After users activate Office 2016, they may notice that Outlook, Access and Publisher are missing. Refer to this link Cannot find Outlook, Access, or Publisher.
When you install Office 2010, you'll be prompted to enter a 25-character product key that looks something like this:
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
How to find your product key
The way you can find your product key depends on how you got Office. Select how you got Office from the options below.
I downloaded Office from an online store
If you purchased and downloaded Office from an online store, the product key should be in your email receipt.
Try the following to find this confirmation email:
- Check your spam, bulk, or junk mail folders for the email.
- Try searching your email for the word “Microsoft” or the name of the company where you bought Office.
- If you have multiple email accounts, check the email account that you provided when you purchased Office 2010 online.
If you can’t find the email receipt, you may be able to retrieve the information contained in the email by using the Order History link for the store you made the purchase from:
- Here's how to view your product key if you purchased Office from Digital River:
- Go the Digital River download information page.
- Select Find my product key and enter the information requested to download software or get your product key.
- Here's how to view your product key in the Microsoft Store:
- Go to www.microsoftstore.com. In the upper right-hand corner, select Sign in and enter the user ID and password you used to buy Office.
- After you sign in, select your name in the upper right-hand corner, and then select Order History.
- Locate the Office one-time purchase or individual Office app, and then select Install Office to view your product key (this doesn't actually install Office). Note that this product key won't match the product key shown in My Office Account. This is normal.
Office came in a box (with or without a DVD)
If Office came in a box, card, or disc, look for the product key on the card or on the packaging that came with Office.
If the product key isn't there, read the instructions on the package. You might be directed to go to Office.com/getkey to get your product key.
Office came on a product key card with a PIN
You can no longer redeem the 27-character alpha-numeric PIN shown on the product key card to retrieve your product key. However, if you already have your 25-character product key, and you'd like to download Office 2010, you can enter the product key at https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/office.
If you need help installing Office 2010, see Install Office 2010 and Activate Office 2010.
Office came pre-installed on my computer
If Office came with your PC, Mac, Laptop, or tablet, look for the product key on the Certificate of Authenticity that came with your computer.
Tip: You may have one certificate of authenticity for Windows and another for Office. Please make sure you’re using the correct certificate of authenticity to retrieve your Office 2010 product key.
A certificate of authenticity for Office 2010 will have the words 'Microsoft Office 2010' on it.
I lost my product key
Expand a section below to learn how to replace a lost Office 2010 product key.
My product key is lost or damaged. How do I replace it?
If you lost your product key but have a valid proof of purchase, see Contact support about your product key at the bottom of this page. Microsoft support may be able replace your product key or provide other options.
I lost my product key. How do I upgrade Office?
If you believe the product key has been lost, stolen, or misplaced and you simply would like to purchase a newer version of Office, you can go to Buy Office to see your purchase options. Or if you’d like to learn more about the latest version of Office first, see What's the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016? and Why you should upgrade to Office 2016.
Additional information and troubleshooting
Expand a section below to find product key information for other versions, troubleshooting help, and other useful information.
I want to activate Office 2010
If you’re having problems activating your Office 2010 product key, go to Activate Office 2010.
My Office 2010 product key doesn't work
There are several reasons why you might get an error after entering a product key. For example, the product key may have been mistyped or a product key for a different product might have been used.
Are you entering a product key for another Microsoft product?
Most Microsoft products use a 25-character product key. If you own multiple Microsoft products, it’s easy to confuse the keys and use the wrong one. Here are some common things that can happen:
- Using the product key from a sticker on a PCThese product keys are normally for Microsoft Windows. Check the sticker for a product name to make sure it’s for the Office product you’re trying to install.
- Using the product key from an earlier version of OfficeOffice product keys aren’t interchangeable between Office versions. For example, you can’t use a Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 product key if you’re trying to install Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010.
- Using the product key from an individual program to install a suiteOffice product keys aren’t interchangeable between Office suites and individual programs. For example, you can’t use a Microsoft Word product key to install Microsoft Office Home and Student.
- Using the product key provided by a school or companySchools and companies usually buy a different type of Office license. The product keys they provide to students, teachers, and employees are known as volume license keys. These keys can’t be used for retail Office versions like Home and Student, Home and Business, or Professional.
Did you mistype the product key?
Reading the product key from a label can be difficult. Letters and numbers may look the same.
To avoid typing mistakes, here’s a list of commonly mistyped characters:
- The letter B and the number 8.
- The letter G and the number 6.
- The letter O and the number 0.
- The letter Q and the number 0.
- The letters V and V back to back (VV) appear like the letter W.
If you're having trouble reading the characters in your product key, here's an example of what the letters and numbers look like:
Tip: If you bought Office from an online retailer and received a confirmation email, try copying and pasting the product key from this email instead of typing it.
Is your product key still not working?
If your Office product key doesn’t work, or has stopped working, you should contact the seller and request a refund. If you bought a product key separate from the software, it’s very possible the product key was stolen or otherwise fraudulently obtained, and subsequently blocked for use. Unfortunately, there are many dishonest sellers who offer stolen, abused, or otherwise unauthorized Microsoft product keys for sale. Sometimes these product keys are printed on counterfeit labels or cards with a download link to Microsoft software, and sometimes they’re distributed with software media that is unauthorized for resale, such as promotional media, original equipment manufacturer reinstallation media, or other Microsoft program-specific media.
I have my Office 2010 product key but lost the installation disk
If you had a DVD, but can’t find it or your PC doesn’t have a DVD drive, see Download earlier versions of Office at https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/office and use the product key to download and install Office. Use this link ONLY if Office came with a DVD.
Contact support about your product key
If you’ve followed the guidance in this article and still need help, visit our Microsoft support page for assistance.
There are a number of things that can trigger you have to re-activate your license. The simplest one is that MS periodically validates all Office licenses, sometimes they get it wrong and force a valid license provide the product key again.
Is this a standalone copy of Outlook, or is it part of an Office 2010 bundle?
If you have your product key, then simply enter it when prompted. If you don't have the key, you can use one of the following tools to extract the key so you can enter it.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder.htm 2015 10 01 - Review 22 Free Tools
You can use any of the following tools to extract the Product Key from you computer. These tools report on many installed programs on your computer, not just Office.
PS: you should keep a copy (printed and/or file copies on external storage devices) of the report(s) generated by these tools so you have all of your product keys / registration numbers available for future re-installs
FYI: I (Rohn) have not tested these tools in Windows 8 (just haven’t had an excuse to make/waste the time), but I don’t expect any problem. The underlying mechanics of Windows 8 are essentially the same as Windows 7 if you ignore the Metro User Interface. Think of metro as “lipstick on a pig”. The pig is not changed by adding a little paint on the surface.
Normally you have several resources to find your Retail Product Key.
OYour original package or purchase confirmation e-mail
oOnline download account
oYou can extract the Product Key from the machine itself
oImage copy backups of system with Office installed
oActivation backup utilities From what I’ve read, MS uses a file called TOKENS.DAT to store encrypted product activation keys:
C:ProgramDataMicrosoftOfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatformTokens.DAT
C:WindowsServiceProfilesNetworkServiceAppDataRoamingMicrosoftSoftwareLicensingTokens.data
C:Windows.OldProgramDataMicrosoftOfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatformTokens.DAT (if you did an in-place Windows Upgrade)
NOTE: Do not expect the Windows.OLD folder to be there until you delete it. Many people have complained that windows 8 and 8.1 automatically delete it WITHOUT WARNINGhttp://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-files/windows-8-has-deleted-my-windowsoldprogramfiles/dbdf75c0-09d9-4992-b8eb-d9fac3efe9b8?page=2
After you extract the Product Key, make sure to write it down and keep it in a safe place. Burning a copy of the installation file to a CD would also be a good idea if you don’t have the installation disk.
NOTE: OEM (factory install and activated) licenses use a different key than the one reported.Only the factory can use the PK from the original factory activation. You would have been provided with a separate piece of paper with a Product key for reactivation.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.htmlNirsoft ProduKey V1.45- Office 2003 OK, 2007, 2010, Win Vista)
V1.62 Win 98 to Win 8.Office 2003-2010
V1.62 Win 98 to Win 8.Office 2003-2010
ProduKeymay be able to extract product key information from a file saved externally. This is useful if you’re trying to get the key details from the backup of a now defunct machine. Try the /Regfile option.
<snip>
After installing on my system, I ran the program à AS ADMINISTRATOR ß and then clicked on File à Select Source. Once in this menu it may appear a little overwhelming, don’t worry it’s not that complicated and your not going to break anything else. Select the circle next to “Load the product keys from external Software Registry hive”. Now from here you may have to browse to a slightly different location depending on where your windows.old folder is located, but you want to basically browse to the following and open this file:
C:Windows.oldWindowsSystem32configRegBackSOFTWARE
After opening this file select ok; you may have to wait a few minutes for it to load the hive and give you your keys, but if they’re there you should see them and be able to fresh install your MS Office.
Please note that this did work for my Office 2007, it also gave me my Vista Home & Personal Key, and Internet Explorer... lol! I hope this helps someone else too! And remember backup before you do any upgrading/downgrading/or destruction to you PC.
</snip>
Belarc http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html- not only does Belarc extract product keys, it reports on a WHOLE BUNCH of other stuff you want to know. Printing the report, or saving it is probably a good idea.
Win 95-Win8,V8.4
Win 95-Win8,V8.4
NOTE: I tested version 8.4 on Windows 8.0. It reported my Office 2003 2007 2010 product keys correctly. BUT for Office 2013 Pro Plus (local install) it did NOT report the key! Gosh Darn!It reported: 00215-95000-26121-AA381 (Key: ends with G8YGX)f,g (the “ends with” is correct)
Superscripts f and g say:
f. The full product key is not stored on this computer. However, the characters shown uniquely identify your product key.
g. You can have Windows save the full product key using the procedure at http://www.belarc.com/msproductkeys.html.
NOTE: The process described in the link in “g” is good for Office 365, and MAYBE (I can’t confirm) online purchases of Office 2013. It does NOT work for Office 2013 Pro Plus! (which I have <grin>)
License Crawlerhttp://www.technibble.com/license-crawler-find-product-keys-in-the-registry/98 (Office 2003, 2007 , 2010 , Win Vista)
I tested V1.37.463 on Win 8.0 it reported Office 2010 correctly, did not report 2007 or 2003.
The “serial number” aka Product Key reported for Office 2013 Pro Plus (local install) did NOT agree with my documentation of key used!
SterJo Software Key Finder. http://www.sterjosoft.com/list/ - Confirmed to work on XP through Win8, Office XP/2002 through 2010
Win XP to Win 8, Office XP to 2010.
Win XP to Win 8, Office XP to 2010.
I tested V 1.7 on Windows 8.0. It reported my Office 2003 2007 2010 product keys correctly.
The “serial number” aka Product Key reported for Office 2013 Pro Plus (local install) did NOT agree with my documentation of key used!
Abelssoft MyKeyFinder - http://www.abelssoft.net/mykeyfinder.php -
I tested MyKeyFinder 2014 Free on Windows 8.0. It reported my Office 2003 2007 2010 product keys correctly.
The “serial number” aka Product Key reported for Office 2013 Pro Plus (local install) did NOT agree with my documentation of key used!
Sorry, I have not had opportunity (aka need) to test Win8 and Office 2013 on these various tools:
Magical Jelly Beanhttp://www.magicaljellybean.com/is free, supports 300+ programs V 2.0.8- Office 2003 OK, 2007 OK, 2010 na, Win Vista Wrong). They also have a paid Recovery Keys, support 4500+ programs
V 2.0.9.8
V 2.0.9.8
http://sourceforge.net/projects/keyfinder / - Enchanted Keyfinder Beta Portable- Win (9X, ME, NT/2K/XP, Vista, Win7), MS Office (97, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010), Recover key for 484 other software and counting
http://www.winkeyfinder.com/download.php(Office 2003 , 2007 , 2010 , Win Vista )
V 1.73 final Win 98 to Win 7 (and more?) 32bit, Win XP to Win 7 64bit Office 2000 to 2010 32&64-bit
V 1.73 final Win 98 to Win 7 (and more?) 32bit, Win XP to Win 7 64bit Office 2000 to 2010 32&64-bit
http://www.recoverlostpassword.com/products/productkeyrecovery.html (trial)Product Key Recovery 2007 2010 2013
NSAuditor Product Key Explorer http://www.nsauditor.com/product_key_finder.htmlWin XP to Win 8.1, Office 2003 to 2013
V3.6.3 Must buy to run. Free trial only shows partial key
NOTE: these tools no longer work for Office 2013 and 2016 after MS 'improved' the way the key is stored on your computer.