HOW TO: Determine Whether a Trial Version of Office Is Installed (295369)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article demonstrates two methods that you can use to establish which version of Microsoft Office XP is installed on your computer. Microsoft Office XP may be installed as a time limited Trial version or as a non-Trial version. However, when you view the list of installed programs in the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, the entry does not indicate the version type.

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Method 1: View the .msi File Name on Your Office XP CD-ROM

The simplest way to determine whether you have a Trial version of Office XP is to check the name of the .msi file name for the Office Windows Installer package. To do this:

1. Insert your Office XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
2. In Windows Explorer, browse to the root of the CD-ROM.
3. On the root of the CD-ROM, locate the .msi file for Office.
   
   If your installation is a Trial version, the .msi file name has "tri" appended to it (for example, Protri.msi). A full Retail (non-trial) version of Office XP has "ret" appended to the .msi file name (for example, Proret.msi). A full Enterprise version does not contain "ret" or "tri" in the file name, for example, Pro.msi or Proplus.msi.

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Method 2: Use the SourceList Key in the Registry

If you do not have your Office XP CD-ROM, you can search the registry for the information that is used to determine whether you have a Trial version installed. To do this, follow these steps.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit and then click OK.
3. Locate and select the following key, depending on the version of Microsoft Windows that you are using:
   • Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or Microsoft Windows 2000:

     HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products

   • Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me):

     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Installer

4. Expand the \Installer key.
5. Below the \Installer key are one or more subkeys that are comprised of a 32-character alphanumeric GUID. Select the first GUID subkey, and then note the ProductName value.
6. Repeat the previous step until you select the GUID subkey whose ProductName corresponds to Microsoft Office XP Professional (or Microsoft FrontPage 2002 or Microsoft Publisher 2002, according to the Trial product you installed).
7. Expand the GUID subkey for Microsoft Office XP.
8. Select the SourceList subkey.
   
   The PackageName string value for this SourceList subkey tells you whether you have a Trial version of Office XP installed.
   
   If your installation is a Trial version, the .msi file name has "tri" appended to it (for example, Protri.msi). A full Retail (non-trial) version of Office XP has "ret" appended to the .msi file name (for example, Proret.msi). A full Enterprise version does not contain "ret" or "tri" in the file name, for example, Pro.msi or Proplus.msi.

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