Friday, August 22, 2008

New Rowlingiana

Beedle the Bard? I haven't the faintest idea what's in this book of fairy tales by a very famous author, since it won't see the light of day until December of this year, but I'm sure it will be an instant best seller. I know at least one of you out there who will buy it. Oh boy, footnotes by Professor Dumbledore himself.


http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Beedle-Bard-Standard/dp/B001DB0HG2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219424707&sr=1-1

15 comments:

Biddie said...

Hi there - I'm sorry to say that I'm going to pass on this author/story suggestion - I've seen a couple of the Harry Potter movies and they just don't pull me in - the tales didn't appeal to me. I won't be buying this book (that is, if you were referring to me in your post - hope I'm not being presumptuous here ...).

Did you see the Collector's Edition advertised right below the standard hardcover edition? Looks fine!

Priscilla said...

My mention of this books'a future appearance was in no way a recommendation, Biddie...I haven't read it yet! I found the HP books interesting, but haven;'t read #6 and #7 I do watch the movies when they are rerun on TV (Goblet of Fire last night).
I noticed the Collecotr's Edition.
Amazon also has something about each of the 5 tales.

Off the topic: Biddie, how do you find out the Product Key of a computer if you don't have the documentation that came with it? I was just given a very fine slightly used Toshiba Tecra notebook computer by a dear friend, and it is prompting me for that Product Key every tiime I open Word. Is it on the C drive?

Priscilla said...

By the way it is a Tecra A9 with XP pro (thank goodness not Vista)

Biddie said...

A product key is usually found on a sticker on the CD case that the software CD came in = they aren't stored on the PC. If you can't start up Word without it first asking for the product key, I have to assume that your friend never tried to use Word or he/she would have had to enter that product key first (or it is a pirated copy). MicroSoft is really uptight about software piracy and goes to great lengths to keep people from copying their software.

Can you check with your friend to see if the original materials that come with a computer still exist? Sometimes when a lot of software is bundled with a computer, the product key will be on a CD that has several products listed on a single CD. You would probably have to dig in the materials to find it.

Otherwise, the best bet is to take the PC to the Geek Squad at Best Buy or the like to ask for their help. You might have to end up by purchasing a new Word CD ....

But first check in the bag of materials that came with the PC for the original owner if it exists.

Sorry that there isn't an easy fix to this type of problem.

Priscilla said...

I searced on the internet too and found that a sticker on the machine is supposed to give it. Well, I came home and looked underneath and sure enough there was a product key, 25 digits long. Well, I entered that but it gave me the message "Incorrect key" so I'm back to square one. The notebook belonged to the brother of my friend. He died suddenly a few weeks ago, and my friend very kindly gave it to me because she knew I didn't have one. She can't find the book but perhaps it will turn up.

Priscilla said...

P.S. He probably never used Word. He was into games.

Biddie said...

A 25 letter code is a typical MicroSoft product key pattern - is there any hint on that sticker as to what the key is for? MS will usually issue unique product keys for each software product - one for the operating system, one for Word, etc..

Also, try to type it in again - it is so easy to mistype such a huge group of letters - pay attention to upper and lower case differences in the letters.

Biddie said...

P.S. sorry to hear about your friend's brother - it was very thoughtful of her to give your the PC. Hopefully, she might come across a packet or bag of the original materials that usually come with a new PC.

Oppy said...

Let me back up Biddie's comment about different keys for the operating system and Word. The one on the sticker is for the operating system.

There are freeware programs that will display the key for the operating system but I don't remember ever seeing one for the individual applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, etc).

Oppy said...

I just remembered.... if the original owner installed Microsnot Office I believe the key for the office suite will include Word, Excel, Power Point, and all the rest.

Priscilla said...

Yes, MS Office is installed but I only get 25 uses before I have to enter the Product Key(have used 5 of them already). I found the Product Key (identified by those words) on the sticker under the machine but unfortunately when I entered it in the box the message was "incorrect". The operating system is operating, obviously, so any other key must have been entered before I got the machine.

Oppy said...

So MS Office was installed but it also appears that they never finished the install since you have a limited number of runs. Your friend may have to look through the other things of the owner to see if they can find the box or other stuff that comes with the software for the Office product key.

From your earlier comments it does sound like Office was already on the computer just never used. If he had installed Office he would have at least tried the some programs.

Biddie said...

Hi Priscilla - I just went out to Microsoft's website (www.microsoft.com) and after closing the popup window advertising their new version of the windows media player, I put "lost office product key" into their little search window at the upper right.

This is the result that came back - you will need to have the version number of your office product to help find the right info:


http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?form=MSHOME&setlang=en-us&q=lost+office+product+key&mkt=en-us

If you can, check again with your friend for any materials that came with the PC - hope this helps some ....

Priscilla said...

Thanks Biddie and Oppy. I'll go to that site.
I'm wondering if I might have to purchase the Office disk.

Biddie said...

Purchasing the Office product CD is something that you might have to do but it is expensive. See if you can get some help from the MS info first.

Also, if you have a Best Buy or other similiar computer store in your area, take your PC into the Geek Squad there - they might be able to help find the lost key.

Usually the key is encrypted and buried in the MS Office software and must match the key that is entered by the person. There is some tricky software that can extract a copy of the key and decode it so that you can enter the matching key. The info on the MS search page might help you find some ....