Office 2003 and XP Downloads Not Canceled but Some Product Keys Have Expired

Microsoft downloads for Office 2003 and Office XP are alive and kicking. At the end of May 2007, the Redmond company announced plans to discontinue offering activation versions of Office 2003 and Office XP via MSDN Subscriber Downloads. Along with the online offerings, Microsoft was also getting ready to cut off supplies of the products on media. Seth Adams, Program Manager, MSDN Subscriptions announced that the cutoff date was going to be June 30, 2007.

"We are working with the Office team to provide non-activation versions to replace these editions, and wanted you to be aware now so that you may download any needed Office 2003 and Office XP bits from MSDN Subscriber Downloads before they're removed later this month. Please note that the existing Volume License versions of these products will continue to be made available on MSDN Subscriber Downloads for MSDN subscribers who purchased their subscriptions through our various Volume Licensing programs," Adams stated.

Almost a month later, Microsoft is playing to a different tune. Both Office 2003 and Office XP will continue to be available for download for what the company refers to as "the foreseeable future." According to Adams, no alterations have been introduced to the basic experience of accessing, downloading and running Office 2003 and XP through MSDN. Still, some of the product keys already in use have expired and will no longer function with new installs of Office 2003 and Office XP.

"For most products, the product keys you may have received earlier will continue to work as is. For some, you may notice that your product key no longer works for the Office 2003 or Office XP edition you're installing. In those (rare) cases, please review the download instructions for the product downloaded for additional information on how to proceed (e.g. please obtain a new product key). Finally, you might notice the temporary absence of a product or product key from MSDN Subscriber Downloads as we make this final transition and anticipate completing all activities within 1-2 weeks," Adams added.