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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515 answers

Anonymous

2016-05-23T05:00:25+00:00

Hi All,

This may just be the answer you are all looking for... I didn't go through all 19 pages to see if someone else has already posted this.

Do the anoying Microsoft Account installation of your first Office 2016. Once done you will find a new link to "Install from a disk" -> "I want to Burn a Disk" -> "Download".

You'll get an IMG file you can burn to disk. Once installed the first time you open an office app, Word for example, You'll be able to "Enter a product key instead" Just like with Office 2013.

Yes I am awesome for working this out for you all!!! :-)

Edit - Not so Awesome... It does not work sorry :-(

Screenshot 1

![](http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=ef8014f0-9cfc-473d-b630-eb29090c1901)

Screenshot 2

![](http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=8d6197b7-7961-4ce2-9040-2faa583cf054)

Screenshot 3

![](http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=ebd4b451-59a2-4e35-8fec-dfbe8c5ea097)
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Anonymous

2016-05-23T06:04:22+00:00

COOL!

I just want to confirm.

In step 3, even though it prompts for an email account, if you leave that blank and simply click on the "Enter Product Key", you will be able to complete the install with just a product key? Will it subsequently continue to prompt for email account, or will it then just be treated like an old style "local" install?

NOTE: if you do this you MUST keep your own records to track the specific product key used on each machine. You NO LONGER can extract the whole key from the computer. MS "improved" that process in 2013 so that only the last 5 char of the key are now stored on the computer.
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Anonymous

2016-05-23T06:50:26+00:00

How many licences have you activated using the same image file? Give it a couple months and see if problems start popping up. Im pretty sure that image file is specific to a product key. It will allow you to activate as many keys as you want but once the installation gets corrupt you will start lossing licences and not be able to correct it using a call through.
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Anonymous

2016-05-23T07:40:06+00:00

I'm pretty sure that image file is specific to a product key. It will allow you to activate as many keys as you want but once the installation gets corrupt you will start losing licenses and not be able to correct it using a call through.

That was not the case in the past. Installation files were always generic. As long as you had a product key for the right office bundle there was no problem activating multiple licenses from the same install file.

But, I suppose it could be another new wrinkle MS has added to "improve" service ...
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Anonymous

2016-05-24T04:17:32+00:00

I tried. It's still go back to square one. After installing from the disc and enter my product key. It still ask me to login and prompt me to select a license key from the LiveID account.

The reason is simple. The product key given in the package is NOT the real product key. You have to register it thru LiveID before it will generate the REAL product key from it. So you still have to go thru LiveID no matter what. No way to bypass.
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