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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.
+100
Please do copy the text of your reply and post it to the UserVoice link I provided earlier in this question.
Add me to the list of extremely annoyed and actually downright pissed off MSP Partner's. MS needs to stop letting the Bean counter's make decisions about licensing. Everyone here has legitimate reasons why this new activation system requiring a live account is ridiculous. I just spent hours wasting dollars and losing profit dealing with this issue with both a MS and Dell supervisor. Both totally agree this is BS but also their hands are tied. This is something that I think is going to be deserving of class action and or anti Trust Lawsuits. I manage several hundred end points for several customers in all kinds of disciplines, from local government, to manufacturing, Engineering, and Healthcare. None of them want their legitimately purchased licenses tied to someone personal Live account and or they just don't want a live account period. they do not want to create another account on the internet containing their personal information. They do not want to risk registering all their licenses to an account and then have them disappear when the person who registered them disappears. This is a hugely unfair practice and all we can do as consumers is keep making los of noise about it. Keep calling them, Keep, posting emailing whatever you can do to make yourself heard.
Nice going MS way to alienate you business customers yet again!!!
Same boat here. We're a smaller company, about 200 employees across the US, UK, and Japan and we purchase our computers from Dell. Since they all come with 2016 now and no option to downgrade to 2013 this has been a total nightmare. On top of the pains of having to use a MS Live account, as of today I found out that we also can't activate our European and Asian laptops in America. I have to prep the laptop minus Office, send it back to the employee, then remote in and set it up once it's back there.
Needless to say, I am now researching alternatives to using Office.
I am sympathetic to your concern.
FYI MS is tunnel vision focused on "cloud computing" and "Software As A Service", SAAS. It provides them with a MUCH better revenue model (aka "MORE MONEY!"). That is why they are doing everything they can to "encourage" people to switch to Office 365, away from the 1-time payment Office 2016(2013) bundles.
If your "day job" is large enough they will have a "Service Agreement" contract with MS that gives them direct, personal contact with a specific MS Support person. That is the best place for them to voice their concern.
At the same time they should express their disapproval of switching the Office 2016 bundles to 1-computer only licenses, from 2010 where they allowed 2-computer installs.
You, and your boss, may also want to voice your concern at the new "suggestion box" site MS has setup. Use the "Office in General" site:
MS Suggestion box sites at "uservoice.com" Wiki
Hi, you should know that this error indicates someone else has already activated Office with your Product Key. I had this same issue, and had to contact Dell to ship me a new Product Key. I attempted to call Microsoft and they simply didn't care and had no suggestions other than call the vendor who sold me the product Key. After, they already made their money when the sold the key to the vendor.
As I said, it looks like someone is pilfering the product key information on the key cards from Dell and allowing the cards to be sent to the end customer. When it arrives, it can't be activated because someone else already activated it. Dell had the same problem with the Windows product key stickers on their PCs so they began to ship them without the stickers.
I came up with some good solutions and someone suggested I present them to Microsoft. The problem with that is Microsoft does not care. It is the vendor's issue. I would have to be able to get the ear of someone who really cared at Dell to present the suggestion. That is nearly impossible. But, if anyone has any suggestions on how to reach someone at Dell who cares and can do something, let me know!
In the meantime, the solution to the problem of receiving valid, unregistered Office product keys seems very clear. Go to other reliable sources, like Newegg.com, and purchase Office. The keys are sent through email in a short amount of time and they are always valid. This does not solve the initial problem of having to register the product key with a Microsoft account - that problem still exists.