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
    2016-01-21T01:00:24+00:00

    Ok, i have found the only way around this is to create a bogus MS account only for the reason that i can use it to have microsoft send me the activation key to my cell phone.  I enter it during registration and it activates but you aren't actually loggin it in to your account as far as i can tell.  I have done the last computers this way and it seems to be the fastest.

    Hope this helps

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-01-21T03:20:08+00:00

    Well I don't have time to read through all the posts in this thread - spot checked, and will read more after I vent 

    I am a small IT consultant for a remote boarding school - they have always ordered Dell laptops with Office OEM for the students.

    Last week I started the fun on trying to deal with the whole Office 2016 Home and Business installation/activation fun on new laptops

    Sooooooo.... the first one I tried with my MS account - support said the license was already associated with another email address - ******@hotmail.com. Thought my account which I had been using had been compromised and dealt with that, somehow got it installed and activated.

    Next one - much frustration to coerce MS to allow me to add that one to the account as well, as somehow it also had been 'redeemed' through another ******@hotmail.com account.

    Did some digging, found this thread and decided to do the bogus email route

    Third one - well, let's just let the support chat tell the tale

    Microsoft Answer Tech

    Tech D

    Hi, thanks for visiting Answer Desk! I'm Tech D

    Hi, how can I help you?

    3:10 pm

    Me

    office is claiming redemption code has already been used - this is a copy of Office 2016 purchased with a Dell laptop from Dell

    3:11 pm

    Tech D

    I'm sorry for what happened

    3:11 pm

    Tech D

    Do you have the product key?

    3:11 pm

    Me

    XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

    3:13 pm

    Tech D

    thank you one second please.

    3:15 pm

    Tech D

    Have you tried to install  this to your other device?

    3:18 pm

    Me

    there is no other device - I just opened the box with the laptop and office today

    3:18 pm

    Tech D

    can you go to office.com/setup

    3:19 pm

    Me

    yes

    3:19 pm

    Tech D

    and then please enter the product key.

    3:19 pm

    Me

    This product key is valid, but it was redeemed with a different Microsoft account: Co******@hotmail.com

    3:21 pm

    Me

    I have no idea whose email that is - this is a brand new laptop and new copy of Office

    3:21 pm

    Tech D

    I understand, however if the office is associated to the a Microsoft account, we have to access the office account to install .

    3:24 pm

    Me

    and I just created my Microsoft account today

    3:25 pm

    Me

    I do not know who it is or how this copy was redeemed!!! it was still sealed in the bag when I opened the box

    3:25 pm

    Tech D

    I'm sorry however ,we will not be able to transfer the office to another Microsoft account

    3:25 pm

    Tech D

    We have to access the email that has an office 2016 .

    3:25 pm

    Me

    how can this be????

    3:26 pm

    Tech D

    Where did you bought it ?

    3:26 pm

    Me

    Dell

    3:26 pm

    Me

    in October

    3:26 pm

    Me

    this is a student machine at a boarding school

    3:26 pm

    Tech D

    you need to contact dell, to replace the copy of office

    3:26 pm

    Me

    I think this is a big pain -

    3:27 pm

    Tech D

    I'm sorry

    3:28 pm

    Me

    I do not understand how this could have been redeemed under a different account

    3:28 pm

    Me

    I opened the box today

    3:29 pm

    Tech D

    I understand , that you open the box today, however we need to access the office account.

    3:31 pm

    Me

    brand new things -

    3:32 pm

    Me

    and now going to cost me money

    3:33 pm

    Tech D

    let me check, one second please.

    3:33 pm

    Me

    I think your licensing is very bad now

    3:33 pm

    Me

    I have a meeting to go to

    3:33 pm

    Me

    I will contact support again later and get this done

    3:33 pm

    Me

    I should not have to contact Dell - it is your error on this messed up way of doing things - it is a brand new copy of Office

    If I could get this to not indent anymore, I would be happy

    thanks Microsoft Office licensing - NOT

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-01-21T05:29:09+00:00

    Snarliness,

    First, let me thank you for the brilliant conversation and the forsite to post it.  If you have read through the 9 pages of this thread, you will see that we are theorizing, based on past experience, that someone is taking the Office activation/redemption codes from new Dell PCs, redeeming them with their own Microsoft accounts, getting the product keys and then reselling them for their own profit at our expense.  When we attempt to use the redemption code to get the product keys, we are told it was already redeemed.  When we talk to Microsoft, they tell us they cannot help us.  Truthfully, they cannot, because it is not their fault. The fault is in the process at Dell where the codes were stolen.  So, please do not blame Microsoft for this. They are just the messenger of bad news and as they say, don't shoot the messenger.  [Also, truthfully, Microsoft IS to blame for the outrageous practice of associating Office 2016 with a Microsoft account - you can blame them for that.]

    Now, what needs to be done is someone who has some pull with Dell or the FBI needs to report this so we can get the theft problem solved.  As they say, we are 5 steps away from knowing anyone in the world (eg. I know a pastor, who knows a priest, who knows a bishop, who knows a cardinal, who knows the Pope).  Let's put our resources to work! Who knows someone who knows someone in the FBI? Who knows someone who knows someone that manages at Dell?  Instead of just writing of our failures, let's do something to put these criminals down.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-01-21T06:32:10+00:00

    thank you

    doing some research, there could also be database messup at MS

    all I want is a solution to get this done without an account or email or internet - these machines have none

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-01-21T06:33:29+00:00

    also, it is not just Dell

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