This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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:
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?
Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
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.
This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Comments have been turned off. Learn more
Yeah. I am not monitoring this post to try to solve the problem any longer--more to comment as other users share their pain. For now, I can still get Office 2013, but I will have to cross this bridge someday soon.
Well not that this solves "this" problem - I did note that you can activate Office 2016 (VL) in an AD environment using Active Directory-Based activation - not requiring the setup of a KMS server; so that is a little something.
Typical MS response, pass it off to another group. If this is sold as 'business, then MS should pony up and make it such that it is acceptable for business to use. A few points.
1 - If you are going to make this tied to an email, then at least make it such that when I change users on the machine it does not require an activation again.
2 - If you are going to have me re-activate, at least make your activation system smart enough to know which key has been installed (I register ALL my software with a generic account, then forward all pertinent email to the responsible party to avoid loosing an email trail if the responsible party leaves the company or is re assigned) and show that identifying information on the activation screen! (I can see the products I installed, but no matter which is selected, the continue button remains grayed out)
3 - For those of us who have multiple copies under the same email address (not uncommon in industry), at least provide a way to track those licenses in the web interface such that I do not have to be a gymnast to map the key card to the disk key to my machine's serial number.
I recently set up a batch of laptops for a company, had office installed and activated under an admin. The customer gets ready to roll out the laptop, changes the name so it is more identifiable to the user, logs in the user, and low and behold, they get an activate message.. Logging in to the MS site with the account used to register all office, and it will not activate. I have to track down the different keys, check each install button and disk key until I find the correct one then REINSTALL. What a piece of garbage. You need to make it a requirement that before any programmer works on the interface or the activation system they spend 6 months in a customer IT site to actually see how things are done. You would end up with a better product
Thanks i ultimately just had to use my personal email to get it to work, i agree with you 100 percent, this way of activation is a bunch of bs, this is the 1st of many computers i will replace this year and it might be the last with office like this.
I guess we are going to be forced into an enterprise agreement.