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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  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-31T19:49:54+00:00

    Matt

    i'd appreciate help.  My problem is the one where my MS account and apple account use the same email address (and password) but I can't activate Word.  Can I contact you without posting my email address on the forum for spammers to find?

    regards

    Mike

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-31T21:14:34+00:00

    Bill, try doing a full re-boot -- press-hold the power button until the iPad shuts down. After restarting do you still not see the Word app? Alternatively, connect you iPad to iTunes and delete/re-install Word from there. Let me know if you still have trouble.

    Matt

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-31T22:17:34+00:00

    Hi, Mike! We're sorting through a few issue types here so a couple more quick questions to find out which one you're hitting. If needed, I'll then then find a way for us to take this discussion to personal email.

    1. Are you in Hong Kong and/or did you buy the subscription through the HK App Store?
    2. If in Hong Kong, what's your iPad's language setting? (Settings/General/International/Language)
    3. Are you renewing a subscription previously brought directly from Microsoft OR is your App Store purchase a first time Office 365 purchase?

    Get back to me as soon as you can.

    Matt

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-01T02:34:35+00:00

    Hey Rama,

    Is it alright if I mail you directly so that I can look into your issue? Let me know and I can send you my email id.

    -Sumesh

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