Don't waste an afternoon on hold. That "Step 3" screen is a museum piece now.
If you’re reading this, you’ve likely just reinstalled an old copy of Microsoft Office 2007, or you’re trying to set it up on a legacy machine. You’ve made it through the first two steps of the activation wizard, and now you’re staring at a familiar gray box with the text: "Step 3: Enter your confirmation code here." Don't waste an afternoon on hold
Here is the brutal truth in 2026: