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
    2016-10-06T22:23:31+00:00

    Maybe the winner got to park in Bill's spot for a month over that one.

    Get real, at best a real hard working employee would be given something useful, like a $5 gift certificate to the MS store ...

    Sorry, I'm feeling particularly cynical after reading this article:

    2016 10 04- Microsoft hands out $56m to five executives in 2016

    http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-hands-out-56m-to-five-executives-in-2016/

    <snip>Microsoft paid five of its executives a total of $56.4 million in fiscal 2016, including CEO Satya Nadella's annual salary of $1.2 million plus $17.5 million in bonuses </snip>

    Salary of $1.2 mill, maybe. But bonuses of $17mill. Come on, get real!

    I also had a second link from about a month ago where MS announced the layoff of about 6000 more employees in one of its divisions. Even lowballing their salaries at $20K per year, that is $120M per year. More than enough to pay for those executive bonuses ... Been there, done that and it sucks!

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-10-06T22:40:09+00:00

    Unrelated.  Big corporate bonuses could help save Social Security.  Remove the SS ceiling and make all compensation subject to SS and SS matching.

    I wonder how big a bonus the clown who came up with requiring a Microsoft Account to install purchases software, received.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-10-07T05:32:20+00:00

    hey

    I had to dig back into these posts to find this

    "Great! And while we are at it, maybe we can have a security breach or release the license pool to some hacker in Upper Slobovia, or maybe just re-use our Windows 98 modal 7 license validation or something."

    I have a conspiracy theory

    The Russians got tired of reading Clinton's deleted emails on yoga, weddings, recipes, et al

    So they decided to hack the micro$haft office license database

    And somehow is had been kept vewry, vewry, qwuiet

    A collusion betwixt the two?

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-10-07T05:48:51+00:00

    Yes, 

    WB

    wburychka, I do

    and what to do with machines that have NO internet access EVER?

    think I may retire before I figure that out

    sold my MSFT stock too soon though, they must be making a killing on this crap

    I'll go back to tending bar

    personally, on my PC I use OpenOffice and Thunderbird, integrates great with Google

     I love my Mac

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-10-07T05:52:20+00:00

    Pennywise????

    nuf with the clown stuff already, ain't loving it

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