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XP Home and Office Pro

Posted: Oct 19th 2004, 8:45 am
by starbug
Hi guys... I need your help :scratchinghead:
A quick techie question for those of you that way inclined:

I've just bought myself a lovely new Packard Bell laptop PC. Only problem is it came with no software really. Well, it came with all these stupid ISP 'special offers' (AOL GO AWAY!) that I have since been trying to purge from my system (any ideas on how to do that also much appreciated since it doesn't seem to be possible to do it from the 'add/remove programmes' thingy, since technically they're 'presentations' and link-ups or summat).

In summary, I'm going to try and load Office PRO (ahem borrowed discs) onto XP Home OS. Can you forsee any glitches that I should be worried about because I'm clearly using a professionally-licenced bit of software on a 'home use' operating system... :?: Maybe there won't be any, but I'd really rather not have to go skulking back to the shop and admit dodgy use of software has blown up my PC.

:flowers:

As an aside, why is it that when you now buy a PC, the shop loads all kind of rubbish on it which so far as I can see is completely superfluous. Why don't they just give it to you with the operating system and a selection of software that you can then CHOOSE whether you want on there or not and load up yourself. Grrrrr. I spent 2 hours figuring out that the firewall software they had on there running behind the scenes had some setting that wouldn't let me connect to the internet.

Re: XP Home and Office Pro

Posted: Oct 19th 2004, 10:56 am
by Sascha
starbug wrote: Well, it came with all these stupid ISP 'special offers' (AOL GO AWAY!) that I have since been trying to purge from my system (any ideas on how to do that also much appreciated since it doesn't seem to be possible to do it from the 'add/remove programmes' thingy, since technically they're 'presentations' and link-ups or summat).
Some spyware removers can also remove such nasty programs if they are launched automatically at each (re)boot of windows. Also check the contents in the folder "Start->Programs->Startup" (or "Autostart").
In summary, I'm going to try and load Office PRO (ahem borrowed discs) onto XP Home OS. Can you forsee any glitches that I should be worried about because I'm clearly using a professionally-licenced bit of software on a 'home use' operating system... :?:
There won't be any problems (I think ;-)). "Professional" basically just means "with Access database" if I remember correctly. The Standard Office Package only includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint and maybe Outlook. But remember, Windows XP "phones home" more and more. Microsoft officially denies it, but noone knows for sure if it sends the Office registration number to microsoft.com as soon as you start "Windows Update".

I've been lately forcing myself to use Sun's OpenOffice, which is free and has almost the same tools and functions like the MS Office package. It can read and write MS Office files, but its "look and feel" is different.
As an aside, why is it that when you now buy a PC, the shop loads all kind of rubbish on it which so far as I can see is completely superfluous. Why don't they just give it to you with the operating system and a selection of software that you can then CHOOSE whether you want on there or not and load up yourself. Grrrrr. I spent 2 hours figuring out that the firewall software they had on there running behind the scenes had some setting that wouldn't let me connect to the internet.
Yeah, I hate that too. I usually format the hard drives on new PCs and install the OS myself. But some merchants/distributors now have the nasty habit of only providing so-called "Rescue CDs" of the OS which are not suitable for a clean, basic installation.

Re: XP Home and Office Pro

Posted: Oct 19th 2004, 11:06 am
by starbug
Sascha (sab) wrote:
Some spyware removers can also remove such nasty programs if they are launched automatically at each (re)boot of windows. Also check the contents in the folder "Start->Programs->Startup" (or "Autostart").
Thanks! I will give it a try.
But remember, Windows XP "phones home" more and more. Microsoft officially denies it, but noone knows for sure if it sends the Office registration number to microsoft.com as soon as you start "Windows Update".
crafty crafty! well, I'm less worried about that since after a bit of digging, I've realised that for 'working at home' purposes, the licence my University holds to Office PRO for my work, actually holds for my home use as an employee, so I should be OK even if I'm rumbled. What I was worried about was the whole 'fatal error hardisk shutdown how dare you use x where you're meant to have y' thing. So my mind is eased........ thanks!

But some merchants/distributors now have the nasty habit of only providing so-called "Rescue CDs" of the OS which are not suitable for a clean, basic installation.

Yep, that's what I've got. Not that I would know how to uninstall and reinstall a whole operating system myself, but it would be nice to at least have that option... :evil:

Posted: Oct 19th 2004, 8:01 pm
by Nostradamus
Wow, my first PC was a Packard Bell; I didn't know they were still around!

:o

I hear ya about the crappy pre-fab options on new PC's. I know a guy who custom assembles computers for his friends; he listens to what they want, then he shops around for the best hard- and software for the job and puts it together himself. It's not foolproof, but at least if anything goes wrong he knows it's his own fault, and there's less time on hold with lousy customer service.

:?

Posted: Oct 20th 2004, 4:54 am
by starbug
Nostradamus wrote:Wow, my first PC was a Packard Bell; I didn't know they were still around!

:o
Yeah, it wasn't the first brand on my list... and it's not exactly 'portable' (it weighs a ton and is large in comparison to some others on the market) but for the money it had the most processing power and a DVD-R which is cool.
Nostradamus wrote:and there's less time on hold with lousy customer service.

:?
Yeah, this is why I didn't go with Dell. I was about to pick up a Dell from their website but I had a few questions so I called their sales number. I was then routed through 3 different call-centres in INDIA (this is getting more and more common in europe) and forced to try and communicate my questions to some guy in wherever who barely spoke english, over a badly-delayed phone connection. So I thought to myself, I'm the sort of person who needs good aftercare. If that's their sales approach, think how their aftercare will be.... bye bye Dell.

Of course, the upside of all this (once I get my wireless broadband connection) is that I'll be able to post from home, properly!

Posted: Nov 10th 2004, 9:41 am
by starbug
Happy Happy Joy Joy!!! I have managed (OK, with help from a techie friend of mine) to connect myself to broadband which is wireless. I'm also particularly impressed that I have managed to use my own wireless card rather than the cumbersome one the ISP provided for me.... Starbug enters the 21st Century!!!

:rainbowafro: :onfire:

Posted: Nov 10th 2004, 11:42 am
by Nothingman
Congrads Starbug. :D