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
    2017-03-02T09:52:38+00:00

    Best to install 25 license to 25 account, else you end up with double activation of some licenses together with unused licenses, because it is not easy to tell which license has been activated as the actual license key is not the same as the activation code on the package. You have to run command line just to find this out. This is not designed for end user at all.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-03-02T10:36:30+00:00

    You can obtain the actual Product Key from the Office Account when/as you install Office. You can also obtain the last 5 characters of the Product Key by installing Belarc Advisor

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-03-02T14:40:01+00:00

    Do I need to create A Microsoft Account for each of the redemption Key? Why not just redeem say 20 or 25 licenses or  whatever the Limit to one MSA and get those activation code generated for each Redemption Key and use the Office Offline installer to install on Multiple PCs and instead of assigning the redemption key for each PC, why not label/assigned each PC with the activation code...

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-03-02T22:50:17+00:00

    It would be helpful if your MS account would include the keys used to activate.  But for some reason, Microsoft wants to keep your own install keys a secret from you.  Your only clue is the install date, which is useless if you're doing several installs on a single day.  This is a nightmare if you have to re-install at a future date.

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-03-02T23:07:52+00:00

    You can obtain the actual Product Key from the Office Account at the time of setting up of Office (Or later) See:

    https://www.office.com/Myaccount  Click on>View your Product Key (This link is new. I only checked it earlier today and it was necessary to click on 3 links to find the key. Better late than never!)

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