Install Office 2003 today: NO WAY

Posted by Commercial-Fun2767@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 292 comments

How could one download Office 2003 today? I need to deploy it on a VM to resurrect mummies. I chose a title that will match answers I’ll get but my question is really where to download it. Older I can download is 2013. Thank you

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292 Comments

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ppw0@reddit

I bought a physical copy off of eBay.

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ze55@reddit

[https://archive.org/details/en\_microsoft\_office\_2003](https://archive.org/details/en_microsoft_office_2003)

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3838683@reddit

thank you so much for this!

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gordonv@reddit

Yup. A lot of people don't know about Internet Archive. They have special permission from the US government to host images of software. This includes the Latest versions of an OS and old software. Even obscure software like video games on outdated emulated systems. (DOS, MAME, etc)

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Frothyleet@reddit

>They have special permission from the US government to host images of software. Kind of. It's not like a blanket permission. The DMCA has a provision which allows the Library of Congress to except items from its purview under certain circumstances.

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Nicegamerz_CZ@reddit

Office 2003 does support modern docx files if u install the office compatibility pack

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NotRecognized@reddit

I bet it's about the fonts.

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matt95110@reddit

I worked at a software company that would force clients to deploy Office 2007 to workstations running their software because some idiot picked the wrong fonts for their software and they were too stupid to choose another one. It was hilarious every time it came up.

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Gratha@reddit

I am so confused. Couldn't they just install the font and not have to use that software? I used to work for a medical company, and their forms had to have specific fonts all the time. I just set up a folder to store them and used a script to push to new employees.

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matt95110@reddit

I think the main issue was with licensing.

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Terrafire123@reddit

They couldn't get a license for the font, but they COULD get licenses for office 2007? Omg.

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matt95110@reddit

It took weeks of arguments with developers and product managers to get that as the solution. They absolutely refused to use a Windows native or an open source one that they could distribute.

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Bad_Idea_Hat@reddit

Does turning on this server involve a bowling ball, some dominoes, a string, a bird flying away, and a candle?

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MailOrderDog@reddit

Welcome to Rube Goldberg's server room.

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not-yet-ranga@reddit

You say ‘welcome’, but all I see is a delicately intricate 17-step process before I can even enter the room…

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SillyJoshua@reddit

The important thing he said was “Rube Goldberg “ that’s the catch. Maybe only us old heads remember who he was. He drew some of the most complex and ridiculous things ever

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matt95110@reddit

Kinda. The backend server for it had to always have a logged in user to run the server application because they were never able to get it to work as a proper service on Windows.

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DL72-Alpha@reddit

Was this in Austin, Tx?

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Lukage@reddit

Are we coworkers?

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InternationalGlove@reddit

I bet it was comic sans

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matt95110@reddit

Comic Sans would have driven the point home of how much of a joke this company and software was.

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pakman82@reddit

Some font are... "Valuable" .. heck, Microsoft changes the default font in office apps for the reason of NOT making a font standard for too long and iirc, decrease potential for some sort of forging. (Producing modified old documents in tricky legal cases)

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pdp10@reddit

> decrease potential for some sort of forging. (Producing modified old documents in tricky legal cases) If anything, Microsoft [changes the default font metrics](https://wiki.debian.org/SubstitutingCalibriAndCambriaFonts) to make it difficult for competitors to be compatible, without actually changing the file format which might be called into evidence legally.

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pakman82@reddit

That too! Their all about not getting screwed while screwing

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MalwareDork@reddit

It depends. Licensing is one for the fonts and some programs built using ollllld VB had some serious spaghetti code with archaic .ocx and .dll files tied in with the fonts, too. I had to do that with an ancient program built using VB5.

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Gaunerking@reddit

It really depends on the software and api architecture. ERP / Special Branche software sometimes fully launches office to access certain functions and if it s really specific software which is old and no one knows someone who was involved in the creation, then it is often to expensive to make any major improvements. From my experience with a msp: stay away from lawyers and doctors. They most often depend on such software.

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Maelefique@reddit

He can't be the only one that misses Clippy, can he? 😂 Narrator: ... but he was.

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Lukage@reddit

Clippy is back in Teams. There's a whole collection. https://preview.redd.it/0hzgs8albgld1.png?width=301&format=png&auto=webp&s=30aa87ebe2bf061bb804bc0960cb524a5cd90349

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pdp10@reddit

Clippy is trying to come back like John Travolta.

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Maelefique@reddit

Wow. MS doesn't take "No." for an answer any better than my 7 yr old. 😂

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Lukage@reddit

Look up the "Ship It" one.

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Inigomntoya@reddit

Wing Dings? Or is there some extinct language characters in Word 2003 that aren't available today?

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fahque@reddit

Wing dings is in all versions of windows.

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zmaile@reddit

If someone wants wingdings, they probably want pre-2001 wingdings. After the 11th of September kerfuffle, they changed a few of the glyphs.

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FireLucid@reddit

Oh man, I remember that, the fake Q33 flight number right? The top google search is a reddit thread where they are certain it was 911, not Q33 and it's a massive coverup by Microsoft, lol.

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joeuser0123@reddit

You just brought up some Mac Zapf Dingbags trauma for me....

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FullPoet@reddit

Eliminating random business people fonts from our container build removed about 300mb download and shaved 4 minutes off our build time. Which doesnt sound like a lot but when you build hundreds of times a day, its a lot.

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Turinggirl@reddit

IT where I am solved this by having our automatic checks and analysis include fonts outside of our collection of open sourced fonts and fail the build before it even hit dev.

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FullMetal_55@reddit

Or Access... i remember having to install Office 97 many times for access databases damn hatten.ttf (iykyk)

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PolarisX@reddit

I went through this and my company (at the time) had to "buy" a font. They gave us the wrong font twice. After that we made them figure out how to get us the right font at their expense.

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720hp@reddit

Oddly I have MSOffice ISOs going back to 2003 on my NAS. I also have copies of Windows going back to XP and Win7 Ultimate. Why? Because I have older working HW that uses those

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iredrpepper@reddit

I'm the exact same. Seems i have office 2000 here too. I even have the dreaded Vista

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SerialCrusher17@reddit

I liked Vista, never had the issues everyone else did on the x64 version

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MasterDenton@reddit

I think a lot of the issues people had with Vista originated from running it on bargain basement machines (which, granted, had Vista 'capable' stickers on them; that's on Microsoft) with Pentium 4s, 512 MB of RAM and onboard graphics. At least, that was my first experience with Vista. Recently installed it on a much more performant machine just for fun and it was perfectly usable

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pdp10@reddit

> bargain basement machines (which, granted, had Vista 'capable' stickers on them; that's on Microsoft) with Pentium 4s, 512 MB of RAM and onboard graphics. [Big scandal.](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/03/the-vista-capable-debacle-intel-pushes-microsoft-bends/)

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a60v@reddit

I am terribly sorry.

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Afraid-Ad8986@reddit

I liked Vista. XP sucked! I worked on XP so much that I memorized most of the registry. I also still remember the key we used for Office 2003. Installed that manually 1000s of times!

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iredrpepper@reddit

Did you have any thoughts on Windows ME?

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ThatsNottaWeed@reddit

Had a laptop with it. It was fine, never a problem except using a wifi adapter in a pcmcia slot.

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BifronsOnline@reddit

The first laptop I ever bought (Dell Inspiron 3800) came with Windows ME on it. It crashed and locked up on me all the time. After a month of that shit I wiped it and installed Windows 2000 on it. That ran absolutely fantastically until XP came out in October '01, and I immediately installed that :) XP was leaps and bounds above ME.

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Afraid-Ad8986@reddit

Don’t think we ever used it. NT 6 was fucking awesome though.

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720hp@reddit

I never had issues with ME but two of my friends did and rolled back to Win98. They eventually moved up to Win2000.

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fahque@reddit

Only XP? I've got DOS 3.1 diskettes.

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Sobatjka@reddit

I opened a box in my home office just now in order to return a bunch of 600GB SAS drives to it, and saw an NT4 installation CD. Maybe I should test to see if that actually works in a VM at some point. :)

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PJBeee@reddit

I have some folks still using it. Does not play well with Microsoft 365 apps on the same machine (they don't use that), but it works for them. There's an updater too that lets it use xlsx and docx files.

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Furki1907@reddit

Here you go: [https://ia904606.us.archive.org/3/items/en\_microsoft\_office\_2003/en\_microsoft\_office\_2003\_dvd.iso](https://ia904606.us.archive.org/3/items/en_microsoft_office_2003/en_microsoft_office_2003_dvd.iso)

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msalerno1965@reddit

[https://archive.org/3/items/en\_microsoft\_office\_2003/en\_microsoft\_office\_2003\_dvd.iso](https://archive.org/3/items/en_microsoft_office_2003/en_microsoft_office_2003_dvd.iso) BTW, I'd hire you. You answered the freakin' question in 5 seconds instead of asking WHY for the next 5 hours.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

Sometimes the 'why' is important. Being a yes-man bootlicker benefits no one.

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msalerno1965@reddit

Sure, I ask it all the time. Otherwise I'd be swamped with stupidity from the highest levels of management. But for what appears to be a data-resurrection project, as in "resurrecting mummies", don't we already know "why"? It's right there in print. The shear arrogance of some of the comments on this was ... interesting to say the least. For example, "bootlicker" - poor IT guy needs a copy of Office 2003 because someone needs to resurrect some old data. Probably for a valid reason. Litigation comes to mind. Sometimes that one nugget of "TBD" in a certain column means not paying out millions. But what do I know? Both OP and people that give the short answer get compared to bootlickers. M... ok. Projection is SO rampant these days, I can't tell anymore.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

>But for what appears to be a data-resurrection project, as in "resurrecting mummies", don't we already know "why"? It's right there in print. The OP confirmed that they're using it in production for a scientific tool that his company is too cheap to update.

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addyftw1@reddit

People who question why you're doing something rather than explain how are the most goddamn infuriating people on forums. That's why the Microsoft forums are basically useless.

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AntonOlsen@reddit

My users like to tell me they can't do X and when pressed they tell me about a completely unrelated goal. They just thought X would get them there.

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Earthserpent89@reddit

This is why I almost always prefer working with users who know nothing about tech vs users who know just enough to make things worse or bring us a solution they’ve decided on rather than just bringing us the problem so we can arrive at a solution together.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

Bingo

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amberoze@reddit

To be fair, most of the time I'm asking why someone is doing something in order to avoid the x/y problems that inevitably arise.

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peejuice@reddit

I work in a tech support type of position for my company. As a tech in the field I always hated when people questioned “why” I was doing something one way. Now that I’m in this role, I realize it should be one of the first questions asked. Sometimes I know a more efficient method to do what they want. Other times I realize they are not going to get the result they want. The question isn’t to be like “why would you be stupid enough to do that?” It’s just to get clarification on the purpose and give an end goal you want to achieve.

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Sobatjka@reddit

Agreed. When faced with seemingly odd requests, I try hard to ask non-judgmental “why” questions in order to figure out what the actual desired outcome is. Sometimes what they request is indeed a pragmatic way to get there, other times there are better ways. It’s useful also when I find myself being the one making those odd requests — the process of explaining things sometimes leads to better answers, and (ssssh, don’t tell anyone) sometimes I realize I was ignorant of a better way (or even plain wrong).

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TangerineBand@reddit

I work with ancient lab equipment and sometimes the "why" is because the machine is so old it doesn't support USB input. Agreed it's good to ask, but some of it amounts to "understandable, have a nice day". Machines like that aren't connected to the internet so the only security concerns would be physical break ins. If that happens, we got bigger issues. Lol. Ancient jankary is fun.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

There are definitely situations like that, I'm in manufacturing so I deal with offline EOL systems all the time. But that's exactly why it is still important to ask "why". You can't just assume that the end user always has a good reason for doing things a certain way. Where I work, probably about 95% of the time there isn't a good reason for doing things the end user's way.

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TangerineBand@reddit

>Where I work, probably about 95% of the time there isn't a good reason for doing things the end user's way. "Okay show me what you're trying to do" are absolute golden words in this line of work. You're right sometimes it is something really dumb. I had somebody say their numpad on their phone wasn't working and it turns out they had convinced themselves that the PC that was piggybacking off of the desk phones ethernet connection, also allowed said phone to act as an input device for the PC. I ended up sending them to facilities so they could order a keyboard with a numpad.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

>"Okay show me what you're trying to do" I use this or something similar all the time. Very tone neutral and helpful for understanding the why without sounding like a broken record.

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Nanis23@reddit

Dude it's probably a windows server 2003 running a 16 bit application that is only compaitable with office 2003. No reason to "why" this

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sexybobo@reddit

To be fair installing this will invalidate the cyber security for the entire company and put the employees job at risk. Its worth asking why they would want to do that.

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Cormacolinde@reddit

If you have a compelling business goal (resurrecting mummies), and take appropriate mitigating measures (like install it in a VM that is not connected to the Internet or the internal network), and don’t open files of unknown provenance, and it is limited to a specific use scenario (open the files, convert/export whatever you need) before destroying the whole thing, it’s fine.

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sexybobo@reddit

This isn't to convert files OP said they need it to use a piece of lab equipment. A temporary box to convert files might be OK. Leaving a computer with unsupported UN-patched software is not ok. Doing so will invalidate your cyber security policy and will put your entire business at risk because they are being to cheap to upgrade the license for their lab equipment.

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addyftw1@reddit

If you read the post, OP states they are deploying it to a VM to recover old files, so no. It wouldn't.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

None of that is true. And yes, even that would invalidate cyber-security insurance.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

If you read his comment you'd find he's actively using it for a scientific tool, because his company is cheap. NOT to recover old files.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

You're pretty young and inexperienced huh?

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Moontoya@reddit

I'm old and very experienced, I ask why a lot Because I've learned not to expect me from others Because people do the strangest shit for the stupidest reasons Because your request has legal ramifications Because your request has security considerations Because there may very well be another or better way to do something Because there may be a mandate or policy reason Because ressurecting Imhotep might be a really fuckin bad idea

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nohairday@reddit

Obligatory xkcd. https://xkcd.com/763

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Moontoya@reddit

obligatory upvote for appropriate XKCD

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nohairday@reddit

In very much the same way that person x in a government department asking "hey, how do I access ChatGPT?" should be ringing multiple alarms around data privacy and security. So "Why" is always the first question when presented with a random query. And, in 99% of cases, "no, don't do that" is usually the response to their answer.

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Moontoya@reddit

And people who don't ask why are likely to give bad info

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addyftw1@reddit

Except it was all explained in OPs post that they are recovering data out of old files and going to run it in a VM. So there is not really a need to ask why.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

No, you failed to read.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

If you read his comment you'd find he's actively using it for a scientific tool, because his company is cheap. NOT to recover old files.

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fuckedfinance@reddit

People ask why because there is almost always a different or better solution than installing a 20+ year old version of office.

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addyftw1@reddit

Except Opie literally said in the title that they're using it to recover old files AKA recovering mummies and that they're deploying it in a VM. So you're proving the entire point that me and OP have that people don't read the actual post and instead just tell you why you shouldn't be doing something.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

If you had read OP's responses, you would have known that they are using this software to connect to scientific equipment which is still in use, not to resurrect old files. This is the reason behind asking "WHY!?" is so important. With a little bit more knowledge, we know that this is software that is going into an active environment, and being used in production.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

If you read his comment you'd find he's actively using it for a scientific tool, because his company is cheap. NOT to recover old files.

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Le_Vagabond@reddit

he's a manager, they don't let minor things like 22 years old obsolete unsecure unsupported software stop them.

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addyftw1@reddit

Except you obviously didn't read OP's post because they say in the post that they are deploying it in a VM to recover old files. Just proving the point that OP was making.

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Mission-Accountant44@reddit

If you read his comment you'd find he's actively using it for a scientific tool, because his company is cheap. NOT to recover old files.

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Alzurana@reddit

"to resurrect mummies" No further questions your honor

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Inigomntoya@reddit

It's literally IN THE REQUEST! Ticket closed. Anti curses deployed.

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Furki1907@reddit

Happy to help :)

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RaNdomMSPPro@reddit

TIL - had no idea archive has old software.

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jhs0108@reddit

It's dog slow though.

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sssRealm@reddit

You just made me aware that we have a culture of hoarding. We have every version of Office going back to 2000. Also Windows to 98 and SQL to 6.5

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chrlatan@reddit

Hmmmm…. technical debt.. What were the risks..🤔

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FoolStack@reddit

It doesn't matter why he wants it, you don't need to know. There's plenty of copies on [archive.org](http://archive.org) - just go there and search Office 2003.

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Commercial-Fun2767@reddit (OP)

Thanks. Need excel for business need. If I can’t download it I’ll clone one we have already installed. Even archive.org seams risky to me. I could ask our usual partners.

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sexybobo@reddit

Go to your CISO or any risk officer you might have. Let them know to continue using this tool you will be invalidating your cyber insurance. Watch how quickly that tool either become no longer needed or the license for an updated version suddenly becomes affordable.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I did this in a board of directors meeting about a year ago, for a client I was consulting for. I informed them that if they wanted to bypass their MFA it would invalidate their cyber insurance policy. About a week later, they were %100 on board for MFA.

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jimicus@reddit

I absolutely guarantee they spent the intervening week contacting their insurer and trying to negotiate away this requirement. The underwriter replied with something that looked like a phone number.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

You're not far from the truth, the insurance company refused to insure them. I was starting to see that more and more often, these cyber insurance companies would bend (to a point) but there were some things they refused to compromise on. Those compromises were too great, it was almost a guarantee to get hacked/breached. We were contracted not too long after that to perform a review of their insurance policy and help them identify (and fix) their discrepancies.

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jimicus@reddit

Shouldn't really be a huge surprise. We as a profession have spent decades trying to say "no guys, really, this is important", and every time some smarmy git in a cheap suit says "but is it *really*? That's what our insurance is for". Now the insurance company is saying "Yes, you have insurance, but that doesn't mean you can drive down the street wearing a blindfold. Knock it off."

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I have encountered more technical people on the insurance side of things, so they have better insight into the technology.

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jimicus@reddit

They won't be technical; it'll be underwriters with spreadsheets looking at number of payouts they make to organisations that are taking security seriously versus those who don't. Sooner or later, the risk of payout and the size of that payout becomes so great that there really isn't a lot of point in agreeing an insurance policy in the first place.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

>They won't be technical; Um . . . didn't read my post huh? Want to try again?

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jimicus@reddit

I did, but I disagree. My opinion is that the final underwriting decision will be made by underwriters going off statistical analysis. They may liaise with technical people who can verify that all this has been done correctly (thus confirming whether or not the customer has actually followed the terms of the policy), but the ultimate decision to provide cover or not is more than likely in the hands of the underwriter.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Then read it again.

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pakman82@reddit

Scientific tool, reminds me of the time I came across an machine at a military manufacturing firm. Ran a dos program in the oldest machine we had seen in a while that calculated some complicated geometry for cadCam. Thankfully it was just this side of Fortran. I think we where able to get them to copy the files, and run it in compatibility mode on newer hardware and windows OS.

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evilkasper@reddit

[Archive.org](http://Archive.org) seems risky but running Office that was end of life over a decade ago is fine?

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NaoTwoTheFirst@reddit

I don't see a reason why not when he is running in on VMs without internet access

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evilkasper@reddit

It seems you missed my point. [Archive.org](http://Archive.org) is less sketchy than installing office 2003. With the proper settings and controls you can run a VM full of malware and Viruses and be fine, but you need those proper configs and controls in place. While running Office 2003 isn't that scary, OP will most likely be running an outdated OS as well. All doable, but requires caution and planning.

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NaoTwoTheFirst@reddit

So where then did I miss your point?

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ranhalt@reddit

I’m with you.

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ranhalt@reddit

You’re not addressing the part about not connecting to the internet.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Don't forget, OP still has to get the information off the system. I would bet this is chemical testing equipment.

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narcissisadmin@reddit

Easily doable if the system is virtualized. Can be completely secure, too.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

LOL, damn, you shouldn't be in IT!

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Have you reached out to the vendor about a firmware upgrade? I had a customer about ten years ago with this problem, and we made some calls to get the ball rolling on upgrading (and replacing) the equipment. Yes, it was expensive, but the cost of a breach could be worse.

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InsaneNutter@reddit

> Even archive.org seams risky to me. You can check the SHA1 to confirm the download is untouched. en_office_2003_pro.iso = 0d90f58105dcbc74a8972802340b3226679e7119 Searching for that SHA1 on Google returns a download on archive.org: https://archive.org/details/en_microsoft_office_2003 Check the SHA1 yourself when downloaded to be 100% however.

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TypaLika@reddit

If you can find what the hash should be from a source you trust then you could check the hash of the file on archive.

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joshuamarius@reddit

I have a massive archive of installers including almost all versions of Office 2003. PM me and I can send you a link to download ✌🏻

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

OP, check your cyber security insurance and get written approval from your CISO. If you're breached and this is even referenced, you'll be fired as a scapegaot.

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taveanator@reddit

This. I'd CYA 6 ways to Sunday personally. Either that or air gap the PC.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Most likely, the existence of this software (unless specifically exempted) will absolve the insurance company from paying out. I've seen this often over the past four years or so.

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Radstrom@reddit

Wherever you are planning to install it should probably be air gapped any way. At least archive doesnt have 20 years of possible exploits.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

>It doesn't matter why he wants it, you don't need to know. Not true. Sometimes a person has a solution ready, thinks it will solve it, but the solution is completely different. Knowing what the OP is trying to do, and not just the solution they have pre-chosen, can lead to an oftentimes better and more robust, and long term, solution.

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sexybobo@reddit

Yep the classic example of the XY problem. Someone wants to install software that will invalidate any cyber security insurance they have and is asking a bunch of IT people how to do it. People that spend all day working with end users wanting to know how to change their password so it doesn't include any numbers only to find out their keyboad is broken. People asking for real player to be installed because that the only tool that can play their video (no you have VLC that can play it just fine the issue is its named .txt) Its like asking a machinist how to remove the security guards from something then getting mad when they want to know why because there is no reason or way to safely do so.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I learned something new today. I had been teaching this for years and never knew it had an official name.

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thewoodfather@reddit

Hehe, yep, this comment section was sounding very SO-ish with people telling him he was wrong or to find another way 😆

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

No, this is how you approach a problem in the correct way. Often times people will 'latch onto,' a solution that is not really a solution, or at least not the best or long-term solution. So, if you get a whole, overall view of the problem (what you're trying to accomplish) you can help them come up with a better solution, or at least something that fits better. The of "JUST DO IT NOW!!!!" methodology is why so many IT networks get messed up and why so many in IT get hemmed up. They are too afraid to THINK and just DO.

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Woeful_Jesse@reddit

Glad to find a sensible reply here. Surely every sysadmin at some point has had a moment of trying to hammer a screw in for days only for a coworker to hand them a drill. Any respectable sysadmin accepts they may not know everything

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I had a very good NCO in the Army who taught me this. I knew vastly more about IT than he did, then I had a very humbling moment when my soldier corrected me on something I should have seen, but I had such tunnel vision, I didn't see it. We all do this, but sometimes it helps to step back and go "What do I want my end result to be?"

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JwCS8pjrh3QBWfL@reddit

Because in 99% of instances, people asking for stuff like this are barking up the wrong tree, so without an explanation of why, we can only assume that it's another junior sysadmin or helpdesk trying to patch something up in the worst way possible.

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abyssea@reddit

Archive.org

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TKInstinct@reddit

It was 3 years ago, we were still installing 2003 on some machines because there was a specific plugin that was created and developed only for 2003 and they were too cheap to have it modernized.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

This wasn't a major hospital or healthcare facility in the US, was it?

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TKInstinct@reddit

No, minor Scientific Research lab. Thankfully after the breach, everything was wiped out and they rebuilt it to something good.

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WorkJeff@reddit

Wouldn't it have been cheaper to pay to fix the plugin before the expensive breach?

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TKInstinct@reddit

That would mean that we'd have to be doing things right. I was only like 2.5 years into my career so I didn't know enough to call that one out.

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StConvolute@reddit

It's a finance methodology they teach those fancy private schools to those kids who's father's already have them a job. It's called "Fuck around and find out".

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I had the same story at a major hospital. I was called in to help them perform cleanup and recovery.

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irn@reddit

Same. I built a Microstrategy and Essbase plugin and some old VBA that quit working after 2007. Finance threw a fit and got to keep a machine that was excluded from updates.

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Fallingdamage@reddit

I wouldnt use Office 2003 for communications (outlook, etc) but as a word processor, its still better than Wordpad.

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TKInstinct@reddit

That's not a high bar to clear IMO. Too bad they did away with Microsoft Works all those years ago. That would have done nicely.

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Inigomntoya@reddit

Ahh yes... the "Resurrect Mummy" macro that auto runs during startup.

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andrew_joy@reddit

Dont let the users know, they will all want a superior version of office with a usable UI.

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Ok-Cauliflower-1480@reddit

Visual Studio provides download links for any Microsoft product and I mean any (going back until Office 2000 and further)

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EnglishAdmin@reddit

I still have my copy of office 2003, it still smells like 2003

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Not_Freddie_Mercury@reddit

I had to hack together an Office 97 installer that would work with Windows 11 64 bits, so that some old Access databases can still be used, that nobody wants to port and deal with its consequences. It still haunts me...

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NoradIV@reddit

I had once to setup a DOSBOX setup so our engineer could reprogram a PLC. I was a bit dumbfounded when he brought me a floppy disk with "1993" written on it.

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archon286@reddit

in 2015ish, I installed Windows 95 in VMware Player on a laptop using a docking station with an LPT port. I mapped that port in VMware to the VM, all so we could use software that wasn't compatible past DOS and used a LPT licensing dongle. (I think I had trouble getting the program or LPT to work in DOS, then remembered 95 booted from DOS. It worked.) No one cared. They decided it wasn't all that important in the 6-8 hours it took to figure all that out.

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Inigomntoya@reddit

>It still haunts me... You aint seen SHIT until you've seen reanimated mummies spreading curses throughout the world

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beren12@reddit

Office XP was the pinnacle office version. Too bad it’ll get you pwnt nowadays.

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Linuxmonger@reddit

I actually have the .iso for that somewhere. That was when you could still use 2345678910 for the serial number.

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lewisj75@reddit

I have it on an old backup drive

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Superb_Raccoon@reddit

Not today, Chuthlu! Dead tech should stay,dead!

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dionlarenz@reddit

I don't think there is a legal way to do it, we have a big archive of CDs and Floppy disks in storage that are all backed up to a file server just for stuff like this. You can find an ISO on archive dot org semi-legally. You might be able to go to an old PC shop to buy a CD with key if it has to be 100% above board.

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Frothyleet@reddit

If you purchased a perpetual license for Office 2003 back in the day there's no legal issue. Doesn't matter how you install it.

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dionlarenz@reddit

That depends on where you’re from, but afaik in America for a backup to be considered legal you must keep the original media plus the act of downloading someone else’s backup would be illegal even if you had access to the original. Doesn’t matter if you own a license.

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howie_doin@reddit

Either the seven seas or find an ebay copy

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Wil420b@reddit

From a good verified torrent preferably from a private tracker. With untouched installation files and then use your normal genuine product key.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

That is still software piracy.

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havocspartan@reddit

That’s not software piracy. If you read the MS Office EULA, you are leased access to the software via a product key. When you buy software, you are paying for a license via a product key. You don’t own the software. This is entirely different matter when dealing with software or digital media that isn’t licensed through a product key to access like DVD movie ripping.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

>That’s not software piracy. You should read the EULA. > If you read the MS Office EULA, you are leased access to the software via a product key. When you buy software, you are paying for a license via a product key. You don’t own the software. You do realize that this statement just proves you wrong right? That, if we follow that reasoning, you are admitting that the software is being used outside its license. >This is entirely different matter when dealing with software or digital media that isn’t licensed through a product key to access like DVD movie ripping. Yes/no. Copyright laws (which is where licensing plays a part) is tricky. Using End-of-life software is bad for many reasons, this is just one of them. Now, you might have an argument for a personal copy of office, being used on a personal computer, but enterprise (and now business) licenses are handled differently.

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havocspartan@reddit

>You do realize that this statement just proves you wrong right? That, if we follow that reasoning, you are admitting that the software is being used outside its license. You should try reading comprehension classes. OP is not looking to pirate a product key. They have that. They are looking for install files to use their valid product key. That is not piracy, that is acquiring the install files which used to be publicly available. Wether OP decides to use this in a production environment and with it vulnerable to the internet is on them and I didn’t even speak to that. Like others have said, using this in a VM that isn’t connected to the internet is fine. Also, if you’ve ever used any software owned by Microsoft, you would know they give you a 30 day trial period where a license is not needed. Maybe OP only needs to access this plugin one time and can get it done within 30 days.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

>You should try reading comprehension classes. As should you. If we go with your assumption that the software is a lease, then using the software when the lease is terminated would be illegal. Facts are hard huh? >OP is not looking to pirate a product key. They have that. Where did they state that? >They are looking for install files to use their valid product key. That is not piracy, that is acquiring the install files which used to be publicly available. That is an outright lie. Downloading files, uploaded by someone else unofficially, is indeed software piracy. Under the law, according to the FBI, this is copyright violation. Individuals are allowed to make backups of software they have legally purchased, they ARE NOT allowed to distribute copies of that software or download unlicensed software. This is all pretty basic software licensing rules, that every SysAdmin should know. >Also, if you’ve ever used any software owned by Microsoft, you would know they give you a 30 day trial period where a license is not needed. Maybe OP only needs to access this plugin one time and can get it done within 30 days. Yup, you are VERY YOUNG and inexperienced. That whole 30 day trial is very new and recent, and is not something which Office 2003 ever did. **You're just salty because someone pointed out blatant software piracy.** Since you're advocating, repeatedly, for people to commit felonies, I'm done. Either you're a fed trying to entrap people, or an idiot.

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leebenningfield@reddit

I don't think Microsoft cares where you get their ISOs as long as you have a legitimate VLK or whatever

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Kraeftluder@reddit

>That is still software piracy. No it isn't.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Under copyright law, it is.

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Kraeftluder@reddit

Source please.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

In the United States, you cannot download software in this manner nor can you distribute it. You are legally allowed to make a backup copy of software which you own, but that is it. You should probably learn copyright laws and licensing, at least surface level, if you're going to be in IT.

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Kraeftluder@reddit

> In the United States, you cannot download software in this manner nor can you distribute it. Source please.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

It is blatantly illegal to do this. You're just a shit head and a troll.

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Cormacolinde@reddit

In Canada, offering the software for download might be copyright infringement, but downloading it is not. Installing it might be. It depends on a lot of factors. It is likely not illegal if you have a valid license to use the software, but lost your install media. In addition, you might have a fair dealing exemption for research or educational purposes. Finally, you could argue in court a defense of fair dealing outside the standard exemptions, but that’s a big stretch.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

That might work in Canada, as long as you ignore that Microsoft is still licensing Office 2003. If you really want to research this, look at Nintendo and what they're doing. They are leveraging every bit of copyright they can to crush anyone doing anything Nintendo related.

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MalwareDork@reddit

Depends if you get the US government angry enough. See: The Pirate Bay

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Organic_Lifeguard378@reddit

Gasp! The audacity of getting software you paid for from X instead of Y, when it’s no longer available from the Y source!

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Yup, you are young, inexperience and don't know what you're doing. One of the biggest mistakes young SysAdmins make is not understanding software licensing and copyright laws. It seems fine, until something happens like a breach or an unrelated lawsuit, then it is revealed that you had EOL or pirated software on your network. If you're lucky, the vendor will just ask for back licensing, but if you're unlucky the penalties can be severe.

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Organic_Lifeguard378@reddit

> Yup, you are young, inexperience and don't know what you're doing. I'm 38 and a principal software engineer who spends all day every day writing and maintaining terraform, helm charts, ci/cd pipelines, ansible playbooks, and all sorts of other SRE jazz. I'm young relative to many. I'm inexperienced relative to many. Do I know what I'm doing? The deeper I get into the weeds of being a devops/sre/cloud architect/whatever, the more I realize how little I know about anything! I'm a trial and error guy, so...yeah, you got me on that one. I smash buttons until the pipeline passes. And if it doesn't, there's always `allow_failure: true`. YOLO. As for piracy, I do whatever I want in my homelab because I'm insignificant to the corporations in the grand scheme of things. At work, it's all linux and cloud services my company pays for, so Windows is a faint memory of a dream I may have once had.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

>I'm 38 and a principal software engineer who spends all day every day writing and maintaining terraform, helm charts, ci/cd pipelines, ansible playbooks, and all sorts of other SRE jazz. You're pushing to steal software . . . . >Do I know what I'm doing? The deeper I get into the weeds of being a devops/sre/cloud architect/whatever, the more I realize how little I know about anything! I'm a trial and error guy, so...yeah, you got me on that one. I smash buttons until the pipeline passes. And if it doesn't, there's always `allow_failure: true`. YOLO. Ah, you're a developer, which **IS NOT** a System Admin, for obvious reasons. The fact that you're advocating for software piracy and copyright violation is a key point as to WHY developers don't do SysAdmin or ITSec work. You don't have a clue what you're doing. >As for piracy, I do whatever I want in my homelab because I'm insignificant to the corporations in the grand scheme of things. At work, it's all linux and cloud services my company pays for, so Windows is a faint memory of a dream I may have once had. So, you know it is illegal and you're pushing for it regardless? **Yeah, you're a piece of shit.**

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MantisManLargeDong@reddit

It’s 22 year old software who gives a fuck

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Because, copyright violations and software piracy can hem you up like crazy. Not to mention that, if you are breached, you are going to be blamed for it, since you used pirated software. That you don't understand means you belong in the r/ShittySysadmin channel, not here.

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pishtalpete@reddit

He's a dick but he's not wrong.

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irohr@reddit

This is debatable if the software is no longer officially offered anymore and you still have a valid key

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Office 2003 is officially offered through an MSDN license, and I believe through Visual Studio, and there are additional issues buried in the EULA if you feel like reading it. I had access to Office 2003 at my last job due to our license with Microsoft. Not to mention, pulling the ISO down is also software piracy. An individual/entity has the right to make backups of software they purchase, but you DO NOT have to right to distribute or download unofficial copies. A lot of young and inexperienced SysAdmins do this, and do not fully understand the legality (or rather, illegality) of it. On another note. Abandonware software is still piracy, under the law, but is not often enforced.

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humanredditor45@reddit

I have a copy of office XP laying around for similar reasons.

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theRealNilz02@reddit

I have a disc with a license here but I can not share it online...

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jcpham@reddit

I have a VLK iso but it will cost you six figures lmk if interested

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techie_1@reddit

What's the overall goal you're trying to accomplish? Perhaps there is another way. [https://xyproblem.info/](https://xyproblem.info/)

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jerkface6000@reddit

Honestly people who do this when people ask questions online are insufferable. So basically what you’re saying is that you don’t know how to do Y either, and you’re trying to live out your saviour complex so you gotta get in there with an answer all the same. Especially when it means the original poser of the question has to type out a huge explanation .. and then you don’t know how to do X either and the person has wasted a bunch of time explaining , and really Y was the correct solution all along. It’s such a pain in the ass when you Google for how to do something and all you find are responses like that. Now.. if you know the answer to Y but think it’s weird someone would be asking how to do it, then it’s totally fair to ask what X is.. but only if you answer Y too

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techie_1@reddit

It's not about not knowing how to do Y, it's that Y isn't a solution to X in the first place.

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timsstuff@reddit

Holy shit this is my methodology, never knew it had a name. Just today someone was asking me for access to the AAD Sync server so they could "get the settings for AD properties" and my reply was "Hold on, what problem are you actually trying to solve?"

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I've been teaching this for years, and never knew it had an actual name.

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EmbarrassedCockRing@reddit

Hmmm, this seems useful. Thanks!

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Fallingdamage@reddit

thepiratebay? I mean, some of us still have it. Storage is cheap. I still have an ISO office 97 and the install disks for DOS 6.. 8 years ago was the last time I needed office 97, and it was only to repair an even older Access database.

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Usual-Dot-3962@reddit

Serious Question: what does Office 365 have that Office 2003 doesn’t have? If the VM is isolated then what features does 366 have that are absent in 2003? Imagine I don’t use OneDrive or SharePoint.

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Frothyleet@reddit

Copilot! But to be more serious, there are massive differences in feature sets in Word, Excel, Powerpoint and so on. But it would depend on whether you need/use them. I mean, despite the ubiquity of the Office suite, most people leverage a tiny fraction of their actual capabilities. I sure don't. I feel like a caveman when I open Excel.

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iwantansi@reddit

Ive got it on a disk somewhere… lol

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ITguydoingITthings@reddit

It's not an issue of 'downloading'...legally, at least. Those were physical CDs with physical licenses, so the business would need to have. Otherwise...you can find online, and it may or may not be legit.

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Reeheeheeloy@reddit

The classic trick for searching google for mp3s" is also good for finding iso files Search for : intitle:"index.of" (iso) office 2003

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gordonv@reddit

> How could one download Office 2003 today? Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/en_microsoft_office_2003

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DarthFaderZ@reddit

Pirate bay

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MavZA@reddit

Good lord, nothing in internet archives?

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twentydigitslong@reddit

I have a copy on an old CD somewhere if you wanna wait until I get home to look

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eighmie@reddit

You can get copies from ebay [https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?\_from=R40&\_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&\_nkw=office+2003&\_sacat=0](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=office+2003&_sacat=0)

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FourEyesAndThighs@reddit

Did you have a VLSC account? If so you can download it in M365 Admin Center, under Billing --> Your Products. That's if MS actually transitioned your VLSC products correctly. Ours is empty. Sigh.

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amazinghl@reddit

Like from [archive.org](http://archive.org) ?

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Pusibule@reddit

it's not still in the ms vl portal? On the old one it was (if you had purchased licenses that way).... I don't know if they migrated that to the new one

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ajicles@reddit

Only 2007+ got moved to MPSA.

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Crenorz@reddit

google with a protected VM you can delete. As 98% will be infected. Have fun looking for the 2%

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Befread@reddit

Why not Open Office?

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largos7289@reddit

There use to be a website called [oldversion.com](http://oldversion.com) had a ton of stuff back in the day of well old versions of software. It's that or i may still have the CD i had that sales pack where you paid x amount of dollars and you got every single piece of software MS had to offer. I had a ton of 2003 stuff server, deatacenter server, exchange, office it was pretty cool.

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soopastar@reddit

I have an office 2003 install DVD in my desk drawer at my office...but I am WFH right now so that won't help you. You're already doing something gross so may as well get it the way an eye patch wearing sea captain would!

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ITMasterOfNone@reddit

I'm a digital packrat... found an old drive with XP, 2000, 2003, etc... DM me if you still need it.

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Unable-Entrance3110@reddit

I was going to make this reply myself. I also have all those as well as '97 ISOs... Why do I keep this stuff?

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7ep3s@reddit

i had to make a custom office XP (!) package some time around 2019 for a crappy vendor provided excel spreadsheet. i think i found the media on some italian university's public ftp server or something like that

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

So . . . let's ignore the office 2003 issue right now, and focus on what SPECIFICALLY you're trying to do? What, SPECIFICALLY, are you trying to read that requires Office 2003 SPECIFICALLY?

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NoradIV@reddit

I need to do the same thing on my end because I have no idea how to macro and I want to use an old sheet with a ton of macro to tune my car.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

That *should* run in modern office programs.

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NoradIV@reddit

You think I haven't tried already? Whole bunch of error messages that appear with code issues, like code that doesn't exist anymore.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Start something over in the office subreddit.

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cisco_bee@reddit

# resurrect mummies obviously

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Inigomntoya@reddit

READING COMPREHENSION, PEOPLE!

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Buttercup, OP is using the software on scientific equipment, currently in use. **READING COMPREHENSION, PEOPLE!**

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Buttercup, OP is using the software on scientific equipment, currently in use.

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tankerkiller125real@reddit

I'm willing to hazard a guess that it's some legacy shipping software or something that the company has been using for a decade and refuses to upgrade that exports excel sheets using the Office 2003 COM Objects. (Thank you Sage 500 for giving me WAY too much insight into this bullshit)

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Box-o-bees@reddit

>Sage 500 Just gave me some horrible flashbacks.

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tankerkiller125real@reddit

If you think you have flashbacks, try working for a company that sells it and builds add-ons for it. Luckily we're working to migrate to different software and get our clients migrated, but it will be years if not decades.

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TheJesusGuy@reddit

I had to "source" a copy of Office 2007 for free outdated Sage to run in.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

Same thing happened to me, thankfully we still had office in our MSDN subscription. I made a call to accounting and SAGE to start the upgrade process.

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I think OP state it was scientific equipment further down. COM Objects you can still get, download, and even still receive updates (I believe) so that is a little different that a full blown office program. Then again, maybe the OP just doesn't know? I had a customer who had some gear like that, about ten years ago, and that gear was not new then.

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tankerkiller125real@reddit

Yes, COM Objects can still be used, the problem however is that the Office COM objects depend on the actual Office application itself being installed, and they change sometimes depending on the version of Office to boot.

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DEATHROAR12345@reddit

Didn't read the post did you?

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

You didn't read the OP's answers, did you? Maybe you should.

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rthonpm@reddit

Had to install it on a VM about seven years ago to be able to save some old Lotus 1-2-3 files in Excel. Fortunately, the client still had the CD for it.

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webbexpert@reddit

MSDN subscription includes software back to Windows 3.1 and MSDOS

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vizzor@reddit

Scrolling down that list makes me feel old like when I choose the year in a birthday field.

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NoradIV@reddit

I found a CD stashed in my old IT stuff. You could probably do the same, or find one on ebay.

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bouwer2100@reddit

Torrent it and come up with a story.

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TheKuMan717@reddit

![gif](giphy|m0kTpfHNeqvhS) /s

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hyp_reddit@reddit

hahaha to resirrect mummies hahahaha here take my upvote

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topane@reddit

I have a physical copy of office XP (2002) on CD - Microsoft hologram and everything. If that would possibly work for you I'll drop it in the mail. Seriously.

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stea27@reddit

Maybe on archive. org? Or some abandonware site?

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iredrpepper@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/fe8bc58edfld1.png?width=153&format=png&auto=webp&s=b08bf9b621433658a11220db8fdada598978199c It seems i may have what you need

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iredrpepper@reddit

Can upload if you need it btw. Also have the service packs.

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SpaceMan_Barca@reddit

Your best bet is probably to buy a CD on eBay.

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idrinkmorewaterthanu@reddit

I have it on CD lol

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analogliving71@reddit

let the mummies stay dead.

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anotherkeebler@reddit

Even the ones that are clutching a treasure chest?

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arominus@reddit

The chest is a Mimic brah, its a trap

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Superior3407@reddit

If it maules me I can get out on medical leave

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ohlookagnome@reddit

Especially the ones that are clutching a treasure chest. If they stay dead they can't fight back when you grab the loot.

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Inigomntoya@reddit

Have we learned NOTHING from Brenden Frasier movies?! ![gif](giphy|AMGW8QmLMmZ8I|downsized)

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InterestingReply6812@reddit

Beside the look and cloud crap, what is the difference between 2003 and newest 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel)? What can I do with 365, which won't work with Office 2003? Cheers!

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su_A_ve@reddit

MS access. /s

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Practical-Union5652@reddit

Dunno if it works on recent Windows versioni... Would use a vm with WIN XP to be sure

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Bont_Tarentaal@reddit

Imhotep will thank you for your sacrifice.

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BLADE2142@reddit

IIImhootep. \*starts zombie walking\*

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Just_Curious_Dude@reddit

End of support is only the beginning

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Inigomntoya@reddit

Exactly, with resurrected mummies running around, it COULD be the end of society!

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mitspieler99@reddit

I just recently binned a whole shelf of office 2003 installation CDs with licenses. So you're saying there was an actual reason someone kept them around?

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Inigomntoya@reddit

MUMMIES! RESURRECTION!

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beansNdip@reddit

Alls you would have to say access 2003 and I think everyone would get it (;

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RaNdomMSPPro@reddit

Just looked in our product - volume licensing in MS365 and we can download 2003 flavor. If you've got volume licenses you may be able to.

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Brett707@reddit

You don't need to install office 2003. Any new office version will open 2003 documents with no problem.

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Ragepower529@reddit

It looks like he need excel more then likely to be used for something Excel was not designed to be used for

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bryanether@reddit

I'm betting it's some shit software that hits the .dlls directly, and fails on newer versions. It's an abomination, but it happens.

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Kraeftluder@reddit

And it's also how everyone worked in the period O2003 came out.

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bryanether@reddit

I haven't really done systems work in almost 20 years... I still have nightmares.

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Cley_Faye@reddit

Hi, StackOverflow user.

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gopal_bdrsuite@reddit

Best of Luck. For your information "Windows 2000 SP3, Windows XP RTM–SP1, Windows Server 2003 RTM, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 are the supported OS"

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ARandomGuy_OnTheWeb@reddit

Wait a minute. XP is supported up until SP1 but what about SP2-3 and the same with Win2K with SP4 and Server 2003 with SP1-2. Nevermind the fact that we're missing Vista, Server 2003R2 and Server 2008R1. I know you're trying to be helpful but that info is not quite right. Office 2003 will work just fine with Windows 2000 SP3 or newer. Heck, I've got it running on older builds of Windows 10 before without issue.

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ACrucialTech@reddit

Check out the internet archive. I just downloaded office 2007 yesterday from it works really well.

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SmoothSailing1111@reddit

I can upload it if you need it. Send me a message if you can’t find it.

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CeC-P@reddit

Just install Libre Office.

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brumsk33@reddit

Check out [https://files.rg-adguard.net/](https://files.rg-adguard.net/) for a ton of older downloadable MS products.

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tk42967@reddit

It's not on myvisualsutio

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ReliefBrilliant4607@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/i9sli64qkeld1.png?width=811&format=png&auto=webp&s=6d533d58f188d1ebf7a091aca0aee3454f962244 Grabbed it from my Visual studio sub: [https://we.tl/t-cmZyIvNjfC](https://we.tl/t-cmZyIvNjfC) good luck with the mummies.....

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Stonewalled9999@reddit

>I chose a title that will match answers I’ll get but my question is really where to download it. Older I can download is 2013. that;s the SP, not the install media though. The install media is 500MB, I have the CD someplace. I even have Office XP (2002)

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ReliefBrilliant4607@reddit

thanks good spot, missed that, deleted to avoid confusion.

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fp4@reddit

Google archive.org office 2003 You’ll get official ISOs and keys in the description.

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BadgeOfDishonour@reddit

Nowhere official. I suspect there is a Bay filled with Pirate types that may suit your needs, but even then... why someone would keep seeding such vintage software is beyond me. And then do you trust an executable obtained on the High Seas? Screwing around with mummies runs the risk of invoking their curse. Perhaps you can detail what function you need O2k3 to perform that cannot be achieved elsewhere?

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ComfortableBag605@reddit

I actually have an external hard drive with software and OS's going all the way back to DOS. I have not had to dig that thing out for almost ten years now.

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woodsbw@reddit

The only official way I can think of would be a DevNet subscription.

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spikbebis@reddit

our old wördsfile stopped working with modern MS Wörd but then we went with Libreoffice. hm... i refuse to check but if you have an azure developer, somewhere deep down there? dos 1 is there... If not i would prey the sea and look for a bay with good company

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shunny14@reddit

Are you telling me you don’t archive every software you have?

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