Installing old Office 2003 in W10

[Fareastdriver]

My old computer running on W7 had a mechanical hard drive. This got too slow taking some five minutes to fire up so I have bought another one with a SSHD that came with W10 loaded.

The OS system is fine but it insists that if I want Office I load 365 and I don't want to because as far as I can read it means that all your files are stored in Cloud and I do not want to do that. I have loaded Open Office but it is very untidy and slow and I have got used to instant response from the SSHD.. I have tried my old copy of Office 2003 but it keeps coming up with 'A required installation file YS561401.CAB could not be found' It tells me to reselect the D drive but then the same statement comes up so the disc cannot be compatible with W10.

The are lots of adverts for Office 2019 but the economical ones just mention a key. How does this work if you buy a key. More importantly, is it reliable and recognised by Microsoft for security updates.

[WB627]

My PC started life with Windows 7 and I installed amongst other things Office 2003. It has since had Windows 10 installed and Office 2003 runs fine with it. I know that Office was already on it when W10 was installed but I dont understand why you can't install Office 2003 just like any other software. Have you tried running the install "Application" .exe file direct from the installation disk?

[Fareastdriver]

Have you tried running the install "Application" .exe file direct from the installation disk?

That came up on the disc after I had inserted the code but it doesn't seem to work. Maybe it is because you still had the installation file in your computer from W7.

[stevef]

I loaded Office 2003 onto a SSD on my W10 computer a couple of months ago and had no problems.
You could try this on the same subject (from a Microsoft Office chat group):
Try running setup by double clicking PRO11.MSI or right click it and choose "install" menu. Not sure why this problem occurs, but I suspect it's due to another wizard/wrapper that launches with regular setup and asks to
click "finish" after installation is finished.

[Fareastdriver]

No, that didn't work. It came up with 'cyclic redundancy' whatever that means.

[Slatye]

Cyclic redundancy check failures normally mean a problem with the physical media (ie the CD/DVD) rather than software incompatibility. Do you know anyone who could lend you another Office 2003 CD/DVD, to use with your product key?

For what it's worth, even Office 97 works beautifully on Windows 10.

[Jetstream67]

You can use anyones DVD to install with your key as long as they have the same language /version

[OldLurker]

The OS system is fine but it insists that if I want Office I load 365 and I don't want to because as far as I can read it means that all your files are stored in Cloud and I do not want to do that.AFAIK Office 365 (now called "Microsoft 365") files are stored locally unless you choose to let it use OneDrive.

As others have mentioned, if you have complete installation media for Office 2003, it should install on Windows 10. But unless you don't want to fork out for it, I'd go for a later version.

[12in95]

I've moved away from most things MS. Have not tried Open Office for years, but if you've got a SSD OS (presumably i5 or i7) it should handle it at speed. Anyway, I've got an i5 OS and it operates my alternative to Office - Libre Office - quite fast enough for me. Give it a try and see if it suits you (it is free!).

[Fareastdriver]

A flash around the web reveals that I am not the only person having this trouble installing it on W10. I will throw in the towel and flash out for Office 2019.

Thanks to everybody for their trouble.

[Andy H]

I was in a similar W10 situation and found I had to uninstall Word 365 (in Settings) before I cld install my old Office 2003

[cattletruck]

Have you tried uninstalling it, even deliberately damaging it by removing the parent folder, or even deleting regedit trees if you know what you're doing, then re-install it. The installer seems to be able to handle a lot of user abuse and self repair. If you need a DVD of the media most PC shops will happily offer you one (maybe for a very small fee or thrown in if for free if you buy something else), but they won't supply the license key if they are legit.

For what it's worth, even Office 97 works beautifully on Windows 10.
Thank you, I have a paid Office 2009 running on 32 bit XP on an unconnected PC that still meets all my needs. There's hope!!!

We use Office365 (which we call Office364 because their cloud crashes once a year) at work and it's the pits. It's slow to load, it's missing important features of the local client and it has a stupid security model inside the cloud framework. Absolutely hate it.

[Fareastdriver]

Looking at the disc it has 'Licensed only for distribution with a new PC'. I have already used it to load one already so there may be a gizmo in the disc which stops it being used again.

[cattletruck]

Looking at the disc it has 'Licensed only for distribution with a new PC'. I have already used it to load one already so there may be a gizmo in the disc which stops it being used again.

Doubt it, unless it's a disk created by the PC vendor rather than by Microsoft, in that case the disk may have been fiddled with by the PC vendor, however the license activation key should be universal and work with any official Microsoft Office 2003 disk. Perhaps your disk is simply damaged, highly likely if its 18 years old.

[stevef]

Looking at the disc it has 'Licensed only for distribution with a new PC'. I have already used it to load one already so there may be a gizmo in the disc which stops it being used again.

It's completely legal to buy Microsoft software from sellers of decommissioned office computers at a fraction of the full price. It's not piracy, eBay vendors clearly state that they're working within the terms of the licences. I've bought operating systems and office suites by complying with the conditions. For what it's worth, I prefer Office 2003 over Office 2007. I bought the full suite and couldn't get on with its ribbon and the various flaws that argued against my choices.

[Thirsty]

No, that didn't work. It came up with 'cyclic redundancy' whatever that means.Faulty install media. Optical discs like CDs and DVDs are not forever. They DO eventually degrade and can become unreadable.

Try making a mirror copy onto another disc and if that fails somewhere along the way, you know it is unreadable. If it worked, just use the new media you have created to restart your install again..

If it is faulty and copying doesn't work, the solution is to get another one from somewhere else.

The Office 2003 licence key is unique to you and should work regardless of where your installation media comes from. You shouldn't have to pay again for a new licence as they didn't have a $ubscription model that far back - you bought it outright and own it forever.

Microsoft used to offer specific download web pages for their software for exactly this scenario, but I'm not sure if they still do. Worth calling their support line and asking if they offer new media for a small fee if you can confirm ownership - they usually ask you to read certain laser etched numbers that are very hard to replicate off the original disc so have a magnifying glass handy.

Correspondingly, doing a deep Google search for terms like 'Office 2003 free download' may prove insightful, but may be risky as you cannot trust non-Microsoft sources to forgo bundling added malware. Avoid if possible

[PJD1]

It's completely legal to buy Microsoft software from sellers of decommissioned office computers at a fraction of the full price. It's not piracy, eBay vendors clearly state that they're working within the terms of the licences. I've bought operating systems and office suites by complying with the conditions. For what it's worth, I prefer Office 2003 over Office 2007. I bought the full suite and couldn't get on with its ribbon and the various flaws that argued against my choices.

Not true I'm afraid. The eBay sellers selling MS products at low prices are typically selling volume licence keys that are designed for use by large companies who need to install many copies of the software on their computers, reselling these keys on eBay is definitely outside the terms of the licence. The keys will almost certainly work when you buy them but if Microsoft become aware that they are being sold in this way they will blacklist them and your software will stop working. The typical profile of these sellers would be someone who works in an IT department and has access to the keys through their workplace and has taken it upon themselves to use this to make some easy money for themselves. Of course the sellers say they are working within the terms of the licences, they would hardly say otherwise! Volume licence keys were never intended to be "split up" and sold in this way and it is not legitimate use of the licence to do so.

[Blues&twos]

If the CD/DVD is not being read at some point during installation, have you tried cleaning it? A bit of toothpaste, some gentle scrubbing and a good rinse and dry has worked for me on several occasions over the years, even on DVDs where there was no obvious physical damage/contamination. I have even successfully used T-Cut...

[Thirsty]

Not true I'm afraid. The eBay sellers selling MS products at low prices are typically selling volume licence keys that are designed for use by large companies who need to install many copies of the software on their computers, reselling these keys on eBay is definitely outside the terms of the licence. The keys will almost certainly work when you buy them but if Microsoft become aware that they are being sold in this way they will blacklist them and your software will stop working. The typical profile of these sellers would be someone who works in an IT department and has access to the keys through their workplace and has taken it upon themselves to use this to make some easy money for themselves. Of course the sellers say they are working within the terms of the licences, they would hardly say otherwise! Volume licence keys were never intended to be "split up" and sold in this way and it is not legitimate use of the licence to do so.
I concur. Buying licences off eBay and similar sites nearly always involves going outside original licence terms and conditions, which you should find on your disc or in the box, except if your disc is unreadable. You usually click past them without reading them as you start your installation. You know: the BIT WITH ALL CAPITAL LETTERS legalese.
Catch 22!
Don't support thieves and shady characters by giving them money. Pirated software, by the very definition, should always be free.

You paid for the software, the millions of hours and lines of code of intellectual property that went into the code. You paid for the installation media. You should, barring abuse, expect that media to last for a long time if carefully preserved in original box in a controlled climate. Don't be asinine about it,, otherwise your Micro$oft support call will change from a free one to paid. They are usually understanding, and their job is to assist customers, except those that are clearly frauds attempting to steal software.

[Thirsty]

If the CD/DVD is not being read at some point during installation, have you tried cleaning it? A bit of toothpaste, some gentle scrubbing and a good rinse and dry has worked for me on several occasions over the years, even on DVDs where there was no obvious physical damage/contamination. I have even successfully used T-Cut...Sorry to be rude, and very rude. This might work for a once off but what about the future?

No, NO!!! What about your drive, now full of molecules of toothpaste, sandpaper, and moisture from when you superficially washed the disc surface, and then wiped it on your sleeve, adding microcracks to the critical inner plastic and metallic layers that contain the data as you bent it to get the right amount of pressure? How about the rest of the guts of your computer, as the spinning disc has flung the debris and been spread all over the other internal parts by the internal fan?

You advice is a bit like suggesting FDISK to empty the recycle bin, or putting your automatic car into Park at freeway speeds to slow down. It works, but has enormous implications a naive user may not realise until far, far too late, with unrecoverable losses.

DO NOT DO THIS!
Not today, not now.
Never!

[Thirsty]

Another thought. The file in question may be tripping your antivirus software which is then hiding the file within the 'cab' from your install program triggering a CRC check routine to fail. Make sure the antivirus signatures are up to date. Often not the case with bundleware on new machines, that can have many versions of antivirus software from different manufacturers installed and tripping over each other. Files that show false positives from 2003 should have been updated by eighteen years later to not falsely trigger your antivirus if it is updated and reputable.

[Stu666]

Just be aware that when using older versions of MS Office, you may come up against file compatibility issues, either opening them yourself, or people trying to open files from you. Not really an issue if you're just doing basic stuff locally, but something to be aware of regardless.

I work in IT and only the other week we had a customer wondering why they couldn't open an Office '97 Access database on 365. To be fair, it did open, but was an absolute mess.

[Fareastdriver]

I had a sudden thought! In the back of a cupboard was an old TwinHead laptop I had bought in Hong Kong in 1998. I last used it in 2005 but in the case was a pirated copy (HK) of Office 2003. I could not find the product code so I fired it up and when it was up and running again on W98 I tried to establish whether the product code was hidden in the Office software but with no success.

The presentation was totally different to W7 and 10 so I could not find out anything about it.

The last effort so I am going to have to buy it.

[Stu666]

I had a sudden thought! In the back of a cupboard was an old TwinHead laptop I had bought in Hong Kong in 1998. I last used it in 2005 but in the case was a pirated copy (HK) of Office 2003. I could not find the product code so I fired it up and when it was up and running again on W98 I tried to establish whether the product code was hidden in the Office software but with no success.

The presentation was totally different to W7 and 10 so I could not find out anything about it.

The last effort so I am going to have to buy it.

There used to be key scanning software out there that could easily find the product key for you. Although in the case of pirated (cracked) copies, these very often circumvented the Microsoft checks so the key it used could well be useless anyway.

[stevef]

I stand corrected re the decommissioned computer programme installation discs; the eBay sellers - and there were several - all assured buyers that they were completely legal. I checked eBay a couple of days ago and the source has dried up so I guess Microsoft has warned them off.
Fareastdriver: Belarc Advisor is a free downloadable programme that gives a complete computer profile including installed software product codes. Very useful for key retrieval.

[ChrisVJ]

I had a similar problem recently.

My old computer had an education WORD as I worked for the school board and they installed it. I have now left the board and bought a new computer for similar reasons. (The old one was getting very laggy and the drive sometimes had to be interrogated more than once to get files.)

I bought a copy of 2016 Office. It loaded fine from MS but would not authenticate. Turns out it may have been a "Buy with computer only" copy. When MS Downloader first asks the input key it only checks for version before downloading the files. eg. If the key is a 2016 OFFICE key it will automatically download OFFICE2016. However when you are asked to input the key after downloading in order to authenticate MS checks the key against vendor type and previous use and may then disallow.

After about five weeks of back and forth my vendor offered me a copy of OFFICE 2019 which loaded just fine.

So if you original copy of 2003 was bought with your computer it almost certainly will not authenticate your new installation.

I have used a couple of other programs in which the key only opened the program in my computer and at least one of those has been running on my computers since about 1994 and runs just fine on W10. Sounds as though your problem is that your 2003 interrogates an MS server for authentication which gives them the opportunity to deny it each time you load it.

My problem with my current 2019 download is that it is a license for one particular computer only. If I lose the computer I lose the program. I am not actually buying the intellectual right to use indefinitely across platforms. (It was a lot cheaper though!)

[ChrisVJ]

A further thought

MS have a strange attitude to intellectual property. Years ago one of my kids bought an MS game. Somehow between purchase and installation the CD Rom got damaged. When we called them they refused to help even if we provided the receipt and the damaged disc. (And presumably they could check that the key had not been used.) We made all the arguments regarding licensing and intellectual property etc but to no avail. However they were unfortunate in the wronged kid. After several days of his phone calls and keeping a senior VP on the phone for an hour or two and a recorded delivery letter to Mr Gates home they sent him a new disc.

[FlightDetent]

Chris, relax a bit, please. Your last two posts read like an explanation the gear needs to come down early in approach in order to use the wheel brakes for slowing the aeroplane. Also sounds logical but not exactly the way it works.

Buying second-hand licences is a minefield, 8/10 you get something partly dysfunctional. Possibly with workarounds that create even more restrictions.

The OP's 2003 should work just fine if installed properly, way back then the OEM restriction was just a legal wording of it (and it is still now if you manage to uninstall properly).

[Just a Grunt]

365 most definitely does not require you to save your files to the cloud. OneDrive is purely optional, and you can save anything you create locally without issue. Having said that, OneDrive has been a godsend for me - enabling access to my stuff across multiple devices.

[Old and Horrified]

I gave up with MS Office a couple of years ago when I bought a new computer with Win 10 and MS Office installed on SSD. The Office layout was so alien, I just could not get used to it. I downloaded and installed (free) Libre Office and it's fantastic. It is very easy to use, compatible with MS file structure and very fast. It may not have all the bells and whistles of Office, but who really needs them? I'd recommend it to anyone.

[Specaircrew]

My old computer running on W7 had a mechanical hard drive. This got too slow taking some five minutes to fire up so I have bought another one with a SSHD that came with W10 loaded.

The OS system is fine but it insists that if I want Office I load 365 and I don't want to because as far as I can read it means that all your files are stored in Cloud and I do not want to do that. I have loaded Open Office but it is very untidy and slow and I have got used to instant response from the SSHD.. I have tried my old copy of Office 2003 but it keeps coming up with 'A required installation file YS561401.CAB could not be found' It tells me to reselect the D drive but then the same statement comes up so the disc cannot be compatible with W10.

The are lots of adverts for Office 2019 but the economical ones just mention a key. How does this work if you buy a key. More importantly, is it reliable and recognised by Microsoft for security updates.


As others have already pointed out, Microsoft 365 does not force you to store your files on Onedrive, it's totally up to you where you save them to. I've been using it for years and it beats the CD version as it's always up to date and the annual subscription can usually be found heavily discounted. Having said that, Onedrive is a godsend for saving hard disk space and you can select which files are 'always available' for when you're working 'off grid'.

[YRP]

365 most definitely does not require you to save your files to the cloud. OneDrive is purely optional, and you can save anything you create locally without issue. Having said that, OneDrive has been a godsend for me - enabling access to my stuff across multiple devices.

You should be aware of the risks of using OneDrive.

It has bugs which will once in a blue moon overwrite your local changes with older versions from the cloud.

I’ve run into this once, lost a week of engineering R&D. I don’t have the links handy describing the bugs.

Only use OneDrive if you have a separate reliable backup.

[Thirsty]

I had a similar problem recently.

My old computer had an education WORD as I worked for the school board and they installed it. I have now left the board and bought a new computer for similar reasons. (The old one was getting very laggy and the drive sometimes had to be interrogated more than once to get files.)

I bought a copy of 2016 Office. It loaded fine from MS but would not authenticate. Turns out it may have been a "Buy with computer only" copy. When MS Downloader first asks the input key it only checks for version before downloading the files. eg. If the key is a 2016 OFFICE key it will automatically download OFFICE2016. However when you are asked to input the key after downloading in order to authenticate MS checks the key against vendor type and previous use and may then disallow.

After about five weeks of back and forth my vendor offered me a copy of OFFICE 2019 which loaded just fine.

So if you original copy of 2003 was bought with your computer it almost certainly will not authenticate your new installation.

I have used a couple of other programs in which the key only opened the program in my computer and at least one of those has been running on my computers since about 1994 and runs just fine on W10. Sounds as though your problem is that your 2003 interrogates an MS server for authentication which gives them the opportunity to deny it each time you load it.

My problem with my current 2019 download is that it is a license for one particular computer only. If I lose the computer I lose the program. I am not actually buying the intellectual right to use indefinitely across platforms. (It was a lot cheaper though!)When you finished at the school, they probably would have terminated access to their computing facilities, including authentication to the school VL (volume licence) server, hence your VL copy (the cheaper version that Microsoft sell to your school as a bulk buy) is not authenticating any more. As you are not part of that program, as designed, it has stopped working - you are now inside the terms and conditions that it was originally provided. Licensing of Microsoft software, by design, has been a complex balance between marketing, sales, profits, and technical feasibility. You don't often get something for free! Authentication is done using unique fingerprints collected of your system, including specific unique motherboard, disk drive, and video card identifiers. It allows for change of some of these items to incorporate repairs, upgrades, and replacements, but will usually baulk if they are done all at once.

As well as the risk of bundled malware, a lot of the copies found on eBay, and pirate download sites are also VL versions, and need regular internet connection back to a licensing server to continue to function. Where Microsoft can verify the accompanying serial numbers are not legitimate, they can blacklist them. The other issue is can you trust a licensing server from your friendly pirate software peddler in upper Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Mexico, Pakistan, China, or Russia to keep their licensing server up, reliably, for ever, long after your money has been spent? Do you want to sponsor thieves? Do you want to run the risk of trusting their connection may be compromised, and also compromising your computer by association?

If you don't believe me, have a look in your event viewer log files as to how often your software contacts Microsoft to verify authenticity. You will be astonished! Yes it can be blocked, but like constipation, eventually something will give. A new software update will be released that will make the current authenticity bypass ineffective, and you will get nagged to get a legitimate version. Even some of the current privacy protection software found on the Internetz may keep you computing for a while, but they also have to be constantly updated, and the risks continue.

In the past, in a previous life, where a customer has come in with a computer that could not be economically repaired, I have usually had success with Microsoft telephone tech support in having the authentication tied to a single computer reset where evidence can be provided to confirm original ownership, and transferred to a new computer. In all cases, this is a time consuming exercise, and often the cost alternate of a fresh, legitimate, currently supported version far, far outweighs the time spent on keeping an old one functioning outside the terms it was originally sold for.

Older versions are not supported any more. Any bugs and security exploits are now unpatched. The recent spate of ransomeware can often be traced back to fixes and updates not being applied in a timely fashion. Why make it easy for the digital terrorists?

Is it worth it? Your time, your money!
For most it is an easy choice. Why heck, cost out the time you have spent reading the thirty off posts in this thread in real life money paying a technical support person by the hour, and compare it to buying a legitimate copy outright - that's right, you barely might come out in front!

[jimjim1]

From CRC failure, sounds like your CD/DVD is damaged.

I have successfully recovered CDs by washing them. Warm running tap, little detergent, stroke RADIALLY with clean fingertips, rinse, pat dry with new kitchen towel. Radially = centre to edge. Never round and round. I wouldn't dilly dally, get it done and the thing dried. CDs have say three copies of each sector on the disk, it can make good data as long as only one is damaged. If you rub round and round there is a chance you will damage more than one of the copies. This is a decent analogy of how they work, if you want more look up Reed-Solomon encoding.

There will be a better cleaning method on the internet.

Then copy the files to a folder on your disk. Do the install from there. If problems try to read the disk more than once. Merge files from various tries. Or maybe file recovery software.

Worth archiving old CDs/DVDs to HDD. Most software you can install from the files. Windows itself of course requires a boot disk. You can make an installable windows USB stick from a DVD. Needs software from internet of course?

[Fareastdriver]

I have ironed out the problems with Open Office so I am quitting whilst I'm ahead.

Thanks for all the help.

[FlightDetent]

Congrats, probably the optimal solution. For future reference:

There are reliable 3rd party software repositories who host the original installation disks. Shipped with a trial access licence code, tehy should run fine and eventually accept your access key. Forget scratched CDs.

https://www.softlay.com/downloads/microsoft-office-2003
https://m.majorgeeks.com/files/details/microsoft_office_2003_service_pack_3.html
https://download.cnet.com/Microsoft-Office-2003-Service-Pack/3000-18483_4-170478.html

[stevef]

This problem intrigued me so I checked around online the other night. One person said that his successful 2003 installation depended on whether he was using a CD or DVD player. Afraid I can't find the link now.

[NutLoose]

As NAROBS says you can get M2 SSD motherboards, but you can also get cards that slot into pcie slots (graphics card ones) that are adaptors allowing you to fit M2 SSD cards.

this is an example, it’s expensive but you can get them for a fiver or so

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203493866643?hash=item2f612dfc93:g:OhcAAOSwCIFgx5v~

I have an m2 on the motherboard and also one in the expansion slot as per the one above. You can also get cards that will hold 4 or more M2 SSD’s .