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Top Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a product key?

Retail product keys are available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads. MSDN Subscription product keys can be used to activate software on up to 10 PCs. An additional product key may be requested by calling MSDN customer service at the numbers listed at MSDN Subscriber Support.

Subscribers who purchase MSDN licenses through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs, such as Microsoft Open, Select, Enterprise, Campus and School Agreements, have a unique volume license key available to them from their volume license program. Such subscribers receive the volume license version of many products in addition to the retail version. Retail product Keys available from MSDN Subscriber Downloads cannot be used to install volume license versions. Contact your company's license administrator for more information on obtaining volume license keys. For more information on this deployment process, please see Volume License Product Keys.

May I use MSDN Subscriptions software to install software for day-to-day (production) use?

No, but with one exception. Software in your MSDN Subscription comes with a development, test, and demonstration license. Examples of prohibited use include:

• You may not install Exchange Server from your MSDN Universal Subscription and use it to send and receive personal or business-related e-mail.
• You may not install Windows NT Server and use it to host your own personal or business Web site.
• One exception is that the MSDN Universal Subscription comes with one license to Desktop Applications (typically on blue discs) such as Microsoft Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003 (which includes Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, InfoPath, OneNote and Publisher), Visio Standard 2003, and Project Standard 2003 for business use directly related to the design, development, test, and/or demonstration of software projects. For example, you can use Project to manage a development project, use Visio to diagram your application, etc.
• In addition, one copy of Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003 can be used for general business use, unrelated to development and testing. Again, only persons with an MSDN Universal Subscription license can use these Microsoft Office products in this manner.