Don't remember email address used to activate Microsoft Office

Anonymous
2013-11-19T04:12:13+00:00

Hi,

After I installed the new Windows 8.1 update, my Microsoft Office 365 had to be reinstalled.  I reinstalled Office, which then asked that I activate it.  I had my product key, which I entered when prompted and got the green check to move on to the next step.  The next step was to enter the email address that Office was activated with.  I don't remember activating Office with an email address OR I don't remember what the email address was.

How can I retrieve the email address so that I can complete activation?

Side note:  I think it's absolutely absurd that requesting your email address or username for any Microsoft product is so difficult.  I have read several forums with people having the same issue and wanting one simple thing - their username/email address that is linked to the product that they paid for.  Microsoft needs to find a way for their customers to have a way to get this information without having to post in a forum.

Thanks.

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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2016-12-07T16:13:47+00:00

I think poor Girish has been beaten up enough.  If you carefully read his post and follow the link, http://commerce.microsoft.com/help , it does indeed take you to a very helpful site to resolve your issue, at least in 2016.

What you need to know:

  1. If you don't have an MS account created, create one.
  2. Save this account information (user name and password) so you don't have to go through this misery again.
  3. The email address you use doesn't have to be a Microsoft email address, feel free to use your standard address.
  4. If it was a retail purchase, know where you bought it and from what country.

What I found;

  1. Once on the help site
  2. Click on Manage Subscription
  3. Click on Manage My Microsoft Subscriptions
  4. Click on Contact Support
  5. On the Contact page, click Get Started
  6. Restate your problem, you'll get a bunch of stuff that's not useful.  In the chat box, scroll down and click on Talk to Someone.
  7. Surprisingly, you'll not have to restate your issue, just confirm that their understand is correct and proceed with the chat.

Just be prepared to answer what they ask and you should be good to go.

Worked for me,

Good luck

Was this answer helpful?

50+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

65 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2015-04-28T14:22:36+00:00

    I must agree with groovy_person that some MS helpdesk staff is lackig the will to help people that call in. I mean everything is solvable - if there is a will.

    I personally was also in charge to solve the issue when one of my customers forgot the name of the account (email address she created just for activation purposes) to activate Office 2013. She rememberd only part of it - her surname. She activated the product but didn't install it imediately. Then I was asked to install it and got into the trouble.

    So I called to MS helpdesk in Czech Republic but the only thing I got was the lady "on the other end of wire" found out the product was really activated under the account mentioned above and that she cannot help me any further, she cannot tell me the name of the account - because of privacy of course. It sounded rationally so I gave up.

    Because I needed a quick solution, I downloaded and installed Libre Office which was absolutely good for what she did. Furthemore I decided to rethink whether I will go the same way (Libre Office instead of MS Office) with her other colleagues. The true is only a few people in that firm needs things like VBA or so.

    But after a week I looked at the box of that Office that was locked for my user which still lay on my desk. I called to MS again and got to talk to different person now. She also tried to bump me off but I was more pushing this time argumenting by that I paid for their product after all so why I am forced to discard it just because one of my users is so dumb not to note just created username.

    Then we settled on that I will send her activation key, purchasing bill, and picture of product label on the box. Then they asked me in reply to create another account on MS website. Then unregistered the product from the old, unknown account and registered it with the one I created on my own. Problem solved!

    Radek

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2015-03-03T14:41:35+00:00

    I am so

    disappointed with Microsoft & the rubbish service they've given me regarding this very plausible issue.

    I started installing MS Office H & B 2013 for a colleague at 8.50am this morning, only to find that the previous IT Manager (who we have no contact details for nor the password for the account he used to activate Office) had not used a business account, so I have no access to the email address he used. It is now 14.35, so I've spent around 5.5 hours today trying to simply install a product provided by one of the richest companies on the planet.

    Their answer after 5 hours of banging my head against their unhelpful wall go and buy another product as you cannot use this one! Also two of the 4 people I spoke to were rude and very unprofessional, I have worked with MS products for around 17 years now I'm also a MS Certified pro etc, but I must admit after the way I was treated today by Microsoft today and due to the lack of contingency planning in such events I am seriously considering other options e.g. Apple or Linux.

    All they had to do to simply avoid such a silly frustrating scenario was provide a link for us to download the product required then we provide the PK.

    ANOTHER very UNHAPPY & disappointed 

    Microsoft user.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2014-06-13T03:06:10+00:00

    What happens when you don't have a clue what account you registered the office 365 under?  The account that I think might be the one no longer exists as it was a school email.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-05T06:21:34+00:00

    Dear Greg,

    I try the link to HELP in your answer, but takes my to "billing help"

    I would like to know the link to chat or phone help. I need to activate my office 2013, that I got been teacher at the university. I got a new computer and need to install the office.

    Summary:

    1. I have successfully installed the office 2013 software using the installation files I got when I brought it
    2. I used my university account to install it (it asked my account and password)
    3. Now is asking for ANOTHER account to ACTIVATE it. it asks for Microsoft Account...??? this I don't remember.

    Please help us to get this done. If you know a link to chat support or phone, I would really appreciate.

    I really hope Microsoft is not resctricting you to provide link to help to your customers. That would be unethical.

    Thank you in advance for you help!

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments