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
    2014-03-31T01:48:52+00:00

    Hi,

    Have you tried going to the "Buy" page and tried selecting "I already have a subscription". If some service was down when you purchased initially, it is possible that the receipt was not processed by Microsoft. This step might try the association again using your originally p[purchased receipt.

    -Sumesh

    Several times a day from the first day it was released and I installed it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-31T01:44:06+00:00

    Hi,

    Have you tried going to the "Buy" page and tried selecting "I already have a subscription". If some service was down when you purchased initially, it is possible that the receipt was not processed by Microsoft. This step might try the association again using your originally p[purchased receipt.

    -Sumesh

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  3. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-03-30T23:45:22+00:00

    What was it that you purchased for your Mac?  If it was a subscription version (Office 365), you can activate Word on your iPad by entering the credentials that you would use for your account at www.office.com/myaccount

    If on the other hand it was one of the out-right purchase Office 2013 versions, then it is correct that you would need to purchase an Office 365 subscription.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-03-30T23:36:23+00:00

    I am having issues with getting this activated, as well.  I just purchased a Mac a few months ago, and bought the entire Microsoft Office Suite.  I also bought one for a PC I owned.  Now, Microsoft is saying that they want me to buy ANOTHER $99 a year 365 membership, JUST to use Word on my iPad...

    I chatted with a rep online last night, and he told me that getting away around this should be doable, and gave me the phone number of the office to call to get a "workaround".  Did that today, and what a joke.  The guy was rude, condescending, and told me I had no option but to buy a subscription.

    Microsoft needs to quit this nonsense.  They lost me from the PC world with Windows 8, and this garbage is going to make me a user of anything but Office.  Not sure what happened to Microsoft... used to be so customer friendly.

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