. Have you ever asked yourself that question? Lets face it eventually you come to a spot with a problem child PC when its much easier to rebuild it then spend hours troubleshooting or attempting to remove that horrible rootkit.

What happens when you cant find the product key for the Windows OS (Operating System), or if you're fortunate enough to have remembered to put it to the side of your machine, how many do the same with their Microsoft office key?

It's sometimes necessary to change the product installation and registration key used by office serial. This could be due to having installed the wrong key in the first place, the PC was imaged from another PC with the exact same office 2013 serial, or you're installing a lawfully purchased license key on a PC where Microsoft Office was formerly installed illegally using a pirated windows serial. The benefit to this process is that it allows you to instantly change the key and never have to remove and reinstall your software.

Please note that installing MS Office, or some software, using an illegally obtained license or installation code, or installing more copies than you are lawfully entitled to is punishable by law. This post is intended for use only in situations where you are enabling a legally obtained installment key.

The following procedure outlines the way to edit the Microsoft Windows registry to get rid of the existing product key, which will then empower the new key to be activated online with Microsoft. Poor editing of the Windows registry can lead to a number of difficulties which range from inoperable applications to a complete failure of Windows to boot. This article assumes that you're comfortable with editing the registry. A qualified computer support technician should be consulted if that isn't something that the reader is comfortable doing themselves. 1. Start the registry editor. 2. Browse to the following key: HKLMSOFTWAREMICROSOFTOFFICE12.0REGISTRATION. 3. Export this key for use within the event that there is a problem and need to roll back to the pre existing configuration. 4. Within the Registration container, find and delete the DigitalProductID and ProductID registry keys.

Next time you begin any Microsoft Office program you'll be prompted to register your activation key. Simply follow the prompts to complete registration. To check the status of your Microsoft Office product registration in Office 2007, click on the Office button in the top left hand corner of Microsoft Word, go to Word Choices, select Resources, and then click on the “Activate” button in the section titled “Activate Microsoft Office”. This button will also allow you to manually register your applications.

Depending on which flavor of Office you are registering, and which version, if any, is pre-installed on the COMPUTER, you may receive trial notices for unlicensed Office components whenever you start Office. If this occurs, restart Microsoft Office the necessary number of times until the trial expires and you'll no longer obtain the annoying notice!

This procedure was analyzed using the Office 2007 Small Business Edition MPK version of Office that was preinstalled on a brand new PC. Although not examined, it should work on Windows XP and later versions of Microsoft Windows. It will work with all Microsoft Office 2007 editions, but may not work on prior versions click here.