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?

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

515 answers

Anonymous

2015-11-01T07:33:00+00:00

I'm desperate to find an answer to this.

I spent my entire Saturday afternoon trying to activate a brand new OEM Office 2016 H&B on a brand new Win7 Dell E7450 laptop here in New Zealand.

Even trying to use my own live account, the Microsoft live website doesn't seem to link the valid product code with the live account. It is 'loading' for ever until it eventually times-out.

I spoke with Dell pro support, two Microsoft reps (they all just did basic steps of trying to install at office.com/setup) and then the 3rd Microsoft person in North America said that as I don't have a Microsoft subscription for assistance, he was unable to help, and hung up. That was my Saturday.

Need this computer running by Friday!
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-11-01T07:55:38+00:00

and then the 3rd Microsoft person in North America said that as I don't have a Microsoft subscription for assistance, he was unable to help, and hung up.

Yes, that is the disadvantage of buying an OEM license. MS sells the license to the OEM and the OEM promises to take over customer support. Except that they don't know anything about it and refer you to MS. When MS hears you have an OEM license they just sent you back to the OEM (sound familiar).

When you talk to MS Support, try to "forget" to mention you have an OEM license.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-11-01T08:32:01+00:00

Yes.

Needless to say, i'm getting no where with this. I've tried everything I can think of so far. I might try using the Office 2016 Deployment Tool and see how that goes...

Its got to be a problem with the activation server or something...

I can't believe its so hard to install office - I manage IT for a company across 2 countries so I'm defiantly surprised that something as trivial as this has me stuck.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-11-01T18:03:31+00:00

That's the problem, there is no OEM version for Office Home and Business 2016 (click to run pre-install), it's retail only and behaves like the retail 2013.

I have small business client's that have totally blocked access to Live.com, Hotmail, OneDrive Personal and other such non-production distractions.

Calling this version of Office a 'Business' product is just a farce, it's Home and 'Personal' in my book, not for Business.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-11-01T18:34:22+00:00

Unfortunately, MS is totally tunnel vision focused on pushing Office 365 and managing it through the online business administrative portal (and it's consumer equivalent MyAccount). Starting with the 2013 release, Office 365 changed the focus of licensing from "the machine" to "the user"/userid. This is a very fundamental change that many users still do not recognize the impact of. To me, it seems that MS has effectively abandoned per machine licensing. This opinion is supported by the effort MS took to "hide" the per machine licenses in 2013. In 2016 the per machine licenses are not buried quite as deep on the web site.

Using the online portal, and email addresses tied into Active Directory provides the company administrator a lot of flexibility to manage licenses. But, they have made very little provision for very small businesses that still buy the single machine licenses.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments