Q: My PC came preloaded with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2007. I activated Windows 7 online, but when I tried to use Microsoft Word, I was told to enter a 25-character product key. I found a product key on the bottom of the PC, but when I typed it in I was told it was invalid. Any advice?
A: It sounds as if the product key you found goes with Windows 7, not Office 2007. The Office product key is hidden in one of two other places: If your computer came with an Office 7 disk, you'll find the product key on a sticker inside of the CD case or the manual. If the Office 2007 software came on the PC without a disk, Microsoft typically e-mails you a key.
If you can't find the product key in either of these places, there's a third place where it's hidden, a database of settings called the Registry. But you need to use a "key finder program" to locate and decode it. Try the free version of Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder, which you can find at http://tinyurl.com/22o9qgs/
People are also reading…
Q: I used the Malwarebytes program you suggested and found a virus. Now I want to know what's running on my PC. What files run during Windows XP start-up, and where do they come from?
A: I hope you like bizarre file names. To learn the sequence in which an alphabet soup of programs, such as "boot.ini" (contains PC configuration options), are loaded during Windows XP start-up, see http://tinyurl.com/327jzfy/
To see which background programs, or processes, run during normal PC operations, find them by clicking the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys simultaneously, then selecting the "processes" tab. Then compare their odd names, such as "svchost.exe" (decides what the PC ought to be doing at any given moment) to a list of process definitions at http://tinyurl.com/1yy4/
Q: My Windows XP PC, a four-year-old Compaq Presario with 512 megabytes of RAM (random access memory), is very slow. Quite often the RAM is 100 percent used up. Any suggestions?
A: You need more RAM memory; the amount you have is just barely enough to run today's software. You can upgrade your PC or buy a new one.
You can upgrade your PC to 3 gigabytes of RAM, which you can buy online and install yourself for less than $150. See http://tinyurl.com/28guylt/
A repair shop is likely to charge more than $200 for parts and labor.
For less than $400, you can buy a new desktop PC with 3 GB of RAM, better graphics, faster speed and a newer operating system.
E-mail your Tech Q&A queries to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com Please include a full name, city and phone number.