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
    2016-12-22T10:43:14+00:00

    DM

    I don't think that the problem Tom had is not the same problem that you have. Check out this help document and links within. You can if all else fails use the telephone activation method. (ignore prompts and wait until you can speak to a human being) Activate Office 365, Office 2016, or Office 2013

    Above link did not help. Chat with support did not help.

    There is no option for phone activation in OEM Office 2016 H&B (AFO LB). Customer bought 10 PCs with Win 10 Pro and Office 2016 H&B OEM and all PCs are not connected to the internet. Windows was activated via phone but Office does not provide such possibility. And there is no 5x5 keys for Office, like it was with OEM MPI cards redeem code, that was possible to add to MSA. Actually as Windows is not linked to MSA and Windows activation was done via phone customer cannot find key for Office.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-12-22T11:58:46+00:00

    Your customer needs to go back to the vendor.  You can retrieve the last 5 character of the Office Product Key (Not the Redemption Key) if you install the Free version of Belarc Advisor(Not that I think it will be of much use, but Microsoft have made it impossible to retrieve the whole key)

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-12-28T06:56:37+00:00

    Or to totally save your *** you could d/load a copy of this.

    http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product\_cd\_key\_viewer.html

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-12-28T08:07:33+00:00

    The key finder only work for office 2010 and below

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-12-28T14:03:04+00:00

    I am so sick of this wasting hundreds of my own and my customers time and money that I am seeking viable alternatives to Microsoft products.  It is not worth the hassle they have created.  I even went the route of creating individual accounts for each machine only to have them lock the accounts a few weeks later.  I'm done with Microsoft office.

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