Compucon PCs may be supplied with Office Starter 2010 installed. What is this?

Microsoft Office Starter 2010 consists of Microsoft Word Starter 2010 and Microsoft Excel Starter 2010 only, reduced functionality versions of Microsoft Word and Excel with advertising. Office Starter is available only as preloaded software on select new PCs with the option of upgrading to the full Office suites at any time. Office Starter is not trial software – you can continue to use it as long as you want. See Microsoft's Office Starter 2010 webpage... for more information.

Where's the Office software disk?

Microsoft Office is no longer included on disk when purchased with a new PC.

Office Starter 2010 does not have any media available; however, it is included in the Windows Recovery Environment, which enables Windows 7 to recover the original system installation from most problems. Total hard disk failure, destruction or theft may require technical service to restore the factory software state, including Office Starter 2010.

If you purchased a Compucon PC with a full version of Microsoft Office 2010 preinstalled, and you want to obtain a copy of the installation software, you can download it or order a backup DVD direct from Microsoft at Microsoft Office 2010 Backup...

If you purchased a Compucon PC with Microsoft Office 2007 preinstalled, and you want to obtain a copy of the installation software, you can download it or order an installation disk direct from Microsoft at the Microsoft Office System Download and Backup Media Site...

Microsoft Windows XP End of Sales

Microsoft announced that it would stop supplying Windows XP to its OEM distributors on 31 January 2009. In practice, WIndows XP continued to be available through most of 2009. However, Windows XP has now been removed from the general system builder channel and is only available for installation on "Embedded Systems" with an appropriate hardware validation process.

Find out more about your options in our special Windows XP End of Sales page.

System Builder Licence Agreement ("OEM" Software)

Microsoft software available from Compucon is typically defined as "OEM" and must therefore be bought and sold within the terms of the relevant Microsoft OEM Software Licence Agreement.

OEM software may be purchased preinstalled on a new Compucon PC. Alternatively, you may purchase a sealed OEM software pack from Compucon. If you open the pack, you must preinstall the enclosed software onto a fully assembled computer system. OEM software may never be sold to end users (unless they are assembling a new PC themselves).