Another Ed Bott trick! Software Licensing Secrets

Software licensing secrets

By Ed Bott 

Every version of Windows dating back to Windows Vista has included the Windows Software Licensing Management Tool, a script file found in the WindowsSystem32 folder as Slmgr.vbs. The script is designed for a local administrator to run in an elevated Command Prompt window.

Most people never need to use this tool, but it can come in handy when you're trying to resolve activation problems or upgrade a Windows PC. The secret is knowing which switches to add to the end of the command to achieve the desired result.

If you just type the command, with no switches, you get a series of five dialog boxes that list all those switches. Network administrators who manage a Key Management server for Volume Licensing will find a goldmine here. For the rest of us, the three most commonly used switches are the following:

Slmgr.vbs /dli Displays basic license information, including the last five characters of the product key

Slmgr.vbs /dlv Displays much more detailed license information

Slmgr.vbs /cpky Removes the product key from the registry so that it can't be copied and reused

Windows 10 Speech Recognition

If you put past articles that have written, you’ll see that I have many different postings talking about speech recognition and used on either a computer or mobile device.  When I write about the speech recognition program I like to use the program itself to write the article which helps to test how well the program works.

In this case are done the same thing and I am writing the article using Microsoft Windows 10’s Speech Recognition application.  I will only run through the initial training session to give the system of brief analysis of my voice characteristics.  While with some programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking, this is sometimes sufficient to give an accurate response, I think Microsoft’s product will need multiple sessions to get to the same level of recognition capabilities that some of these better programs offer.

The basic control commands all seemed to work well and it may be that some of my issues are that I’m also using a new blue tooth headset that might not be transmitting as clear as I would hope.  I probably should listen to my voice in conjunction with what the system was typing out.  However, I do not see that as an option.

All in all, I find that the program is working sufficiently to use it but it does seem to get lost every so often and I have to bring the system back to the program started up again.  This is a frustrating issue but quick on the screen bring everything back to life.  My suggestion is to run multiple training sessions to increase the accuracy of the system so that you have a lower threshold of frustration when you begin using it.

What is Office Mix?

A new PowerPoint addin that is free from Microsoft. Follow the download directions to install it into your PowerPoint program. Once it is installed you will see a new tab called Mix that will give you the abilty to create your Mix media.

So what is Mix? If you are aware of TechSmith's Camtasia and the way that it works with PowerPoint Presentations, then my explanation is simple. It is Microsoft's version of that function. Mix allows you to automate your PowerPoint presentation and save it as a video for sharing. It has many other features built into it but one of the things that it does that is useful in classroom situations, is to allow you to create quizzes with in the presentation. It also provides screen and sound capture that you can insert in a slide, insert other video files, insert audio and then do playback/recording your narration of your slideshow. You can then publish this recording to your online onedrive storage area and share it with whomever you wish.

It's pretty slick. Once you get the general function of it, then it becomes very easy to use. All you have to do is dream up and produce your content and then deliver it to the world.

Microsoft Backs Down On Office 2013 Retail Licensing

We are happy that they have decided to listen to their customer’s complaints about its Office 2013 retail licensing agreement. Microsoft has altered the licensing language as follows according to Jevon Fark from the Office Team:

Updated transferability provision to the Retail License Terms of the Software License Agreement for Microsoft Office 2013 Desktop Application Software

Can I transfer the software to another computer or user? You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you, but not more than one time every 90 days (except due to hardware failure, in which case you may transfer sooner). If you transfer the software to another computer, that other computer becomes the “licensed computer.” You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement before the transfer. Any time you transfer the software to a new computer, you must remove the software from the prior computer and you may not retain any copies.

This change is effective immediately and applies to Office Home and Student 2013, Office Home and Business 2013, Office Professional 2013 and the standalone Office 2013 applications.

Paul Thurrott, editor of the Windows SuperSite, offers his 2 cents on the situation here.

I think this is a real win for the Microsoft Customer base that needs the flexibility of moving their software when the upgrade their machines.

Here is Jevon Fark’s post on the Office News blog.

Choosing the Right Office 365 for SBS Server Customers

With the release of Server 2012 we no longer have a Small Business Server offering. We have sold a lot of this product in the past both in the Standard and Premium versions. This product was a real resource hog though but it gave big server features at a very reasonable price and this made it in many cases very desirable.

Microsoft has launched its new hosted Exchange product called Office 365 to help fill the gap this has left. The cloud suite, which features Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online, could provide an ideal upgrade path for Windows Small Business Server (SBS) customers. Exchange Server was one of the most often used features of Microsoft SBS product. The Server 2012 Essentials package will give you basic server function but has a few limitations. First there are no virtualization rights and second you are limited to a total of 25 clients. The pros are that it is optimized for cloud connectivity, has a simplified interface, is priced around $500 and comes with licensing for the 25 clients.

This is perfectly paired with one of the following: Hosted Exchange Online ($4/user/mo), Office 365 Small Business ($6/user/mo) or Office 365 Small Business 365 ($15/user/mo). So what are the differences?

	Hosted email (Exchange Online) Step up to enterprise-grade email that’s easy to manage and affordable	Office 365 Small Business Help your business thrive with web-based communication and productivity services	Office 365 Small Business Premium Work better virtually anywhere, at your desktop or on the go
	$4.00 user/ month	$6.00 user/ month	$15.00 user/ month
User maximum:	Unlimited	25 users	25 users
Office applications: Subscription to Office for up to 5 PCs/Macs per user.			Desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, and Lync.
Office Web Apps: Create and edit Office files via a web browser.	(View Attachments Only)	·	·
Office Mobile Apps:  Use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on select mobile phones and tablets.			·
Hosted email: Get business-class email, shared calendars, 25 GB of storage space per user, and the ability to use your own domain name.	·	·	·
Web conferencing: Conduct meetings over the web with HD video conferencing, screen sharing, and instant messaging.		·	·
Public website: Market your business with a website that is easy to set up, using your own company domain name. No additional hosting fees.		·	·
Spam and malware protection: Premium anti-malware protection and anti-spam filtering.	·	·	·
Community and phone support: IT-level web support and 24/7 phone support for critical issues.	·	·	·
Guaranteed 99.9% uptime: Peace of mind that your services are available with a guaranteed 99.9% uptime, financially backed service level agreement (SLA)	·	·	·

This, of course, are not the only Office 365 choices available but is a great start when thinking about using the Server 2012 Essentials package in an entry level server installation. If you want a full copy of Office and all the functions of an enterprise company the Small Business Premium package would be a great deal for you. It not only includes the hosted Exchange system but also has Lync for system to system communication and last but not least you can install office on up to five of each user’s devices. So if you have some mobile warriors that need to be able to work at the office, home and on the road from all of the devices this might be a really good fit.

Office 365 Home Premium–Subscription for home use

Microsoft’s new subscription model offer provides the home consumer an annual subscription package that will cost you $99 per year and provides you with licensing for using Office on five devices. You will also get 20gb’s of online storage and 60 minutes of Skype calls per month. It includes the following products:

	Word In the new Read Mode, text reflows automatically in columns for easier on-screen reading Fewer menus means more focus on your content—see only the tools you need, when you need them Open a PDF in Word, and edit content just as if you created it in Word Show your style by using Word templates in more than 40 categories
	Excel Each workbook has in its own window, making it easier to work on two workbooks— or two monitors— at once New functions in the math and trig, statistical, engineering, date and time, lookup and reference, logical, and text function categories The new Recommended Charts button lets you pick from a variety of charts that are right for your data
	OneNote Smoothly draw, erase, and edit with your finger, stylus, or mouse on any touch-capable device OneNote automatically converts your handwriting to text, so no worries about your handwriting The new Send to OneNote tool makes it easier to include documents or Web pages in your notebooks
	PowerPoint Presenter View allows you to see your notes on your monitor while the audience only sees the slide Smart Guides automatically appear when your objects are close to even, and tell you when objects are spaced evenly Support for more multimedia formats, such as .mp4 and .mov, more high-definition content, and more built-in codecs
	Outlook The People Card collects key details about a contact all in one place Add your local weather forecast right there in Calendar view, along with current conditions Receive push-based email, appointments, and contacts from Outlook.com, (formerly Hotmail) - right in your Outlook experience
	Access Simply type what you need to track and Access uses table templates to deliver an app that does the job A standardized app framework makes navigating apps familiar and easy Entering data accurately is a breeze with drop-down menus and recommendations that appear when you begin typing
	Publisher Insert and customize prebuilt page part building blocks, including calendars, borders, advertisements, and more Use professional-looking effects including softer shadows, reflections, and OpenType features Search your online albums on Facebook, Flickr and other services and add pictures directly to your document

Office 365 Home Premium

Setting up your account
To set up Office for the first time, visit www.office.com/setup and follow the instructions on the screen. Or, if you purchased online, you can go directly to www.office.com/myaccount to manage your account, because Office was set up automatically.

System requirements
See the system requirements page.

Compatibility with earlier versions
To find out about working with earlier versions of Office, visit the compatibility pack page.

Language options
To find the list of languages that Office is available in, see the FAQ. If you purchase Office 365 Home Premium you can visit www.office.com/myaccount to install Office in other languages.

Office on devices
Office currently supports PCs running Windows 7 or higher, and Macs with Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. Office Mobile supports Windows Phone devices running Windows Phone OS 7.5 and higher.

Skype
To find out about Skype world minutes, see the FAQ.

Office 365 University

There are several ways for you, as a college student, faculty or staff member you can qualify for one of two offers that Microsoft has for you. This is a very cost effective way for you to have Office for you use while in college. You are licensed for up to two machines/devices that you can put it on and the subscription is for 4 years. The price, just $79.99. You also get 20GB of online storage on SkyDrive and 60 minutes of Skype International calls per month. This is great if you are doing a student exchange in another country or want to keep up with others that are out of country. The four year subscription includes any updates that may come down the line over the subscription period and you as an individual can only purchase one of these per four year period.

The Office 365 University offer provides you with the following Office applications:

	Word In the new Read Mode, text reflows automatically in columns for easier on-screen reading Fewer menus means more focus on your content—see only the tools you need, when you need them Open a PDF in Word, and edit content just as if you created it in Word Show your style by using Word templates in more than 40 categories
	Excel Each workbook has in its own window, making it easier to work on two workbooks— or two monitors— at once New functions in the math and trig, statistical, engineering, date and time, lookup and reference, logical, and text function categories The new Recommended Charts button lets you pick from a variety of charts that are right for your data
	PowerPoint Presenter View allows you to see your notes on your monitor while the audience only sees the slide Smart Guides automatically appear when your objects are close to even, and tell you when objects are spaced evenly Support for more multimedia formats, such as .mp4 and .mov, more high-definition content, and more built-in codecs
	OneNote Smoothly draw, erase, and edit with your finger, stylus, or mouse on any touch-capable device OneNote automatically converts your handwriting to text, so no worries about your handwriting The new Send to OneNote tool makes it easier to include documents or Web pages in your notebooks
	Outlook The People Card collects key details about a contact all in one place Add your local weather forecast right there in Calendar view, along with current conditions Receive push-based email, appointments, and contacts from Outlook.com, (formerly Hotmail) - right in your Outlook experience
	Publisher Insert and customize prebuilt page part building blocks, including calendars, borders, advertisements, and more Use professional-looking effects including softer shadows, reflections, and OpenType features Search your online albums on Facebook, Flickr and other services and add pictures directly to your document
	Access Simply type what you need to track and Access uses table templates to deliver an app that does the job A standardized app framework makes navigating apps familiar and easy Entering data accurately is a breeze with drop-down menus and recommendations that appear when you begin typing

This is a very cost effective way for you to have Office for you use while in college. You are licensed for up to two machines/devices that you can put it on and the subscription is for 4 years. The price, just $79.99. You also get 20GB of online storage on SkyDrive  and 60 minutes of Skype International calls per month. This is great if you are doing a student exchange in another country or want to keep up with others that are out of country. The four year subscription includes any updates that may come down the line over the subscription period and you as an individual can only purchase one of these per four year period.

Do you qualify? Here is Microsoft’s Eligibility Requirements:

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

This Program is available only to individuals who meet the criteria described below:

1. An “Eligible Student” means an individual who is a student, faculty or staff member at an eligible accredited educational institution geographically located in the United States and must be actively enrolled in at least 0.5 course credit hours at that educational institution and must be able to provide proof of enrollment to Microsoft or its appointed vendor upon request;
2. The Eligible Student must successfully verify their eligibility status through the Offer Site’s online student status verification process; and
3. The Eligible Student must have a Microsoft account or create one at the time of purchase.

If you participate in the Program, Microsoft reserves the right to contact you directly or through an appointed Microsoft vendor to verify that you are an Eligible Student. If you choose not to provide sufficient documentation to Microsoft or its appointed vendor that verifies that you are an Eligible Student, you agree to reimburse Microsoft for the difference between what you paid in connection with a discounted Program offer and the estimated full retail price of the same product(s). Microsoft will have sole discretion to determine the sufficiency of any documentation that you provide to verify you are an Eligible Student. By providing eligibility-related information to Microsoft’s appointed vendor, you agree that the vendor may share such information with Microsoft for Program-related purposes.

Microsoft, in its sole discretion, may accept other forms of validation to determine eligibility in lieu of the online student status verification process.

Microsoft, in its sole discretion, may determine the criteria for eligibility under the Program and may change the eligibility criteria or deny eligibility at any time and for any reason.

To take advantage of this offer go to: click here

Office 2013 free Download

If you have purchased Microsoft Office 2010 between the dates of October 19, 2012 and April 30, 2013 you can get the next version of Microsoft Office for free as soon as it is available.

1. All you need to do is buy and activate Office today.
2. Sign up for an email reminder to be notified when you can redeem you offer. Sign up for the offer.
3. Download the new Office when it comes available. After you receive your email notification, return to this website, www.office.com/offer, to download the new Office.

Go to this website for more information on the products that qualify and how to process your offer.