# Program without Product Key



## Renee (Jun 17, 2002)

My daughter-in-law bought a couple of computer programs at a garage sale last fall. I showed her how to put the Microsoft Publisher (2002 version) on her computer but it won't operate because it requires the user to fill in a Product Key number. The CD came inside a little generic sleeve so this is impossible to know what that number is. Is it impossible to use this program or is there a way to bypass the user information number?

Thanks!
Renee


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Check your PM.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

There are ways to bypass activation on most software, but the majority of the time it would be considered unethical or illegal. Since you legally bought the product, you're kind of in a gray area. Some might say you should have checked this before buying...Caveat Emptor. Personally, I'd suck it up to, "My bad". And use the disks for ******* skeet shooting.


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## Renee (Jun 17, 2002)

Thanks! There is no program manual (PM?) so she's out of luck. She also got a nice older clipart program with lots of discs that works so it wasn't a total loss.
Renee


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## aaronwesley94 (May 23, 2008)

Nevada meant Private Messages, I assume. He's probably got some information for you...etc


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

From a technical standpoint if you dont have the key you never got the program but only the media. From a legal standpoint your more than likely mot legal to loaded the program. 
From a functional standpoint you have old software. From a practical standpoint get a copy of Scribus and do the same thing legally and for free and depending on what you need to do there are other "free" open source options.


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## Renee (Jun 17, 2002)

Thanks Aaron and Gary. 
She didn't pay much for the program. She did get a nice clip art program with lots of discs that works well for her at the same place so it wasn't a total loss.
Gary, we will look into some of the other options you suggested. My DIL just wanted to have the program so she could work on newsletters at home using the same program she used on her job. It wasn't a necessity.

Blessings, Renee


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Renee, have her check if her employers will install the program on her home computer. Some will.

Peg


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

How Do I said:


> There are ways to bypass activation on most software, but the majority of the time it would be considered unethical or illegal. Since you legally bought the product, you're kind of in a gray area.


Yes, it's debatable for newer products, but not for a product made in 2002. Microsoft changed its license wording in 2007 to makes it appear that you can't transfer the license in a resale, but the limits of that language are being questioned. But with products made prior to 2007, as is the case here, you can probably make a legal sale of your license.

It happens all the time out in the open. You can buy used computers with all sorts of software bundles that were used by previous owners. Used computer vendors don't make any attempt to conceal the fact that they are selling used computers with that software. Moreover, people openly sell their used Microsoft products at eBay all the time. There are many thousands of such auctions at eBay at any given moment, even with Microsoft being an active VERO member, yet there seems to be no objection.

Even if you consider this a legal gray area, I still can't see the moral issue. Microsoft was paid for the product, and only one person will be using the product. Personally, if it were me in that position I would have downloaded a key generator and installed the application already. I believe that Renee's daughter-in-law is both the legal and moral owner of the license for that software.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Nevada said:


> Even if you consider this a legal gray area, I still can't see the moral issue. Microsoft was paid for the product, and only one person will be using the product. Personally, if it were me in that position I would have downloaded a key generator and installed the application already. I believe that Renee's daughter-in-law is both the legal and moral owner of the license for that software.


While I personally feel if you have the orginal media it should not be an issue. From a legal stanpoint you NEVER have purchased the product. You only purchase the right to use a product. MS doesn't sell windows, It license windows and its other products. These license and rights have limits.
Now granted you will most likely not get caught, but it may be still illegal to use.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Gary in ohio said:


> From a legal stanpoint you NEVER have purchased the product. You only purchase the right to use a product. MS doesn't sell windows, It license windows and its other products. These license and rights have limits.


That's true, but it has been said that we can sell those licensing rights to someone else. There is merit to that argument.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Nevada said:


> That's true, but it has been said that we can sell those licensing rights to someone else. There is merit to that argument.



Your given the right to resell in your licensing. If your given those rights to sell then your ok, if your not your breaking the law. I am also sure that any sale of MS software would require both the orginal media and license key.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

> I am also sure that any sale of MS software would require both the orginal media and license key.


And a keygen doesn't bypass that, from a legal standpoint. Had the OP received the product w/ the original key, there should be no issue...Being as they didn't receive the original key w/ purchase, they would be in a gray area by applying a key from a keygen or alternatively, applying a crack.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

I have mixed feelings. It may be technically illegal, but so is driving over the speed limit or parking for a couple of minutes in no parking zone. Yet no one gets all flustered over that.  

Microsoft isn't going to go under because someone purchased a legitmate copy of a program, but wasn't given the product key. In this case, go with the keygen-crack.

Oh, and when you're done with that, let us introduce you to things like Limewire and torrents...LOL! Just kidding.


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2009)

http://www.gtopala.com/ This site has a free program called System Information for Windows. It can run on hard disk or USB drives and runs on it's own. Download the program to your destination of choice. Insert the disk program disk in the drive, then start SIW, locate the CD drive on the left-hand side and click on it and it should tell you the key. Many times I've had people that lost activation keys for many software products that are legal copies when restoring systems.

This will also provide more information about your system than System Information in the Control Panel. Really comes in handy when checking RAM latency timings and voltage, type of CPU and such.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Yaaheydereh said:


> Insert the disk program disk in the drive, then start SIW, locate the CD drive on the left-hand side and click on it and it should tell you the key.


I don't get it. I can see all of the product keys for the installed applications, but I don't see where to click on the CD drive. When I click on Storage Devices under Hardware it just identifies the physical drive. Help me out here.


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## Guest (Jan 22, 2009)

Yep, that seems to be the case now. Older versions of this program can do it if the OS is XP SP2 but not in XP SP3. I have no clue as to why not. If a Google search is done "finding ms publisher 2002 keys on the cd" will take one to plenty of choices. Entertain at your own risk, and proceed with caution.


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