Install Office 2016 OEM without Live account

Anonymous
2015-10-07T18:12:57+00:00

I manage IT services for several small businesses and periodically need to purchase new computers with Office. I just purchased a new Dell laptop with the OEM version of Office 2016 Home & Business. It will not let me activate it without adding it to a MS account.

I know this is a perennial question, beginning with Office 2013, that is a major headache for independent technical consultants that support small businesses, as I do. But I have never seen a solid answer as to how to get this installed on the computer without the MS account--just a lot of try this, try that. This is NOT Office 365, just Office H & B 2016!

 I will not:

  • Add it to my MS account, or it will be forever stuck to me--which is inappropriate, since I will not own the computer or software once I am paid for the system by my client.
  • Make my client set up a MS account just for this.
  • Pry into my client's information to get his MS account information (if he even has one).

But I must have Office installed, activated, and updated before I give the system to my client. The activation dialog, in fact, gives me the option of using a product key instead of a login, but then proceeds to "Redeem Online"--which I believe will end up with the same result that requires a MS account.

At this point, I now have a bigger issue. I backed up the Program Data folder that contains the cached Office installation files, then uninstalled MS Office, hoping that a reinstall would give me some option to truly install without being forced to figure out a MS account for my client. The uninstallation removed the original setup folders. Good thing I backed it up, but then when I reinstall from any of those, it installs Office 2013, not Office 2016. And while it still validates the key when I click the option to use a key instead of a logon, it (as before) takes me to "Redeem Online".

Hello, Microsoft: this issue alone has just eliminated my entire profit from this project, given the time I have already spent trying to get this done, then uninstalling and attempting to reinstall.

I know there are versions that can be activated without a MS account, but I do not buy in bulk and can never seem to figure out which is which.

How do I get this installed for my client without being required to use a MS account?

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

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-01-03T08:22:22+00:00

    This topic has over 100k views and almost 2,000 posts. To summarise it Anthony52438, you have a few choices. Either you do what you are doing - find a way to manage the complex problem that Microsoft is bullying us all into, submit to their subscription model, or pay over-the-top and buy an Open License that does not require any account to work. The only other solution that I and others are encouraging our customers to choose, is to vote with your feet and go with an alternative like LibreOffice and eM-Client that costs a fraction of Microsoft Office and does not require their insane account system.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-02T22:18:19+00:00

    I've started creating Microsoft accounts to deal with this and sometimes it works. After creating 2 accounts, I get stuck when it asks me to enter a phone number capable of receiving texts as a recovery option. The only way to bypass being asked for a phone number is to wait a full day and try creating an account again.

    So far I've created 4 accounts and the 4th one was temporarily suspended and requires a phone number that receives texts in order to unbock it.

    Each Microsoft account only holds the last activation key entered so you'll need to have a spreadsheet of every key from the office install page for the Microsoft account used and which computer it was installed on.

    On top of the ridiculously complicated activation, there's also the risk that the Microsoft account will be marked inactive, all emails in it deleted, and then the account itself deleted if it isn't signed into within a certain time. (the earliest I've read of an account being marked inactive is after not signing in within 270 days.)

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-01-02T18:21:51+00:00

    Going thru this issue at my new job as a in house Support guy.

    We purchase licenses from NewEgg, then install on brand new or current inventory laptops and keep track of what product key belongs to what laptop by serial number.

    It's a nightmare trying to sign in and manage these with the live account nonsense.

    There HAS to be a better way to manage the licenses.  

    insert eyeroll emoti with ios 9 revolver emoti.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-16T17:14:16+00:00

    Sigh...448 responses now, and it sounds like still no solution from MS...

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-11-16T17:12:55+00:00

    My bad people...

    It seems that the Sign In page was hidden for some time after I entered my product key, so I missed the fact that this did not resolve the issue at all, despite the Microsoft technician having said that it would.

    For what its worth I will follow up on my support case with them and find out why they lied about this being a workaround. If I do get any joy I will post again. Not hopeful though.

    Sorry for giving some people false hope here!

    So to clarify - you selected the same option as me - do not want to blah blah and then you entered the "temp" product key on the card in the pack which allowed you to continue...but at some point it asked you to sign in anyway???? Do they have those emoticons anywhere here - you know the one of the little face rolling around with laughter...which genius at MS put that routine in???

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