[aw9018]

In my home we have a PC running XP Home, wired to a router, and a PC running Vista Home Premium connected wirelessly to the same router via a wireless access point. The Vista machine has MS Office with Excel and I would like to be able to use Excel on the XP machine. MS Office on the Vista machine is the OEM version so I cannot install it on another machine but I am permitted to use it remotely. Unfortunately, remote desktop control does not exist in the home versions of Vista. Does anybody know another way this could be accomplished? I am also not sure if this is the right forum for this question or should I have posted it in the Networking forum?

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You could buy PC anywhere. The host and client cost $199.00 from Symantic.
You would not be able to use any program that is not on the computer.
If you use a program on another computer remotely, it is still on the other computer.
You will not be able to create documents, or open documents on the XP machine.
Also, what you are asking borders on illegal pirating.

[hfcg]

You could buy PC anywhere. The host and client cost $199.00 from Symantic.
You would not be able to use any program that is not on the computer.
If you use a program on another computer remotely, it is still on the other computer.
You will not be able to create documents, or open documents on the XP machine.
Also, what you are asking borders on illegal pirating.

[PsychPosse]

Legally, per Microsoft, you can install the copy of Office you own on up to 3 machines.

(You should have a disc or a download of Office)

It will work on XP just the same as it does on Vista.

I know this because I have had to reinstall Office 07 and had problems with the registration. During my phone call to Microsoft I was asked how many machines I have this version of Office 07 installed on. I told them 2 machines, and asked them how many I was allowed, to which he replied "3".

[hfcg]

Legally, per Microsoft, you can install the copy of Office you own on up to 3 machines.

This is true if you have a multi user license.
The OEM that comes with a machine is not a multi user license.
For a single use license the program may be installed on one machine.
If you download Office 2007 and try to use the key code for your OEM it will not work.
If you bought a packaged copy of Office 2007 student and teacher you may install on three machines, this only applies to a packaged version of student and teacher.

Edited by hfcg, 04 February 2008 - 06:54 AM.

[aw9018]

Thanks to both of you. hfcq:Your suggestion about PC anywhere is not plausible since an entire new retail copy of MS Office would cost less. As far as your reference to the legality of what I am trying to do, The Microsoft EULA for the OEM version of the software expressly authorizes remote use of the program from a device other than the one on which the software comes loaded. You are correct, though, that it cannot be installed on any additional machines. I was hoping there was either some other way of doing this using the OSs of the 2 machines or some software available for free. Had I been aware of these shortcomings in the home versions of these OSs, I would have opted for professional versions at the time they were purchased.

[hfcg]

I must have misunderstood you.
Remote desktop does work with Vista, but I believe it does not work with XP home
Please go here to read about Remote desktop.

[aw9018]

I really appreciate your time and attention, but what I have found is that remote desktop is not available in Vista Home Premium as opposed to Vista Professional. I have seen the MS article to which you provided a link but it is for the Pro version. Thanks again and if anyone is aware of a solution I would appreciate it.

[jaxisland]

For clarification on Remote Desktop, if windows Vista is what you are trying to connect TO than you are fine. Once you follow the steps to enable Remote Desktop on Vista you can connect FROM your XP Home computer TO your Vista machine. What you cannot do is connect FROM your Vista machine TO your XP Home machine.

Hope that clears the air

Notes
You cannot use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to computers running Windows Vista Starter, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Basic N, or Windows Vista Home Premium. You can, however, connect from those editions of Windows Vista to computers running other versions of Windows.

You cannot use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to computers running Windows XP Home Edition.

If you are using the above operating systems than you cannot do it by default.

Edited by jaxisland, 04 February 2008 - 10:16 AM.

[aw9018]

Thanks jaxisland for your input, but your initial statement seems to contradict the quotation which I believe came from Microsoft. Anyway, the simplest way I can describe what I'm trying to do is to use with my XP machine a program that is installed on my Vista machine, when both OSs are home versions of each respective edition of windows. It seems that Remote Desktop Connection is not available in these OSs to do this. I am basically still hoping that there is another solution.