When you install or reinstall a Microsoft Office suite, you are prompted to type or paste the 25-character product key. The product key is used during the Microsoft software installation to unlock the Microsoft Office suite.
Types of Office Product Keys
The process of finding or replacing a product key depends on the kind of Office suite that you are installing. These are the different kinds of Office product keys:
Retail Perpetual Product Key for Boxed Products
This product key is located on a label attached to the inside cover of the Office box. Remove the Office Quick Start Guide. The label appears directly underneath.
Trial Product Key
If you have downloaded a trial version of Office, there might be more than one way to locate your product key. If you created a new LiveID or signed in with your existing LiveID, you can log on to the office.microsoft.com website and then click the “My Account” link at the top of the page. The product key for the trial version of Office should be listed on that page. After you download the trial you should receive a confirmation email message together with your product key. If you do not see the email message, check the junk mail folder.
Retail Perpetual Product Key for Online Purchases
If you have downloaded and purchased the perpetual license version of Office, there might be more than one way to locate your product key. If you either created a new LiveID or signed in with your existing LiveID, you can log on to the office.microsoft.com website and then click the “My Account” link at the top of the page. The product key for the perpetual version of Office should be listed on that page. After you download the trial you should receive a confirmation email message together with your product key. If you do not see the email message, check the junk mail folder.
Read: What do the different types of Microsoft Product Keys mean?
Retail Perpetual Product Key for Product Key Card
This product key is located inside the Product Key Card, underneath a perforated strip that reveals the product key when the strip is pulled open. Be aware that any product key from a Product Key Card can only be installed on one computer at a time. The license does not include the installation on a second computer.
Sourced from: KB2002262.
