How can I create recovery discs for programs (not OS)?

[invitedchaos]

I bought a laptop through Best Buy that came pre-installed with Office 2010 and an activation code or whatever. But it didn't have installation discs, and they nearly insisted that I pay to have Geek Squad to it, along with a bunch of other stuff I didn't need. Is there any way to create a recovery disc of the program, not just the files? If Geek Squad can do it, there must be a DIY method out there, right?

I'm Running Windows 7 with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010.

 

[bobcat]

Have a look at this previous thread on the same question, but don’t set your hopes too high.

Cloning an installed program?
https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic149246.html

 

[LinkedKube]

You should be able to find the download link on microsofts site, although I think the only one that's available is 2007. When you're finished installing you can enter your product key to activate it. Just burn the files on to a disk to keep. As long as you have a product key there's nothing wrong with you keeping a copy. I did this for a laptop some years back. You'd have to make an iso back up though. They may have changed the process because of piracy.

Only other way I can think of getting it is a p2p program but that has its own risks.

 

[DelJo63]

Issues for Windows Programs

1. where they are installed
2. getting the license key
3. restoring the registry

that last one is the killer; a registry is a point in time and getting ALL the keys
necessary for a given program is not obvious or trivial.

restoring that point in time registry on another system can be fatal if not done with care.