Install Office 2016 OEM without Live account

Yes, as you described, there have been 2 types of "key cards". 

For 2007 and earlier, it was the 25 character Product Key.

For 2010 there was a mix of both types.

For 2013 and later in retail stores it is pretty much always a 27 character "PIN", Product Identification Number. 

As you described, the PIN has to be submitted to a website to retrieve the actual Product Key used for activation.  The PIN is supposed to be a one-time use number.  After it is used, it cannot be re-used.  A lot of people get burned this way because they forget to record their 25 character product key.  And as you also pointed out, starting with 2013 MS "improved" <heavy sarcasm> the way product keys are recorded on the computer so that now we can only extract the last 5 characters.

LibreOffice is really getting nicer every time an upgrade is released.

;)

and the best 

if you put wrong email Adress (without password), the office will be registered to this adress and you can buy another one.

if you put wrong email Adress (without password), the office will be registered to this adress and you can buy another one.

True, but if you are willing to waste enough time fighting with MS Support, you should be able to get them to fix it for you, cancel that account and give you a new product key. But it is not easy. <sigh>

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?

Your post is GOLD

I had my first experience with 2016 last night when configuring a new PC for a client. Had to reinstall Win7 and then needed to install 2016. Like you I don't want it on my account, I don't want to create a new account everytime I Build/sell a box. I don't want to force this on the client or do it on his behalf.

Parts of Sydney even still get 3Mbs internet, how long to I sit on site whilst that download happens!

I have now also chewed up all the (little) profit I would have made on this box.

MICROSOFT LISTEN - thousands of us service small businesses who don't want to deal with you.

They want us to hand them a WORKING solution. They want it delivered,installed, loaded, activated, unpacked, switched on, updated and a waiting LOCAL login screen

They want it to work when they have no internet,

They know you offer no support to them so they want us to wade through the ambiguous and overburdened search results to fix their problems.

They don't want Microsoft accounts, they don't want Microsoft even knowing their name. They don't want their Start menu to disappear, and in fact they don't want any change. The PC is a TOOL they use to do their business and re-tooling is disruptive.

Until now we to have had good businesses supplying this service to clients.

MICROSOFT UNDERSTAND these clients are the engineer with 3 staff, the small motel with 2 PCs, the Financial Adviser alone on a laptop. We are their lifeline when they cannot work and its usually because you changed something. You are now removing OUR tools and our ability to  run our businesses efficiently. You have forced us to re-train ourselves at a pace which saps our resources, downtime and sleep. If we stop, you won't have a business either. MICROSOFT WORK WITH US!!! ....... the techs who sell your products with no profit