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Question

I have a new Gateway W8 computer

Dec 18, 2013 11:09PM PST

that I haven't taken out of the box yet to set up. I understand that there is probably a trial version of Office installed. However.....

I want to know if it's possible to uninstall the trial and install Office 2000 (I have a full legal version) so that I can have Outlook available. I use Outlook Express almost exclusively for my private emails and hate the idea of having to go webmail, and I would be able to import my old OE mails directly to Outlook which is very familiar to me.

I am not interested in paying for the new Office suite just to have the convenience of a mail program I'm happy with if I can instead use my older, already paid for version of Office.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: Outlook
Dec 18, 2013 11:21PM PST

Well, http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/CompatCenter/ProductDetailsViewer?Name=Microsoft%20Office%202000%20Professional&vendor=Microsoft&ModelOrVersion=9&Type=Software&tempOsid=Windows+8.1 says
a) Office 2000 is not compatible with Windows 8.1
b) Goto www.microsoft.com for more details.

I'd try Thunderbird. It's free, and the learning curve for users of Outlook Express is quite small. One big advantage (if you have many old mails) compared with OE: it has search built in.
It is able to import your OE mail, if you copy the OE folder to a folder on a USB-stick or so.

Kees

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Answer
I know 2002 & earlier are unsupported
Dec 18, 2013 11:23PM PST

I've tried installing Office 2002 and gotten messages that there were "known compatibility problems", and I know there's no support for it. Whether or not Outlook 2000 could be made to work I couldn't say. I use Windows Live Mail and I know Thunderbird works too.

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Outlook 2003 seems OK.
Dec 19, 2013 12:08AM PST

With a caveat you must install Office's SP3 after install before you use Outlook 2003. If you don't install that, you might think Outlook 2003 is broke.
Bob