Microsoft Office Licensing for "Terminal Server"

[Isaac]

What is the cheapest option, which will result in a copy of MS Office that contains at least Access Excel and Outlook, which is >= 2007 version (or the equivalent), (I am fine with Desktop, doesn't need to be 365 in fact I prefer to avoid 365 if possible, but am open)........which will work on a machine that Office--whether correctly or incorrectly--deems a "Terminal Server", thus giving rise to the error "This copy of Microsoft Office cannot be used on a Terminal Server"

?

Priorities:

1. Cheapest (only one person logs onto this virtual private server at a time - this is NOT being installed in multiple places - just one place)
2. Equivalent of 2007 or greater
3. Has the 3 basics.

I can go peruse Microsoft's fun and easy (ha ha) licensing web pages, but because I already know they are all going to be heavily designed towards pushing me to 365 subscriptions, I wanted to ask here instead, in case someone can point me to a workable option that may be cheaper, and may not be the "current thing" MS is pushing on their license page.

PS- I did notice some websites like this one, but their advice relates to a registry path involving "click to run" which doesn't apply to me - as I only installed a regular, desktop version of MS Office 2010. (And, it worked perfectly for 6 months, then suddenly decided to return this error for no reason I can determine).

 

[Isaac]

Does anyone else find it a bit disturbing that the Contact Us link in tiny font at the extreme bottom of this web page leads nowhere except a Bing search engine page!?? I mean come on Microsoft, I know you're trying to make it challenging but ... this may be too much!

Microsoft Open Programs | Microsoft Volume Licensing

 

[Gasman]

Just tell them. That is what I do when I find an incorrect link on a site.

 

[Isaac]

Just tell them

Right ... through the 'contact us' link I suppose

 

[CJ_London]

another link for you

This copy of microsoft office cannot be used on a computer running terminal srv

Very small business wants to provide shared RDS access to Office and an MSAccess application on Win2016 server. We are talking about a total of 5 users hitting the server, most likely at different times - but full concurrent logins could be a possibility. The server is setup from Remote Desktop...

community.spiceworks.com

and another

Open Click-to-Run version of Office on a terminal server - Microsoft 365 Apps

Works around an issue that prevents you from opening the Click-to-Run version of an Office 2013 and Office 2016 program or suite. This issue occurs after you install the program or suite on a terminal server.

docs.microsoft.com

which says at the bottom:

• For all other versions of Office Click-to-Run, install an edition of the Office program or suite that uses a volume license key.

so implies you can use 2007 or later, but need a volume license key

 

[Sun_Force]

Does anyone else find it a bit disturbing that the Contact Us link in tiny font at the extreme bottom of this web page leads nowhere except a Bing search engine page!?? I mean come on Microsoft, I know you're trying to make it challenging but ... this may be too much!

Microsoft Open Programs | Microsoft Volume Licensing

If you mouse over the link, it seems to be https://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=2028325

I changed the location on the far left side of the screen to Korea & Japan and clicked Contact Us link.
Both opened a chat system to talk with a help assistant.
I didn't go further and I don't know if it was an actual human or a bot. But the link seemed to be OK.

So maybe the linkid for US version have changed and because the page doesn't exists, a bing page is shown.
If you can find a way to report it, they may correct it in no time.

 

[cedar]

But bear in mind, at least according to what I've read, you won't be able to deploy office 365 to any modern msft server os starting in 2025. That means rds etc will no longer be viable methods of deploying Office 365 Access applications. They still may allow perpertual licensed versions of Office to deploy to server OS, I'm just not sure about that part.

 

[CJ_London]

at least according to what I've read, you won't be able to deploy office 365 to any modern msft server os starting in 2025

first I've heard of it, can you provide some links?

 

[cedar]

I'll try though I've not been able to post with urls here before
yeah can't do that.
maybe search for

• Office Apps Won't Run on Windows Server After October 2025 (where I first ran into it)
• Microsoft 365 Apps migration from Windows Server - Deploy Office (msft site)

 

[Pat Hartman]

You can't post a URL or object until you exceed 10 posts. So, 2 to go

 

[cedar]

You mean 1 to go, right <g>?

 

[Galaxiom]

Office Apps Won't Run on Windows Server After October 2025

Office Apps Won't Run on Windows Server After October 2025

Earlier this month, Microsoft quietly announced the end of support for running (most) Office apps on Windows Server at the end of 2025.

nolongerset.com

 

[Cotswold]

Clearly Microsoft receive no revenue from RunTime versions, which they may well find irritating. Particularly where developers are taking the free Runtime and then charging it out on a per-user basis to their customers.

When the licensing restrictions for Access RunTime become effective in 2025, does this signal the end of Access as a commercial application development solution?

 

[amorosik]

Clearly Microsoft receive no revenue from RunTime versions, which they may well find irritating. Particularly where developers are taking the free Runtime and then charging it out on a per-user basis to their customers.

When the licensing restrictions for Access RunTime become effective in 2025, does this signal the end of Access as a commercial application development solution?

Just switch terminal server
Other terminal servers offers more at a lower cost than the classic Microsoft terminal server

 

[cedar]

It's all guesswork on my part, but if the perpetual licensed versions of office are still ok on server os, it'd make sense for the runtime to also remain viable. If it works out like that, it's not really the end of the road.

 

[Cotswold]

In the making sense aspect, that will have to be making sense for Microsoft.
I just wonder if are there still many at Microsoft developing an assortment of reasons to pot Access. It isn't a default in 365 anyway. They've had a few stabs at getting Access to operate as a web application, all failures. As a business decision, why throw more money at it must be one option.

After all nobody has ever come up with a viable Access alternative. So what have they to lose if they turn their back on it and send it down the Foxpro cul-de-sac? By maybe 2025 we'll know more.

 

[Minty]

Access still is shipped with all the current 365 subscriptions except for the WEB app only basic subscription whic obviously isn't available for Access, for some reason they just don't show you the logo on some of the landing pages.

 

[cedar]

Just switch terminal server
Other terminal servers offers more at a lower cost than the classic Microsoft terminal server

amorosik can you give us some examples of 'other' terminal servers that you've found work well. I have mild exposure to tsplus, which I found worked well as far as I took it, and does work with windows 10 etc.
The issue I mentioned is between Office 365 (at least) and server OS, so unless you're moving away from windows to some other OS, in which case Access won't fly, the problem remains. IOW the future issue is not supposed to be RDS/TS, it's the server OS.

 

[Cotswold]

Thanks for the price list Minty but I'm at a loss to understand why anyone would buy 365 when you can buy and download a single license for Access or Office Pro for around £30 from pckeys.uk and others.

Plus, I don't see the point in needing constant monthly updates, which from what I read on this forum are often buggy and more trouble than they are worth. I set my copies not to update on the principle that if it's working then leave well alone. If I need an update I'll buy another download key.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Thanks for the price list Minty but I'm at a loss to understand why anyone would buy 365 when you can buy and download a single license for Access or Office Pro for around £30 from pckeys.uk and others.

For that price, the product is pirated. A legitimate perpetual licence for Office runs around $400. These things are NEVER discounted.