Is Office 2013 still downloadable from Microsoft in 2024 ?

[Peperonix]

Hello,

These times, I see several genuine second hand full retail versions of Microsoft Office 2013 at a really fair price, but I am hesitant purchasing them.
These are really genuine, not counterfeit like you can find on sites like Ebay, a.s.o.

In the cardboard box, Office 2013 (and later versions) contains a card with a download code, but no DVD like you could still find with Office 2010.

If I remember well, at least with Office 2016 and 2019, after you use this key for the download, Microsoft generates a new key for the downladed software in your account, and the original key doesn't not work any longer.

In theory, the full versions are available forever, as long as you desinstall the software before you reinstall it.

In practice however, I wonder if acquiring a second hand Office 2013, I will still be able to download the software, from the official website, using the code printed on the card. I have seen one seller warning buyers that they should be aware about the license before purchasing. But he doesn't tell more.

As Microsoft's phone support in case of activation issues is usually not available after 10 years, I wonder if some of you had a recent experience with downloading/activating second hand Microsoft Office 2013's (genuine full retail version) purchased from a third-party.

Thank you.

 

[britechguy]

Office 2013 went out of extended support in April 2023. Given that later, and still in support versions of Office can now be had literally for a song, I would not even consider purchasing or recommending the purchase of Office 2013 or any out-of-support version off Office.

I've purchased numerous licenses from the following vendor, and never had an issue with any of them. Since you can get Office 2021 for $50, why bother with earlier versions: https://www.stacksocial.com/sales/microsoft-office-professional-2021-for-windows-lifetime-license-5

 

[Blues]

If you have clients who want MS Office for cheap I would look at the free alternatives and a handful of free and paid applications to fill the gaps.

Namely I would look at Libre Office with some free or paid mail client instead of 2013 MS Office or really anything prior to 2019 which for most even 2019 is a big stretch.

 

[fincoder]

I wonder if acquiring a second hand Office 2013, I will still be able to download the software, from the official website

The HeiDoc iso downloader tool can still generate official links for downloading Office 2013.

Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool

This new tool allows an easy and comfortable way to download genuine Microsoft Windows 7, 8.1 and 10, as well as Office 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 disk images (ISO) directly from Microsoft's servers.

www.heidoc.net

 

[fincoder]

've purchased numerous licenses from the following vendor, and never had an issue with any of them. Since you can get Office 2021 for $50, why bother with earlier versions: https://www.stacksocial.com/sales/microsoft-office-professional-2021-for-windows-lifetime-license-5

I wouldn't use those licenses for clients because they aren't strictly legal. For personal use, knock yourself out!

 

[lan101]

Office 2013 went out of extended support in April 2023. Given that later, and still in support versions of Office can now be had literally for a song, I would not even consider purchasing or recommending the purchase of Office 2013 or any out-of-support version off Office.

I've purchased numerous licenses from the following vendor, and never had an issue with any of them. Since you can get Office 2021 for $50, why bother with earlier versions: https://www.stacksocial.com/sales/microsoft-office-professional-2021-for-windows-lifetime-license-5

I'd seen this site before and was wondering if it was a scam or not...hardly any way to tell any more unless you find out by trying or know someone that has. Thanks for the link.

 

[britechguy]

Thanks for the link.

You're welcome. I initially got it through someone who runs a computer tech announcement list for the blind. I've purchased multiple Windows 11 Pro licenses and, I think, one for standalone Office. I've never had a single issue with activating those licenses, and having them stay activated, following the steps that Microsoft requires.

That's way more than "good enough" for me, whether for myself, personally, or for a client. Microsoft is the gatekeeper, and they keep opening the gate when one knocks in the prescribed method (which includes supplying a license key).

 

[lan101]

You're welcome. I initially got it through someone who runs a computer tech announcement list for the blind. I've purchased multiple Windows 11 Pro licenses and, I think, one for standalone Office. I've never had a single issue with activating those licenses, and having them stay activated, following the steps that Microsoft requires.

That's way more than "good enough" for me, whether for myself, personally, or for a client. Microsoft is the gatekeeper, and they keep opening the gate when one knocks in the prescribed method (which includes supplying a license key).

Yep fully agree. Appreciate it.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Office 2013 died last year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/microsoft-office-2013

It's now without value, use of out of date and unpatched software with known vulnerabilities is a fools errand. There is no such thing as "forever" software.

Office 2016, and 2019 have a little time left:

Microsoft Office 2016 - Microsoft Lifecycle

Microsoft Office 2016 follows the Fixed Lifecycle Policy.

learn.microsoft.com

Microsoft Office 2019 - Microsoft Lifecycle

Microsoft Office 2019 follows the Fixed Lifecycle Policy.

learn.microsoft.com

You will note, BOTH of these products die ON THE SAME DAY, October 14th, 2025. The very same day Windows 10 dies.

The most recent perpetual release, Office 2021 only gives you one more year:

Office 2021 - Microsoft Lifecycle

Office 2021 follows the Modern Lifecycle Policy.

learn.microsoft.com

You will use a subscription, or you won't use Microsoft Office, that's basically what Microsoft is telling you. Buying perpetual just means paying up front for fewer and fewer months of use.

 

[britechguy]

You will use a subscription, or you won't use Microsoft Office, that's basically what Microsoft is telling you. Buying perpetual just means paying up front for fewer and fewer months of use.

You keep saying this, and even Microsoft keeps saying it, yet every time "the last perpetual/standalone version" is released, like clockwork, the next one comes 5 years later: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...ew-of-microsoft-office-ltsc-2024/ba-p/4082963

I only recommend M365 these days, even to residential clients, but for the diehards that don't use Outlook, I really don't have much issue with them buying one of the "perpetual" versions and running it past its sunset date. Even when I recommend alternative office suites, the diehards always seem to want Microsoft Office.

 

[fincoder]

every time "the last perpetual/standalone version" is released, like clockwork, the next one comes 5 years later

I think Sky-Knight was referring to when a "perpetual" version is purchased some time after its initial release, it has less than 5 years of supported use, possibly much less depending on when purchased in its life cycle. e.g. if the current 2021 version is purchased today it reaches end-of-support in only 2.5 years (not great value).

I really don't have much issue with them buying one of the "perpetual" versions and running it past its sunset date.

That's a good point. My advice to residential users is that using Word or Excel past the sunset date isn't much of a risk. Using Outlook beyond MS support does have some security risk because email is a major virus/scam delivery mechanism. Also Outlook needs to be kept up to date for potentially changing security protocols used by Gmail and Outlook.com servers. Maybe the free "New Outlook" will eventually alleviate some people's need for the Home & Business suite.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Word and Excel have file associations that are active via all major web browsers. Though this attack vector has been hardened substantially, it still exists.

Though, I to do hold those applications as extremely low risk to run out of support if and only if they are never used to open a file that came from the Internet. You're welcome to muck around in your own files all you want, but messing with something that came from the world exposes these applications to the same risks associated with Outlook and Internet use in general.

End users lack the discipline to maintain this approach, which is why defense in depth mandates use of supported software. Get LibreOffice and move on, there are too many supported means to do the productivity software thing to get hung up using out of date software. Or worse, spend money on out of date software.

As for MS Office, yes @fincoder you nailed it. If you buy the Office on launch, and you use it for 5 years that's a great ROI. But the return on Office 2021 is already below my 3 year window for standard returns. That's why I don't recommend it.

Office 2021 dies Oct 13th, of 2026 right? That's 893 days from now. It's $249.00 to get a copy of Office 2019 Home and Business, which works out to $0.28 / day. (I'm skipping taxes and what not, because this value is actually lower thanks to them)

In comparison, Office 365 Personal is $69.99 a year. If one were to purchase a subscription now, they get 365 days of product, along with 1TB of Onedrive space to use AND the right to use the software on up to 5 devices they own. That's $0.19 a day.

Now if you purchased Office 2021 on release day, October 4th 2021, that's 1,835 days of return on the $249.00 investment, which works out to $0.14 a day. You managed to save yourself a whole nickle. Which translates into $18.25 a year, and you get 5 of those total. Over 5 years, you've locked yourself into a specific feature set, given up cloud storage, given up upgraded Defender for Windows capabilities, and you've saved $91.25. Congratulations for all your suffering, you've saved yourself a tank of gas, and a cheap meal out with the wife. Or... in my case simply a tank of gas... it's been getting nuts lately again.

My military mother calls that cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's a fools' investment. But, yes you can "save money."

Meanwhile, yes Microsoft will continue to offer perpetual licenses, because there are a ton of people out there that can't do math! And marginal revenue it may be, it's still revenue!

Also, if you're looking at those daily numbers you should be able to see why there's in effect no commercial competition in this space. There's not enough money to be made to support the advertising campaign required to upset the hold Microsoft has. Google can make inroads here, but they aren't interested in making software that runs on a machine they don't own. So we're left with Microsoft, a handful of players that struggle, and the open source projects.

 

[Peperonix]

Thank you for the many suggestions, but unfortunately they do not answer my question.

So let me explain.
I am renting computers and there is a recurrent demand for Microsoft Office being present on the computers.

The needs are typically basic ones, like opening and editing Word documents or Excel spreadsheets.
LibreOffice does the job, and most customers agree with this choice if I explain them that LibreOffice is capable of opening and editing .docx and .xlsx.
( I heard that the GUI of Softmaker's FreeOffice is even cloer to Microsoft Office's one. )

However some renters still want Microsoft Office on the computers, because they want to be absolutely sure that their Excel spreadsheet (or Word document) will open 100% same as usual, without any quirk.

So, basically, I don't need the latest version of Microsoft Office.
I just need one version of Microsoft Office that is able to open the ".docx" and ".xlsx" format.
That's all. All versions since the 2007 one do the job, although I usually pick the 2010 version or later.

I need the full retail edition, so that I can migrate it when the hardware evolves, and it must be genuine.
I don't want any subscription-based system, nor volume licensing.

So, I only acquire strongly discounted versions (because of their age) when I find some at a good price (~25 $) on the domestic market.

At present time, I have an opportunity for second hand Microsoft Office 2013.
But as is is medialess, I want to be sure it can still be downloaded.

Thank you for answering the question only if you had a recent experience with a recently purchased second hand Office 2013.
For the current case, I'm not looking for alternatives solutions.

 

[britechguy]

Though, I to do hold those applications as extremely low risk to run out of support if and only if they are never used to open a file that came from the Internet. You're welcome to muck around in your own files all you want, but messing with something that came from the world exposes these applications to the same risks associated with Outlook and Internet use in general.

I actually think, no surprise here, that you are being overly cautious, but do generally support this overall approach, and most users I know are easily able to maintain the discipline to open Office documents only from trusted sources. I consider things sent to me by people I know, and am expecting to receive, to be entirely trusted sources. I know of many websites (e.g. Microsoft's own templates, etc.) to be entirely trustworthy as far as snagging a Word template or Excel workbook or MS-Access Database skeleton.

Given your client base, your approach to being most restrictive about security is entirely reasonable. But it's not entirely reasonable for different client bases. It's also not necessary, strictly speaking, because the risk is so low when one is dealing with material obtained only from trusted sources (and where you expected to obtain it - getting the weird, "Hey, take a look at this!!," class message from someone you know, and who you know doesn't send those, ever, should instantly raise red flags and you just don't open whatever it is).

The popularity even of using email as a viable attack vector is not anything near to as high a probability (or risk) as it once was, but because there are still many options for mischief, I do avoid having anyone ever use any out-of-support email client, including Outlook desktop.

 

[Sky-Knight]

And that exposes you to liability. If someone uses that out of support software and something goes wrong, their insurance provider is going to bury you.

This situation isn't common yet, but it's becoming common very quickly as the lawyers have found they can make silly amounts of money helping insurance companies not pay.

You have to use Home and Business, because Home and Student isn't authorized for any commercial use. You're renting the machine, that makes it commercial. But you also don't want to use the normal M365 licensing, because that's user based and you need these to be machine based licenses. It's also helpful if they're transferable.

Given the rental process, I believe the Microsoft licensing program you want is called Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA). This is sadly the one license program Microsoft has that I know next to nothing about. I've seen it in use to rent OS licenses for servers, as it's what a SaaS company would use to compress Microsoft licenses used by a customer of theirs and have it compressed into a monthly bill. Assuming that Office is available via SPLA, you'd be able to license the current versions and simply pay monthly on use. Ergo, the software costs you nothing if the endpoint isn't rented! Your cost for that option can just be worked into the rental itself.

 

[nlinecomputers]

You're welcome. I initially got it through someone who runs a computer tech announcement list for the blind. I've purchased multiple Windows 11 Pro licenses and, I think, one for standalone Office. I've never had a single issue with activating those licenses, and having them stay activated, following the steps that Microsoft requires.

That's way more than "good enough" for me, whether for myself, personally, or for a client. Microsoft is the gatekeeper, and they keep opening the gate when one knocks in the prescribed method (which includes supplying a license key).

So long as you and they understand that Microsoft at any random moment can throw StackSocial under the bus and suddenly deactivate your software. Microsoft has done that before. Remember discount mountain? It seems to be the unwritten policy to allow such quasi-piracy for a time and then end it only to allow some other company a chance for a time. They can claim to be fighting piracy, while secretly permitting it just to appeal to those consumers who would never pay full price and resort to dangerous real piracy of cracked versions that might have backdoors in them.

These are not perpetual versions. They will in a few years deactivate. It's Russian Roulette. It still can be a bargain but such users need to remember that and be prepared to move to another version at some point.

 

[britechguy]

These are not perpetual versions. They will in a few years deactivate. It's Russian Roulette.

All I can say is:
1. Other than M365, and/or its successors, none of these versions is truly perpetual, though all will run past sunset date.
2. I have been using licenses from this source for many moons now, and have never even once had one deactivate. It's not "Russian Roulette" in any meaningful sense of that phrase.

I've yet to see Microsoft deactivate a license purchased from third-party sellers of very longstanding, whether brick and mortar stores or online outlets. That's different than "fly-by-night" operations, and even then, I think I've encountered one that was deactivated in all my years in this business (even before I was, technically, in this business).

The probability of any license, activated by Microsoft using the method they specified, ever being deactivated is so low as to be not worth considering. And there would be basis, and solid basis, for lawsuits were they to do this routinely and en masse. Microsoft is the gatekeeper, and they cannot "open the gate" one minute and shove you out and lock it the next. If something is activated, using the method they dictate, it had damned well better stay activated.

 

[nlinecomputers]

All I can say is:
1. Other than M365, and/or its successors, none of these versions is truly perpetual, though all will run past sunset date.
2. I have been using licenses from this source for many moons now, and have never even once had one deactivate. It's not "Russian Roulette" in any meaningful sense of that phrase.

I've yet to see Microsoft deactivate a license purchased from third-party sellers of very longstanding, whether brick and mortar stores or online outlets. That's different than "fly-by-night" operations, and even then, I think I've encountered one that was deactivated in all my years in this business (even before I was, technically, in this business).

The probability of any license, activated by Microsoft using the method they specified, ever being deactivated is so low as to be not worth considering. And there would be basis, and solid basis, for lawsuits were they to do this routinely and en masse. Microsoft is the gatekeeper, and they cannot "open the gate" one minute and shove you out and lock it the next. If something is activated, using the method they dictate, it had damned well better stay activated.

And everything you said was said about Discount Mountain. DM operated for years and Microsoft allowed it, until they didn’t. It’s a grey market source not an authorized retailer.

 

[britechguy]

And everything you said was said about Discount Mountain. DM operated for years and Microsoft allowed it, until they didn’t. It’s a grey market source not an authorized retailer.

And? I never made any claims about their status. I can't prove a negative, either.

I simply know that I have, as yet, never had a single license purchased from them deactivated, and those are only for residential users who are looking to keep costs down (I generally have them buy it themselves and do the install and initial config).

I said, way back, that my first preference these days is M365, whether for a residential or business client (using, of course, the correct variant). But when I have the occasional residential client who simply must have Office, and who is not using it past its end of support date or who does not use Outlook, I'm willing to go this route.

Risk analysis is about probabilities. The probability is, in almost all cases, that if Microsoft has activated something, it's not going to deactivate it later, and that's as it should be. I do not see why it is difficult, at all, for professionals in the business to recognize that the gatekeeping for licensing lies with the licensor. If I present a license and they clear it, and I'm presenting it for a setting it should be good for (that is, not installing M365 family in a business, for example), then I've done my duty. If I've purchased a license, in good faith, for anything, and the licensor activates it, I have done my duty.

Given my druthers, it is M365, and will continue to be, just because it's constantly updated, inexpensive, and the storage of user data in the cloud is an absolute boon when there is a true "crash and burn" on existing hardware.

 

[britechguy]

I heard that the GUI of Softmaker's FreeOffice is even cloer to Microsoft Office's one.

I just wanted to confirm that this is indeed true. It's my personal favorite in the office suite for those who don't want to purchase either Office or M365. It is shockingly close to Microsoft Office in look and feel and has a much higher "acceptance rate" as an alternative because of that.