Microsoft Word Download
...get the Microsoft Word 2007 free trial

Get a free Microsoft Word download so you can try out Word 2007 before you buy it.

The free trial period is longer than most, so you have plenty of time to test the new features and maybe even complete your term paper before the trial runs out!

This article explains:

• About the free trial
• The Microsoft Office 2007 minimum software requirements
• How to find out if your system meets the software requirements
• Where to download the Microsoft Office free trial
• NEW! Download the Microsoft Office 2010 Beta

I recommend that you take a few minutes to read about the system requirements before you download the software and try to install it.

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Free Software?

Free? Not quite! Although there are free open-source word processing programs available, Microsoft Word is not one of them!

But there is one legitimate way to use Word for free…download the Microsoft Word 2007 free trial.

A Microsoft Word download is not available as a standalone, but you can download Microsoft Office 2007 and try it out for 60 days or 25 uses, whichever comes first. The free trial software is available in English and Spanish.

WARNING: The software locks when the free trial period expires, so be sure to save your files as another format before the trial runs out. If you want to continue using Microsoft Office 2007 after the trial period, you need to buy it.

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Determining System Requirements

It’s easy to download the Microsoft Office trial software. But before you download and install it, make sure your system will run Office 2007.

The difference between meeting minimum system requirements and recommended system requirements is sometimes the difference between a frustrated user and a happy one.

If your system barely meets the minimum requirements, be prepared to accept slower performance and unavailability of some features.

To use Microsoft Office 2007, you need the following:

• 500 megahertz (MHz) processor or higher
• 256 megabyte (MB) RAM or higher
• 1.5 gig hard drive
• CD-Rom or DVD drive
• 1024x768 or higher resolution monitor
• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or later operating system

I highly recommend 1 GB of RAM for best performance. If you depend on the grammar and contextual spelling help in Word, you must have 1 GB of RAM for this feature to be available.

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Finding Your System Specifications

Before you start your Microsoft Word download, make sure it will run on your computer. It doesn't do any good to know what the software requires if you don’t know how to check your system specifications to make sure they meet the minimum requirements.

To find your system specs, do the following:

1. Click Start.
2. Select Control Panel.
3. In Windows Vista, select System and Maintenance. In Windows XP, select Performance and Maintenance. (If you use Classic View in Control Panel, you can skip this step.)
   
4. Click the System icon.
   
5. In Windows Vista, your system information is listed under the System section. In Windows XP, select the General tab to find your system information.

Compare your processor speed, installed RAM, and operating system with the software requirements.

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Downloading the Free Trial

Once you have determined that Microsoft Office 2007 will run on your computer, all you need to do is follow the download link to the Microsoft website to get the software.

The installation wizard will guide you through the download and installation process.

After downloading and installing the software, you must activate it to use it. You will receive an activation key by email after the download has completed.

Get your free Microsoft Word download
(60-day Microsoft Office 2007 free trial)

Like any trial software, you will receive notices when your trial is about to expire. You have the option to buy at that time, or wait until the trial period ends and discontinue using the software.

You do not have to uninstall the Office 2007 free trial when it expires. Even though you can’t modify, save, or make new files, you can still use it as a viewer if you don’t have the compatibility pack or Word viewer installed.

The advantage of leaving it installed is that if you buy Word 2007 at a later time, you don’t have to reinstall it—you can just reactivate the software with the CD key you purchased.

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NEW!
Download the Microsoft Office 2010 Beta

Here is a great way to try out Microsoft Office for free...download the beta version of Microsoft Office 2010. The opportunity to try out all of the new Office programs free of charge won't last forever, so grab your copy before the beta testing period is over.

System requirements for Microsoft Office 2010 Beta are the same as Office 2007 except for the operating system requirements. (See the section above, Determining System Requirements, for more information.)

To run Office 2010 Beta, you need Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 3 (32-bit only), Windows Vista with SP1, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 R2 with MSXML 6.0, Windows Server 2008, or a later 32- or 64-bit operating system.

What is a Beta Version?

Beta is the final testing phase of software development. The beta version is sometimes released to the general public for testing purposes. Often, you are asked for voluntary product feedback or bug reports in exchange for free use of the software.

Beta testing allows software manufacturers to find and fix bugs before the final release of the full retail version of the product. This testing phase can last anywhere from a few weeks to many months.

If you are a novice user, be forwarned...there may be bugs, typos, non-functional elements, or incomplete help files in the beta version of software.

Download the free Microsoft Office 2010 Beta
(for a limited time)

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