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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.
I have informed my clients that I will no longer be supplying nor supporting Microsoft Office. I have recommended Open Office and Mozilla Thunderbird to them. If they choose, they can opt for the subscription model which is what Microsoft wants.
I am actually considering using OP/VLS for my clients. But in some cases, they need only one or two of these. And if you are talking Office Pro, I see that with my supplier, at least, the price spread between retail and VLS is quite substantial.
And at that, if you intend to manage each customer's VLS under their own ID, it will solve the problem of limited numbers of activations per Live account but not the problem of a Live account. In fact, at that point, you would need to set up not only a Live account but go through the MS licensing site with a separate logon for each of your clients. And what happens when you need to validate the logon, and it sends the validation e-mail to your client, whose e-mail you cannot access.
Or you can just run them under your own VLS and try to keep them all separate. But that can be an issue if you ever part company with a customer.
I think I see Microsoft's dilemma here (regarding effective anti-piracy measures), but the Live account solution for such a ubiquitous application as MS Office has turned this whole thing into somewhat of an anti-customer measure. Not sure there is any good answer, but it is clear that the current one is very problematic.
Brian,
Good thoughts. I think we all agree this has turned into an anti-customer measure of sorts, with the purpose of protecting MS from piracy and also pushing customers toward subscription fees. They also try to encourage me to push customers towards the subscription model by giving kickbacks, but I prefer giving my customers the best bang for their buck and subscriptions are a great financial loss.
I have also considered both of your thoughts for VLS - setting up an MS account for each customer or setting up one account under my company name and using the licenses for the customers. If you are more of a managed service provider, the second option would work out well. When you no longer manage their services (you part company), you pull the licenses from them just like you pull all licenses. You can roll the cost into your monthly MSP fees, but that does mean you have to foot the cost up front.
As for me, I would probably still just purchase the Volume License under an MS account created just for the customer. I'd send all validation emails to myself instead of to the customer to make things easier. I would have to keep track of the MS account information, but admittedly we already keep track of tons of those accounts for Network Solutions, Godaddy, Exchange 365, router logons, etc.
What it eliminates is the need to have a separate spreadsheet that others said they have to track the product key of each retail or OEM license (the same these days) and the PC system ID number - tracked because of the need to know the information in the event office needs to be removed and reinstalled.
Rohn007 mentioned an inexpensive way to get around the 5 license minimum requirement.
The added benefit, if it still exists, is that for each Open License of Office you install on a desktop, you can have one more installed on a laptop for that user. Double the bang for your buck. You can't do that with OEM or Retail licenses.
As always, I look forward to hearing the flaws in my reasoning, so I don't make horrible mistakes. I appreciate the great feedback, here.
Yep, I am sitting here right now with a Dell laptop in one hand and a retail Office H&B 2016 box in the other and I cannot even install it for the customer.
As part of my high-tech handyman business, I buy Dell Outlet laptops for customers, upgrade them to Windows 10 and an SSD and then install whatever else they need. This is my first time dealing with Office 2016 and it will be my last. I can't wait to explain to the non-tech savvy customer why I can't install Office for her on her new laptop and that she needs to do it. I don't even know if she has decent internet. I am sure it will be the last time I do business with her.
I think we all agree that since Satya Nadella took the helm at MS the quality of the products being put out by MS (think Win8, Exchange 2013...), as well as the documentation, have dimished significantly. And dumb requirements such as this one are a clear indicator that the time is ripe for alternatives to Microsoft products.
The problem is that MS is effectively deaf. And while they say that Windows 10 was designed based on customer feedback, it is very evident that is simply not the case.
The obvious problem is that the custom apps that my SMB clients use rely on Microsoft technologies. They don't run on Mac or Linux, and require Office as they integrate with Office apps.
The only way we the people can force Microsoft to listen is to talk to the programmers out there to write programs that don't rely on Office (or even better, .NET or Windows APIs at all, but that is a far off dream)
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Since the issue is related to Office Home and business, I suggest you to post this query in following Office 365 Community for better suggestions.
It's also apply to Office Home and Students.
how it should be :
What's so difficult about that?
i dont think there is DVD version of Office 2016, so yes you need internet, but no MS account needed...
Also allow us two PC/Device per key plz!
Someone would like to start or join a petition to change how Office works?
Now there is those links :