I was getting worried whether my old PC was going to see me out.
With the introduction of Windows 11, which my PC can't upgrade to, plus the fact that it was making grinding noises when it started, I decided to buy a new PC.
So I did and it's up and running and functioning very well. Screen the size of the planet, Windows 11, everything new and shiny. All working well, it's taking me a while to get all my bookmarks back, but that is minor stuff. Overall, I am pleased with the set-up and with myself for setting it up.
I need Microsoft Office Word. That is about all that I need for an occasional bit of word processing. Here's where we cut to the chase. I can't see the sense of 365 - paying a subscription for ever more.
So. Buy Office from Microsoft £119? Or, various people offer MS Office Standard 2024 at prices around £30 to £40. What's wrong with them? Are they legal? Would a computer dumbo like me be able to install one of the £30 jobs and make it work?
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You avoid MS word completely and install the free Libre Office.
Completely MS office compaible. Instalation is a doddle.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 23 Jan 26 at 08:46
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Coming to same dilemma with aging PC not able to run Win 11.
I've a couple of versions of Office on CD-ROM dating back to around 2010.
Will they work on an up to date PC?
Otherwise the Google version was used by at least two local CAs I worked for. Occasionally a faff getting documents or spreadsheets to open but not insurmountable.
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Suffered the same problem 4 years ago.
Thought of buying CD Rom for old version on Ebay
I then downloaded LibreOffice
A bit clunky (for me at least) with stuff from newer versions of MS Office.
A son might want me to proof read something every so often.
It's easier to pop along to his house and proof read it whilst drinking his coffee!
Otherwise LibreOffice is OK for the few letters in any one year. Certainly not worth paying Microsoft's £££ demand for the little use I have for letter writing.
Bring back a Microsoft Works look-a-like from some 40 years ago - very basic Word Processor, very basic Spreadsheet and a very very basic Database - cost next to nothing and very easy to use.
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If you want a "pukka" Office version you might try
ecokeys.co.uk/microsoft-office/
I've successfully used them for a cheap Win10 key for a self-build. (Fully validated by MS and upgradeable to Win11)
Not a great amount of money at risk, and the S/w itself is downloaded from MS.
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>>
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>> Bring back a Microsoft Works look-a-like from some 40 years ago - very basic Word
>> Processor, very basic Spreadsheet and a very very basic Database - cost next to nothing
>> and very easy to use.
>>
>>
I bought this for W8 and it works perfectly on W11 -
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326928268048
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 27 Jan 26 at 11:22
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>> Coming to same dilemma with aging PC not able to run Win 11.
>>
>> I've a couple of versions of Office on CD-ROM dating back to around 2010.
>>
>> Will they work on an up to date PC?
I'm running a very old version of MS Office on my Win 10 machine that I first installed on a PC running Vista without any problems.
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>> I've a couple of versions of Office on CD-ROM dating back to around 2010.
>>
>> Will they work on an up to date PC?
Will the new PC have a disk drawer?
You might be able to COPY it on to your new PC, but can you INSTALL it?
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If no CD reader, and I think they're going the way of the floppy disc, I'd either install one or attach via USB.
Whether it will install or whether there are security bars to doing so I'd have to find out.
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Unfortunately retirement brought to an end to Microsoft's Home User Program. This was on the back of Employers mass use of Office. £9.95 for the suite + similar for a disc if you felt the need.
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>> This was on the back of Employers mass use of Office.
>>
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Part. of the company signing up for an Enterprise licence (or negotiable if you were spending a few million)
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Yeah I'm still using Office 2010 or 2012, not sure which, from SWMBOs old employee purchase scheme. It's been installed on a number of machines and I did have some sort of problem which I can't recall the detail of, but I actually had the cheek to call M$ for support and they actually helped me get it going! That was no more than about 2 years ago.
A new machine is unlikely to have a CD/DVD drive but you can pick up external DVD/CD drives for under a tenner on eBay.
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I bought Office 2024, installed and all ok, except...
printing is a pain. In the 2007 version of Word that I had, if I created a document, I could click on an icon at the top left of the screen, a little thing came down with Quick Print and a couple of other options, normally Quick Print and job jobbed.
Now, if I click on Print, nothing happens, I have to click on something like 'print using system dialogue'. Then if it's in a good mood it will print.
Any ideas, please?
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Usually in most programs you press Ctrl P and it will print. I haven't used MS Office for the last 15 years but that might be worth a try.
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>> Usually in most programs you press Ctrl P and it will print. I haven't used
>> MS Office for the last 15 years but that might be worth a try.
Is there some sort of control panel where you can set up print options?
Ctrl P is usually good; easier than messing with dialogue boxes.
Keyboard shortcuts to format and paste text are v useful too.
CA uses Google's substitutions for Word and Excel. Having moved back to the local office to do some volunteering I'm still sorting out configuration for my 'new' laptop.
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>> Any ideas, please?
Had you done as I suggested and downloaded Libre office for free you would be a: richer and b: printing from your drop down menu the same way you used to.
I shall shimmer and bask in your office troubles. ;)
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 31 Jan 26 at 08:56
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Yes, of course, but for one tiny detail, my wife refused to accept anything but MS Word - she used slightly different words, but that was the gist of what she said.
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You involved her? How long have you been married?
It works this way in Zero towers. "I am going to install xxxyyy". "but I want yyyxxx". "No problem, but technical support is down to you"
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Zero, if only I had listened to you before I walked up the aisle in 1963.
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>>"I am going to install xxxyyy". "but I want yyyxxx". "No problem, but technical support is down to you"
Technical support might be up to her but cooking all the meals, shopping, etc will be up to you for the next three months. Easier just to fix the problem for her.
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Is something similar not at the top right of the screen now? It might just be a down arrow which you click to choose what to show.
You can also add print to the ribbon if you want.
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>> You can also add print to the ribbon if you want.
>>
Que?
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Was there an arrow at the top right of the screen?
Thinking about it adding to the ribbon probably wouldn't improve things much but we can come back to that.
The bar you are trying to find is called the Quick Action toolbar and might be on the right of your screen at the top, or below the ribbon. It might just be a down arrow at the moment, ready for you to add whatever functions you like to it from those available (incl Print).
The ribbon is the visual list of actions which appears under the top tow of tabs (File, Home, Insert etc in my old version). If you right click the ribbon you can customise it, but (in my case) three of the options are to do with the Quick Access toolbar. That's in Word, but as the ribbon is separate for each Office product (e.g. Word, Excel) you'd need to set it up on each, the method is similar..
Last edited by: smokie on Sun 1 Feb 26 at 09:37
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Microsoft Office for new PC - Zero
