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
    2016-10-14T05:02:36+00:00

    Maurice, I am encouraging customers to use EMCLIENT as an alternative to Outlook and they love it. Works perfectly with Exchange Server both locally on network and remotely via Internet. Their pricing model is based around quantity, so the 40 Licences I just supplied (along with the free OpenOffice) cost my client 13.52$ per licence. I now make it my business to push my clients to alternatives. There is just no way I am going to support MS since they clearly do not care about the small business consultants like myself.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-10-19T18:29:59+00:00

    I'm on the same boat. I purchased a Dell laptop with Office H&B 2016 for one of our staff who do not have an MS account so I was forced to use one (mine). This is very similar to Apple's AppStore which requires an Apple ID for purchases so MS said "me too!"

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-11-16T17:32:36+00:00

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-11-16T17:53:55+00:00

    I have finally adopted a procedure suggested several pages back.  I think this is what I will do going forward, too, as Adobe is requiring an account to activate Acrobat or Acrobat Pro, too.

    1. Create an outlook.com email account using "Ofc-" plus the service tag of the computer.  Example ******@outlook.com.  The reason for "Ofc-" is that many service tags begin with a number, and outlook.com will not allow a number as the first character of an email name.
    2. Use the same password for all these bogus email accounts.
    3. Logon to the new email account (you'll need it in the next step.)
    4. Go to live.com and create a Microsoft account with minimal info.  Also use the same password as the email account.  A confirmation email will go to the email address...that's why you initially leave the outlook.com webmail open.
    5. Activate Office (assuming you installed with a key) and connect it to the new outlook.com email account.
    6. Put a note with the computer's documentation about the MS account and outlook.com email account, along with the little piece of paper with the installation key.

    I just did this for the first time yesterday, after suffering with using my Microsoft account, owners' MS accounts, and so on.  I never used a user's MS account, since employees turn over, and I don't want to connect them to the product.  I used the same outlook.com email to activate Adobe Acrobat DC.

    I believe this is too much trouble for a product legally purchased, but it is a repeatable procedure, and as far as I can tell, it has no material downside.  Using the service tag and a standard password, you have an email address you don't have to remember.  I've explained to the client that another 15 minutes or so is necessary to setting up a new computer due to Microsoft's policy.  I also add that Open Office is an alternative MS Office, although it lacks an Outlook equivalent program.

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-11-16T19:50:31+00:00

    Step 6. Does your "computer documentation" include the product key? If not, it probably should.

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