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
    2017-01-24T01:02:17+00:00

    Agree wholeheartedly.  Microsoft has at best disregarded the SMB market that people like ourselves have been serving for decades.  This whole registration thing has been a major pain and time-suck.  And you're right that going the official "reseller" route for this is even more expensive and time consuming.

    I just went through something similar with Yahoo, which was insisting that I create alternative Yahoo profiles for every single user just to keep the POP addresses that we've been using for almost two decades alive.  Guess what?  It was less effort to dump the Yahoo hosting for an ISP that was charging less than a third than to go through the hoops they were requiring.  So this seems to be an industry-wide mentality to impose this sort of cloud nonsense on small business that adds absolutely no value to the end user whatsoever, but appears to be designed to line the pockets of the vendors as they sell data and push advertising to end users.

    As for dealing with Microsoft, after over a year of this, they still don't seem to care other than to suggest setting up more profiles of going the full-fledged reseller route.

    My relationship with Microsoft has been mutually beneficial over the decades, but that seems to be becoming less so as time goes on.  The open source alternatives are looking better every day.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-01-24T10:30:11+00:00

    Extract fro Rohn' post: "Since the problem is with OEM licenses, yes, MS washes it's hands of the problem. That is the deal. The OEM has a contract with MS that says the OEM is responsible for all support for the license. That is part of the reason the OEM gets the license at a discount.  Most (99%) users are not aware of this. But it also leads to the "it's not my responsibility ... " finger pointing problem when you try to get help with problems like this one."

    That is the OEM deal.  I have not read any post above dealing with the responsibility of OEM installs.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-02-08T07:37:02+00:00

    all in all, it's a  f%^ed mess

    I am about ready to go back to digging ditches, at 55 years old, at least I know that works with the right shovel

    thanks Microshaft

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-02-08T13:00:22+00:00

    ROFL this is probably the best reply I have seen yet

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-02-14T09:50:44+00:00

    I have already stop suggesting to my client to use MS office because of this activation nightmare. Instead, I recommending them to use Libre Office. And from my expiriance, the majority of my client, doing just well with Libre office.

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