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

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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

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-12-16T20:09:15+00:00

    I have the exact same issue and microsoft gives us the run around. I don't know what email was used to download my office 2013 but i have the product key. Does no good since you can't skip the step like one did with office 2010. So I bought 2013 11 months ago. My computer crashed and now i cant reinstall it. I will not purchase microsoft again. All your doing microsoft is ripping the customer off!

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-06-19T19:36:02+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.   

    Hi,

    As suggested in the previous post, for issues related to the Microsoft account associated to the Office 365 subscription, you may contact Microsoft by referring to the following link.

    http://commerce.microsoft.com/help

    In the help page, under Getting help click on Contact Customer Support. Select a Product, Problem type and Category.  Then either click on Call Me or Start chat for more help on this issue.

    I hope the above information helps.

    Thank you.

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  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.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-20T10:34:34+00:00

    Hi Girish,

    I've had to log in with my son's email address to try and find the email address that I must have created when registering Office 365.

    "Also for issues related to forgotten password/email account which was used to purchase Office 365, refer to the following link and check if it helps:

    http://commerce.microsoft.com/help"

    That information is completely unhelpful and a "broad" link at best. What myself (and apparently others) are asking for is strict instructions (ie. 1. do this, 2. do that, 3. click on this and you're done). As to how to find out what email address was used to initially register Office 365.

    It shouldn't be this difficult, with one or two clicks I should have already found the information and I shouldn't be sitting here with a product I paid a lot of money for sitting here useless whilst I search for an email address I was forced to create (it's forgotten because I never wanted it nor use it).

    I look forward to your timely answer.

    Regards

    Barbara

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