Giovanni CorredduIn recent years, the number of websites and marketplaces offering software licenses at prices far below official list prices has increased. Among the best-selling products are productivity suites such as Microsoft Office and Adobe’s professional programs, often offered at very steep discounts.
But one question naturally comes to mind: are these licenses really valid?
The answer is not always straightforward. A software license may work perfectly and allow you to activate the program, but that does not automatically mean it was distributed in the correct way as stipulated by the manufacturer.
A working license and a legitimate license: two different things
When you buy an activation key, the first check that naturally comes to mind concerns the code: does it let you install and activate the software?
If Office or Adobe activate correctly, it means the key is recognized by the manufacturer’s servers. However, there is a difference between:
- a technically activatable license, that is, a key accepted by the software;
- a license that has been duly purchased and transferred, that is, a license whose origin complies with the terms set by the manufacturer.
This distinction is particularly important for professional products such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud.
The case of Microsoft Office licenses
Microsoft offers several types of licenses, for example:
- retail licenses purchased by individual users;
- OEM licenses tied to a device;
- volume licensing for businesses;
- perpetual licenses such as Office LTSC, designed primarily for organizations that need a stable version without a subscription.
Online, you can find very low-priced offers for professional versions, often sourced from business channels or license stock. Some may be legitimate, while others may come from licensing programs not intended for retail sale.
For this reason, it is always advisable to check:
- the exact type of product purchased;
- the origin of the code;
- whether the stated version matches the version actually installed;
- any terms of use set by the manufacturer.
The case of Adobe licenses
The issue is even more sensitive for Adobe.
Programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and Acrobat Pro are generally distributed through Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions or business licenses.
Offers promising “lifetime Adobe licenses” or very low prices call for particular caution, because Adobe does not normally sell perpetual licenses for recent versions of its main creative programs.
A valid Adobe license should be associated with:
- a personal or business Adobe account;
- a plan purchased through authorized channels;
- a verifiable payment method and subscription management.
How to check whether a license is valid
Before using a key purchased online, it is useful to carry out a few checks:
1. Check the seller
A price far below the official price may be a warning sign. It is important to check reviews, the seller’s tax information, and the terms of sale.
2. Check the software version
A license must correspond precisely to the product:
- Office Home & Student is not the same as Office Professional Plus;
- Office LTSC is not the same as Microsoft 365;
- Adobe Acrobat Reader is not the same as Acrobat Pro.
3. Keep the documentation
It is always advisable to keep:
- an invoice or receipt;
- purchase email;
- product code;
- any instructions received from the seller.
These items may be important if problems arise in the future.
Is a cheap license always illegal?
Not necessarily.
In the European market, under certain conditions, used software licenses may be resold, as established by European case law. However, the sale must comply with specific rules, and not every key found online automatically falls into this category.
So the fact that a license is cheap is not sufficient proof either of its legality or of its irregularity.
Before activation: what to check
Before entering a code or installing a program it is advisable to:
- check the full name of the product;
- check the license’s origin;
- avoid modified software or unofficial installers;
- always download programs from official websites when possible.
In the next steps, we’ll go through a practical guide with all the steps for correctly installing and activating Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Pro, checking that the software is associated with your license.
Where to buy?
Some of the best sites for buying good-value licenses with confidence (though keep one eye open, or you might click on the wrong purchase) include Humble Bundle and Groupon. In this guide, we’ll focus on Groupon.
Following this link, you’ll get a 78% discount on Microsoft Office 24 Pro Plus and Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020. If you’re new to Groupon, enter the code WELCOME to unlock the maximum discount. Some customers may be offered an automatic code (for new customers, this would mean a double discount!).
Once you’ve made the purchase, go back to Groupon.it and select your account icon in the top right, then select My Groupons. After a few seconds, the page showing your purchase will load.
Click View details.
Click View voucher.
You’ll find 2 codes, which you’ll enter using the link in the email from Groupon:
- Groupon code
- Security security
Note: you’ll need to enter them in the opposite order.
At this point, you’ll receive 2 emails containing the Product Key for MS Office and for Adobe Acrobat.
Installing MS Office
Download the file Office_2024_EN_64Bits.exe.
Wait for the installation to finish. Then open one of the suite’s programs, for example Word. Select Account and enter the Product Key. Follow the on-screen instructions, then close and restart Word. Go back to Account. You should now be asked to register online. You may also be able to link OneDrive.
You’ll have noticed that Word and the rest of the suite are in English. Normally, to get the menus in Italian, you would just go to Options – Language, select Italian and wait (for a long download). Unfortunately, the Office version offered by Groupon does not include our language. Is there a solution? Absolutely!
You’ll need the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). Go here.
Select Italian as the language and click Download.
Now run the downloaded file and extract its contents, for example, to:
C:\ODT
In the folder C:\ODT create a text file and, using Notepad, enter the following code:
<Configuration>
<Add OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="PerpetualVL2024">
<Product ID="ProPlus2024Volume">
<Language ID="it-it" />
<Language ID="en-us" />
</Product>
</Add>
</Configuration>Save the file with the following name:
configuration.xml
Open Command Prompt as administrator and type:
cd C:\ODT
Then:
setup.exe /configure configuration.xml
A window should open and, in a couple of minutes, download the missing components and update the installation. Open Word. Everything should already be in Italian. Otherwise:
File → Options → Language
Installing Adobe Acrobat 2020
This is much simpler. Uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Download the ZIP file linked in the Groupon email. Extract it and run the installation file Setup.exe.
Enter the Product Key. Click the options to make sure Italian is included, then click OK to start the installation.
