Install Office 2016 OEM without Live account

Anonymous

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?

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Anonymous

2016-02-26T15:44:27+00:00

2016 retail & OEM activation is the same. There are no discs anymore...

The whole Live ID account requirement is the primary issue. This entire activation process is based on the premise that the person activating the product is the end user. It makes it an incredibly convoluted process for IT service providers trying to assist our SMB clients who typically purchase OEM or retail editions of Office...

I know that many have come up with various email naming conventions and/or schemes for creating accounts in order to activate their client's Office installations, but these get to be a nightmare to manage over time and just don't scale well.

Lately, I've been primarily recommending either Office 365 for the smaller installs or volume licensing where it makes sense. Still have some OEM purchases, but I don't activate the products for them (I'll assist, but won't pre-activate the installation as I did in the past).

As I stated originally in this thread - I still think this activation process is by design. I don't really think MS cares much about the OEM/Retail Office installations - they're entirely focused on subscription models (i.e. Office 365). We can complain and petition MS all we want, but in the scheme of things, I suspect the O365 revenue far outweighs that of OEM/Retail sales... Ultimately, I don't think the OEM/Retail versions of Office will be around much longer... Office 2016 may even be the last of it's kind...
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Anonymous

2016-02-26T16:23:03+00:00

Hey Rob:

No, MS has moved completely to online download installation. They ASSume that everyone has highspeed internet connections with unlimited download capacity. Even if you pay extra to buy the "backup disk", apparently you just get the CTR installer stub that requires internet connection to complete the install. Only through the MyAccount page can you get the full "offline" installer file (and that is only a recent improvement!) .

I wish I had seen these instructions just a few hours ago when I was trying to do a local install of Office 2016. My install had a couple of rude surprises for me.

First I got this message, when it was blatantly wrong since Word clearly indicated that it was signed in, and when I checked File menu > Account command it showed it was activated :

![](http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=1f753912-4813-4d52-b11c-4bf77a0ab505)

The second surprise came the next time I logged in to Windows. My former, carefully crafted, Windows local account had been converted into an account tied into the same email account. Which is something I most emphatically did not want!
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Anonymous

2016-02-26T16:45:40+00:00

As I stated originally in this thread - I still think this activation process is by design. I don't really think MS cares much about the OEM/Retail Office installations - they're entirely focused on subscription models (i.e. Office 365). We can complain and petition MS all we want, but in the scheme of things, I suspect the O365 revenue far outweighs that of OEM/Retail sales... Ultimately, I don't think the OEM/Retail versions of Office will be around much longer... Office 2016 may even be the last of it's kind...

I agree with "ProTech" completely.

I too believe that the change to the installation process to force the use of email accounts is part of a carefully crafted plan to "encourage" (in plain words FORCE) people to switch to Office 365 licenses to generate more revenue. This ties in directly with the last minute "improvement" <sarcasm> to the installer that now FORCES you to chose between 2016 and earlier versions. This is NOT a technical requirement, it is purely a marketing decision.

I too expect that there won't be a non-365 offering in the next release.

I'm pretty sure that the situation for MS is similar to Adobe:

2015 12 11- **Adobe: We locked our customers in the cloud and out poured money**

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2015/12/11/adobe_q4_fy2015_results/

<snip>

Profits double after shift to software subscriptions

</snip>
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Anonymous

2016-02-26T16:53:47+00:00

I don't understand office365 subscription model.

On my iphone I can use the office/word/excel app for free! My co-worker with an android can use word for free too.

So why pay for a subscription to use it on any device? Why not buy the perpetual licence for your main machine and use the free stuff when you're out and about if needed?

Microsoft are really alienating a lot of people. Not good when you're no longer the dominant force.

Open office/Libre office is good enough for what most people what. maybe I should start developing my software to work with that instead of Word/Excel!
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Anonymous

2016-02-26T17:00:53+00:00

So people in the developing world have no chance then.

What about people in rural areas with dialup/cellular mobile access?

Ships with Inmarsat at $100/MB data costs! An Office download will cost $350,000 dollars!

Not everyone is online.

My testing environment is offline. Why should every device need to be connected to the internet. If banks and governments get hacked then there's no chance of staying secure unless your are offline! period!!
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