My work PC (provided by my employer) has got Office 2007 on it and I'm now getting a Microsoft notice popping up saying that in 4 days it will be marked as Not Genuine. I spoke to the boss and he said – ah, yes, its not exactly a legitimate copy.

So what happens after the 4 days then?

What alternatives are there? I've got a legit copy of an earlier version of MS Office, but is this the time to try one of the free alternatives like OpenOffice?

The only thing that's really vital to me is Outlook, because I've got masses of stored history in it and I sync Calendar, Contacts & Notes with my Smartphone

couple of things here…

1) you should stop using the bent copy immediately and give your employer absolute hell for making you use it.
2) you can use a different, free, email client to manage stuff and sync with your phone. Look at thunderbird and the rest of the mozilla suite for example. I have recently moved all of my day management so Google Apps – this is managed like a remote echange server and costs £60 a year for 2 users. Means I can keep up with my email/calander (shared)/docs etc regardless of platform, or location and sycn with my phone
3) for most people open office is fine. If you are an Excel "super user" you will probably find the spreadsheet programme isnt capable of doing what you want though.

But Id start by being extremely rude to your boss as he has effectively been making you break the law.

Let your work sort it out. A legit copy of office 2007 isn't that expensive.

shop your employer to the Business Software Alliance and pick up a reward check.

https://reporting-emea.bsa.org/english/home.aspx?CountryID=4

Hows the knee?

I'd normally say just go buy a legit copy of Office.

But if it's for work, on a work PC, and required for your job, then your employer should definitely supply it!

Yes, I will go and be very rude to my boss, and shop him to the BSA. Top career move.

Knee is getting better, managed to ride to the pub on Monday with only small pain going over the railway bridge. Don't think it will be ready for full singlespeed action on Thursday night, will give it full test on Sunday.

Can't believe a business is using dodgy copies. It's illegal. Get him to buy the real thing for you

So what happens after the 4 days then?

You stop doing any work that involves you using Office. You've reported it, this is their problem, not yours.

John – Google 'Microsoft Office Genuine Advantage Notifier' – that's what's causing these messages; it will have been installed as part of a MS Auto Update. It can be removed and you just need to make sure you don't download it again.

When you get a message saying updates are available click on 'Custom/Advanced' and check the bugger isn't trying to creep back in.

Tell your IT person to get a proper job 🙂

HTH

It'll keep working OK – you'll just get a nag screen every time you start it

Hello Robin, thanks for helping me to pervert the course of Microsoft justice. 😉

How's it all going now?

J – fine, thanks!; second crop of tumours removed and prostate resection done at same time – now peeing like a horse, just had another MRI scan and awaiting further Cystoscopy to confirm all's well.

Back on bike, off to Northumberland this weekend!

John – Google 'Microsoft Office Genuine Advantage Notifier' – that's what's causing these messages; it will have been installed as part of a MS Auto Update. It can be removed and you just need to make sure you don't download it again.

not easily.

And all that happens is on your toolbars it says "This copy of office is not genuine", but it doesn't reduce functionality.

John, I've had that message for ages……dont worry, just carry on as normal.

Hurrah for an endemic culture of corporate crime. 🙄

oH, and hope everythings going well Rob. 🙂

Well I got to the date when it went "This copy isn't genuine" but today I had far too many apps open and the laptop froze (proper take the battery out to re-boot job). When it restarted and I reopened Outlook I got the message "problem with add-on – do you want to disable "Microsoft Genuine Advantage" I said yes – no more rude messages! Result.

Hurray – you're still breaking the law because your tightarse boss tells you to, but at least now you don't get reminded about it. 😀

when it gets to the end of the period most of the functions on the ribbon in office will dissapear

you can go into regedit and delete the MGACONNECT addin entry for office products but every time windoze does an update you will have to repeat this task

I got the same as Big John today but i suspect MS will rectify that pretty soon and it only did it for outlook

oh and microsoft take a very dim view of corporate users with unlicenced software, they aren't so bothered about private users but a company i do dome work for recently got a hefty fine for no having enough licenses for it's stock of hire laptops