch.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Craig, all i have to say is, THANK YOU!!!
I have been needing do this for a while because i was dumb and used my serial key twice on two machines on the same network…
you should have this a seperate page…because it’s hard to find info like that!!!
February 24th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
hi, do you know where i can find a new serial number for office 2004(for mac) it just happen to me. Can’t open my office because somebody else is using the same serial number
thanks
April 12th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Remove office worked great