My company laptop has died and my personal one only has the Microsoft office "starter" package on it. Apparently the "full" package is already installed but needs a licence key. I can find no way of checking which version of Office 2010 is installed though (home, professional etc).

I need the full version of Excel as I use VBA and other features the basic one doesn't have.

What's the cheapest way of updating it?

Going direct to Microsoft I'm offered:

Home and Student (This has all the programs I need [i]assuming[i/] it is a full version of Excel.) £99.
Small business (Has some extra guff I don't need) £190
Professional (More guff I don't need plus Access) £300 (If I needed a database I don't think Access would be my starting point)

Excel to buy on its own is £110.

I can find product keys for less but how to tell if they are bogus? Here's one for example:
http://www.windows7validation.co.uk/...5&productid=10

Cheap but is it OK?

All help gratefully received.

https://www.microsofthup.com/hupuk/c...QAAD9XBa4AAAAU

Originally Posted by EScotia

https://www.microsofthup.com/hupuk/c...QAAD9XBa4AAAAU

I think only corporate Microsoft users will be eligible for that Home Use Program. Good idea though.

Incidentally before anyone suggest using the MODs Home Use Program I don't have a DII log in and came up against a brick wall trying to get anywhere with my Coy's permanent staff when I enquired before.

Microsoft Office 2010 Student Pro Plus: SAVE with 90% Off | Software4Students.co.uk

Originally Posted by EX_STAB

I think only corporate Microsoft users will be eligible for that Home Use Program. Good idea though.

Incidentally before anyone suggest using the MODs Home Use Program I don't have a DII log in and came up against a brick wall trying to get anywhere with my Coy's permanent staff when I enquired before.

Got the link from my Dii terminal, forwarded it to my home pc as advised & Bob was my fathers brother!

If you don't want to pay, I believe that libreoffice (Home » LibreOffice) is compatible with VBA macros, and can save to .docx formats, so its compatible with all your old excel files. It's also free (and legal, as its on the GNU license). Worth considering.

Originally Posted by CasinoBoyale

If you don't want to pay, I believe that libreoffice (Home » LibreOffice) is compatible with VBA macros, and can save to .docx formats, so its compatible with all your old excel files. It's also free (and legal, as its on the GNU license). Worth considering.

Hmm...looks like openoffice repackaged.

I think it's an offshoot or rebrand- came with my new OS, and I've had no problems with compatibility thus far.

I always use OpenOffice on my netbook, free and virtually identical to MS Office, I saved the icons on my desk top and re-named each file to Word/PowerPoint/excel etc (easier to remember what they are)

Originally Posted by CasinoBoyale

I think it's an offshoot or rebrand- came with my new OS, and I've had no problems with compatibility thus far.

I installed it and its quite good. It is obviously an offshoot of openoffice, as you say, but seems to be better.