How to Reset the Product Key in Microsoft Word 2007

Reset the product key associated with Word 2007 by editing the Registry.

Included as part of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, Microsoft Word helps users create a variety of print publications, including letters, memos, brochures, labels and envelopes. Designed for people of all skill levels, the program offers a point-and-click interface and a host of templates to simplify the design and editing process. As with all Office 2007 programs, Word 2007 requires users to confirm ownership of the product by entering a 25-character product key during installation. Reset this value for Word and all other Office programs by removing it from the Windows Registry.

Instructions

1. Close Microsoft Word 2007 and any other open Office applications.

2. Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run."

3. Type "regedit" (without quotation marks) and click "OK" to open the Windows Registry Editor.

4. Locate the top-level folder labeled "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE," then click the arrow or "+" icon located next to the folder to expand it. Repeat the process for each of the following sub-folders, in order: "Software," "Microsoft," "Office," "12.0" and "Registration." Sixty-four-bit versions of the program require you to open the "Wow6432Node" folder before opening the "Microsoft" folder.

5. Single-click each sub-folder within the "Registration" folder that has a name in the following format: "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx." Repeat the process until you locate the folder that lists the greatest number of values on the right-hand side of the Registry Editor window.

6. Right-click the value labeled "DigitalProductID" and click "Delete."

7. Right-click the value labeled "ProductID" and click "Delete."

8. Close the Registry Editor. By removing the product ID values from the Registry in the previous two steps, the Word 2007 product key is reset. You will be prompted for a replacement key value the next time you start the program.

Tips & Warnings

• Save a copy of the "Registration" folder before deleting the product ID values, in case you need to restore the product key at a later date. Right-click the "Registration" folder, select "Export," choose a save location, give the exported file a name and then click "Save."

References

• Tweaking With Vishal: How to Change or Reset Product Key of Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Support: How to Change the Product Key for Office XP, 2003, 2007
• Ditii: How to Change Office 2007 Product Key