Back up MS Office

[ausiebob]

I hope this is a "legal" question!~
I need to make a copy of my brand new MS Office Cd's. As I'm fed up with losing Cd's and having to buy them again.

Cheers,

Aussie bob

[Lord Smelly]

I hope this is a "legal" question!~
I need to make a copy of my brand new MS Office Cd's. As I'm fed up with losing Cd's and having to buy them again.

Cheers,

Aussie bob


Don't quote me on it, but I remember reading somewhere even if you own the CDs it is illegal to make copies because of the EULA. I would carefully read your EULA with Microshaft and check and see before you make any copies.

You can easily make a copy using most CD burning programs just doing a disk to disk copy.

[alex zorrilla]

I have gone through the Office EULAs (http://www.microsoft.com/office/eula/en.mspx) (End User License Agreements) posted at Microsoft, and I see nothing in there preventing you from making a copy of the CDs. I do see limitations on installing the software, but not on making actual physical copies. Presumably, this is because the mandatory product activation lets Microsoft keep a better handle on things.

Of course, your EULA may be different because you are in Australia, or maybe because you obtained your software as part of an OEM bundle that came with your computer. To view the EULA on an already installed version of Office, just open up any Office application and go to Help --> About --> View End User License Agreement.

[freddyfartbox]

When backing up program discs such as this, once you've copied the files to HDD, do you need to crack the program to burn a successful bootable disc, or will the files not become corrupted?
Alternatively there is always P2P downloads.:pirate:

[Lord Smelly]

That would be illegal and putting up the cost of purchasing software for everyone. :mad: :mad:

[freddyfartbox]

Only for nobs that actually buy software.

[Lord Smelly]

When backing up program discs such as this, once you've copied the files to HDD, do you need to crack the program to burn a successful bootable disc, or will the files not become corrupted?
Alternatively there is always P2P downloads.:pirate:


Only for nobs that actually buy software.


Read the rules, talk about these topics is not aloud. Nor does anyone here approve of stealing software. I have reported you to the mods and suggest you read the rules here again before posting.

[alex zorrilla]

To answer the question of how best to burn the CD's on a technical level (for ausiebob's sake), here are some different alternatives:
Straight CD-to-CD copy, as Smelly suggested.
If you have only one CD device, then copying the CD contents to the hard drive as a "disc image" is probably the best way, followed by copying the image back to the new CD.
Do a simple Windows copy of the CD contents to the hard drive, and then burn those files to the new CD.
Note that I am not talking about installing the Office programs to the hard drive, just copying them straight over. There is no need to "crack" anything, because the program has never been installed. Remember, you still need the valid Microsoft activation key to install the program.

All this assumes, of course, the Microsoft has not gone and put copy protection on the CD itself. If they have, then I cannot help you there.

I sure hope I have read the Office EULA correctly. If not, I am in big trouble! :eek:

[Lord Smelly]

I sure hope I have read the Office EULA correctly. If not, I am in big trouble! :eek:

Oh my your a bad bad boy Alex :p

I will check out the EULA when I get back at the end of next week to the office. I know we are not aloud to make copies of the MSDN versions of any software. The office liked to loose them and we used to until I read the EULA, but I have not read the EULA of the actual purchasable office disk.

[freddyfartbox]

Read the rules, talk about these topics is not aloud. Nor does anyone here approve of stealing software. I have reported you to the mods and suggest you read the rules here again before posting.

Good for you. And the word you are looking for is 'allowed', not 'aloud'. There are online dictionaries if you need help.

[snapper]

I recall microsoft uses little hologram stickers saying "Do not make copies" does it have one of these?

[jokiin]

I recall microsoft uses little hologram stickers saying "Do not make copies" does it have one of these?

The message is usually 'Do not make illegal copies'

For the record I believe that you can make a copy of the disc legally, both within the term of the EULA and Australian copyright law, this is only to allow you to keep a backup of the physical disc, you still only have one license and cannot install outside the guidelines set out within the EULA though.

@ Aussiebob, it would help define the situation if you actually asked a question, care to clarify what it is you need to know?