Understanding Partial License Keys for Microsoft Office

When it comes to finding product keys for Microsoft Office, many people are unaware of how licensing works behind the scenes. Our program has been designed to accurately display partial license keys, which can be frustrating at first, but there's a good reason for this. In this article, we'll explain why our program only shows partial keys and what you need to know about finding your product key.

The Issue with Old Software Algorithms

Old software, including Microsoft Office, has algorithms that are not adapted to support modern partial keys retrieved from new versions of Microsoft software. This means that even if an old keyfinder program displays a full 25-character key for Office or Windows, it will likely be incorrect. The reason is simple: you can't find something that isn't there.

How Product Keys are Stored

In reality, the registry on your computer only stores the last five characters of the 25-character product keys. This means that any product key finder program, including ours, can only retrieve these last five symbols because this is all the data stored in the registry. Unfortunately, this also means that if your product key is not stored in the registry, no program will be able to find it.

Microsoft Office 2013 and Beyond

In Microsoft Office 2013, the company changed how they store product keys in the registry. This change has significant implications for finding and managing product keys. For example, some product keys (serial numbers) may be cut or not displayed fully.

Using Our Network Inventory Program

Our network inventory program allows you to create reports with product IDs and product keys of Microsoft Office installed on your company computers. Before proceeding, it's assumed that you have already collected the inventory information from remote computers over the network using our program.

In conclusion, understanding partial license keys for Microsoft Office requires a basic understanding of how licensing works behind the scenes. Our program has been designed to accurately display these partial keys, and by knowing why this is necessary, you can better manage your product keys and avoid potential issues.

View Office Product Key

Remember that our program displays partial (but correct!) license keys if your registry contains only 5 characters of the license key. This is because old software has algorithms not adapted to support those modern partial keys retrieved from new versions of Microsoft software.

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