Word for iPad won't activate

Anonymous
2014-03-29T03:20:57+00:00

I downloaded Word, Powerpoint and Excel for iPad yesterday and purchased a 365 Home Certificate. I tried to activate Word and am always given the message "Cannot Activate. This account doesn't have a paid Office 365 subscription." Then I tried activating Powerpoint and Excel -- knowing if you activate one, they're all activated -- and those won't activate either.

I have the receipt and Order ID from Apple and their phone support has been great, including today, Saturday. But ultimately, they can't help, because it's up to the developer (Microsoft). Everything is fine on the Apple side.

I have done everything possible, from rebooting, to reinstalling, to resetting my network connections, without success. So I tried to call Microsoft Support (through a link Apple kindly supplied) only to find they don't work on weekends.

I've searched the internet for solutions, but the program is so new that I appear to be the only one so far with a problem -- or maybe no one's buying a 365 Home subscription for the first time.

Any thoughts that don't include all the things I've already done would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Don

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Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2014-07-08T14:32:22+00:00

Go to settings and look for the app there..  Do u see it?...  If so try doing a Word reset" and then reload or open from AppStore page..  Report back..

This worked for me on my iPad. These are the full steps I used:

  • Open up Settings
  • Scroll all the way to the bottom in the left hand pane, select Word
  • In the right hand pane, select Reset Word
  • Turn on Delete Login Credentials
  • IF you already have Word running on your iPad, as I did: Double-press the iPad's home button to bring up all currently running programs, swipe back and forth until you see Word, flick the Word screen up to stop the program 
  • Press the iPad's home button to get back to the home screen
  • Select Word
  • Swipe all the way through the introductory screens until it says "Sign in now" - select Sign in
  • Enter your e-mail address, selected "Next"
  • Sign in to your Microsoft account with your e-mail and password, select "Sign in"
  • Select "Buy Office 365"
  • At the bottom, select the "Restore previous purchase" link
  • Enter your iTunes password

Yeesh.

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211 additional answers

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-29T03:27:40+00:00

    I have the same question with you.

    I make a IAP subscription in my Work for iPad.

    However, what I can get was not the activated office product, instead I got this message :

    "Your purchase was successful, but we couldn't activate the app. Please try again later to restore your purchase."

    OMG, can some one help!?

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-29T14:05:28+00:00

    Same here in Hong Kong

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-29T14:12:52+00:00

    Same issue exactly..  Significantly frustrated. Microsoft couldn't help on their online chat and eventually after telling me all of the ways (incorrect) that I might have done something wrong transferred me to another chat..  Which turned out to be purely for windows office.  Totally incompetent.  Very very disappointed.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-03-29T16:36:23+00:00

    I have the identical same problem Don.

    i too am in Hong Kong oliver.

    apple support refers me to microsoft even though i paid apple for my subsciption,  i guess they're laughing all the way to the bank.

    I can logon at microsoft but there is no record of the purchase.

    somewhat glad to hear i'm not the only one.

    What a screw up, should have guessed Apple & Microsoft wouldn't get along.

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