Via a couple of classes I took at a local college, we had free access to Microsoft software that was necessary for taking the class. Works kind of like a library – you go to the Help Desk, they give you the software and a CD Key, then you return the CD within a week.
This was awhile ago, and now my PC is trying to install updates to Visio 2002 and Frontpage 2002. It’s requiring the CD to run the update. Obviously, I don’t have the CD anymore, and the little yellow “update!” shield is in the tray in the lower right hand corner and won’t go away… how can I get rid of this, and/or do I really need the CD to get the install updated?
Secondly, my Dell Dimension is entering it’s 5th year now. Although it’s running just fine, I’ve really become interested in creating backups of everything. Is it possible to back-up a program that I no longer have the original installation CD of…? In case my Dell dies? Or if I just flat-out get a new PC someday, I can’t use a program to transfer various programs from one PC to the other, right? I would only be able to move files over, correct…?
Yeah, you will need the program CD to do the updates. It’s not asking you for the CD for no reason. You might consider getting your own paid-for copy of the MS software (Office, I’m guessing). The student or academic version will be cheaper if you qualify. Second question: If you don’t have the original installation discs, what you will need to do is clone or ghost your hard drive. There is software (like Norton Ghost) to do this. The process will make an exact mirror image of everything on your hard drive so that it can be transferred or restored to a different drive should that be necessary. Note that you will be transferring everything including the OS. If you get a new computer, most likely you will be installing the latest version of the OS. To reinstall any application software, you will need the installation discs. If you don’t have them, you should factor in their costs when you upgrade your computer.
This is great advice. I can’t imagine the hassles involved with updating the trial software. I agree with everything nivlac said, but would urge you to consider crossgrading to open-source clones of the MS software. I have about 3 valid licenses to MS Office, for example and scrubbed all of these from my computers in favor of OpenOffice (latest revision) – it was like a breath of fresh air.
Well, it’s not ‘trial’ versions… I currently have installed the full versions of both products. I don’t even like or use Frontpage anymore… the Visio I’d like to keep though. Again, it’s the full version, I just don’t have the original installation CD because it was returned to the help desk, but if I don’t ever update it, that’s fine (for now).
The problem is that XP, via the Automatic updates, keeps prompting me to insert the CD to complete the random updates. I don’t really want to turn off the Automatic Updates feature, because it updates everything else just great.
So I’ve got the yellow “shield” in my sys tray and it won’t go away until I put the CD in? Or turn off Automatic Update?
I’d just turn off automatic updates. What has it done for you, lately – really? There may be a registry hack, which could be as simple as searching for Visio in the registry and turning off an obvious update key, or it could be complex and therefore potentially risky if you’re not sure how to backup your registry. I’d probably run regedit and start trying to find what’s causing the update to trigger, but that’s just me, and it probably wouldn’t work anyway, especially if it’s an MS program.
Actually, some versions of office have a “no-CD” version of the updater; it’s a much larger download, and it’s a little hard to find. Click on the “More Info” button for the actual update you want to do, and it will usually take you to a web site where you can download the whole updater.
But if you don’t have access to the disk any more, you’re likely on questionable ground legality-wise, anyway, and as others have suggested, a personal copy (or OpenOffice, if you can tolerate some incompatability with “real” office) is a better idea.