With a plethora of features and characteristics the Microsoft Office 2010 is really a software with a difference. This is probably the reason that even though subsequent versions of the MS office software have been released, people still continue to be loyal to the MS Office 2010. There were some firsts which were introduced in this Office productivity suite like:
- It introduced the world to certain user enhancements like the Backstage view which helps to consolidate all document managements tasks in a single location thereby making it easier for the user to access them.
- MS Word became fully customisable in this version of MS Office.
- It also offered certain other unique features like an extended support for file formats, features related to co-authoring which enabled multiple users of this software to edit and share documents simultaneously, integration of SharePoint and OneDrive etc.
- Security improvements were also facilitated with the help of the Protected View which presented an isolated, read-only sandbox type of environment so that users are able to stay protected from contents which can be potentially harmful and malicious.
- The Office Online, a collection of the web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, also debuted with the Microsoft Office 2010.
The Microsoft also recognised the different needs of a 32-bit and a 64-bit system for the first time thereby having 2 different versions of Office 2010, the IA-32 and the x64, to cater to their individual requirements. It also introduced the concept of product activation especially for editions which provided for volume licenses.
But in order to gain access to all of these unique features, every MS Office 2010 purchase requires activation while installation. This is generally done with the help of a 25 character code or an MS Office 2010 key, which is alphanumeric in nature. They are grouped in sets of 5 and also need to be input in the same sequence as given using the same type of formatting. Once the activation is done, the Microsoft server sets up a unique hardware signature which enables the user to take advantage of all the features that are present in this office suite.
Activation of MS Office 2010
However, if the user is unable to activate the MS Office 2010 while installing for whatever reason, but has the MS Office 2010 key with him, he can use it to activate the software within 30days of the installation. Microsoft provides every user with this grace period wherein users are able to use a trial version of the software with limited features and the activation, once done, opens up all the features of the premium version.
In order to get the activation done after the installation, there are 3 options to choose from. The user can choose the process as per his discretion and ease of use. The options also include certain steps all of which are mentioned below.
- With the help of the internet: The processes involved in the same are:
- MS Office 2010 application needs to be launched on the computer.
- After selecting the option “File”, one has to navigate to “Help”.
- Clicking on the “Activate Product Key” tab opens up the activation wizard. It is necessary to note here that if the “Activate Product Key” option is not displayed then it means that the product has already been activated.
- The option to activate on the internet needs to be chosen.
- After this the activation wizard guides the user through the next few steps and the user is prompted to enter the MS Office 2010 key after which the produce gets activated and can be used without any hassles.
- Using the phone: For people who do not want to activate over the internet or are facing problems with it, also have the option of activating it using the phone. The steps involved in this process are the same till the “Activate Product Key” option comes up and the activation wizard opens up. After this the following steps need to be taken to ensure proper activation of the Office 2010 software:
- The option for to activate the software over the phone needs to be selected.
- The country or regional location of the user needs to be provided so that the telephone number of the closest activation centre can be generated by Microsoft.
- The user then needs to call up the activation centre.
- An installation ID needs to be input into the Activation wizard when prompted. This Installation ID will be made available on the screen of the telephone after the user connects with the activation centre.
- The MS Office 2010 key then needs to be entered as and when prompted by the automated system on the phone.
- The confirmation ID is then provided by the Activation centre which the user needs to write down and type into the relevant field in the Activation wizard. After Enter is pressed, the process of activation of the Office 2010 using the telephone gets completed.
Changing the MS Office 2010 key
There are times wherein the user might need to change the MS Office 2010 key. In such instances the same can be facilitated with the help of the following options:
- Using the backstage view,
- Using the Regedit option,
- Using Microsoft Word,
- Using the Control Panel,
Irrespective of the method used, the change can only be considered a success if a message stating the same gets displayed on the screen. If the same is not displayed, the user should try to change it using a different process.
The MS Office 2010 is one of the best software to be developed by Microsoft. Even though it has now been replaced to some extent by the advent of the subsequent versions of MS Office, the Office 2010 still remains a landmark in the development of the new age Office productivity suites. In fact it would not be wrong to say that the MS Office 2010 laid the foundation for a number of technical as well as security enhancements and developments which were present in the subsequent MS Office versions developed.So, click for more and take help of the methods mentioned above for the best MS Office 2010 experience.
