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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:
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?
Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
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.
I would start offering open office to customers. its free with all the things you can do with office and doesn't require you to set up an account. and again, its free!
So basically you guys are unwilling to resolve this issue. I say we should all install open office. it is just as good as Microsoft office and its free
kdmtech, the only downside of OpenOffice/ LibreOffice is the lack of an equivalent Exchange Client like outlook. I posted a great solution to the outlook replacement problem many pages back - I am rolling it out to more and more clients who are very happy with it as a fully functional outlook replacement (that works with exchange server). Check out "eM Client" at emclient.com. I am in no way affiliated with them but I have been using eM Client in small business environments for well over a year now, and it is a rock solid replacement to outlook.
Im in the same boat..Fed up with Microsoft strategy as they are pushing O365. The model doesn't our business model. Researching on alternative office solutions for clients..let us start something at changeorg or please recommend what is good libre or Google
I resolved this issue by uninstalling the pre-installed version Office from my customer's laptop, and installing a slightly older version of Office 2016 Home & Business.
It took quite a bit of casual and at times heated chit-chat with a Microsoft support technician to convince him that the new activation requirements simply do not make sense for IT service providers that do software prep-work for their customers. Eventually he provided me with the following links to installers for slightly older versions of Office 2016 Home & Business that do not require Microsoft Live accounts for product activation:
****Installer for office home and business 2016****
For 32 bit:
For 64 bit:
Joy!