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
    2015-10-21T18:09:43+00:00

    LOL, I cannot believe had badly this was managed. I have seen people fired for far less than the aggravation created by this total lack of coordination on Microsoft and their resellers.  

    I also had this issue where I was told, Office is not associated with this account", Dell had to resend me a new product code, which I received today. Anyone want to bet what will happen?

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-10-21T17:54:29+00:00

    This is just ridiculous. I set up a new MS account to indulge MS long enough to get two new Dell laptops set up. I click "Redeem Online", it says, "Office is not associated with this account." Well no duh, I'm trying to install Office. What kind of chicken or egg **** is this? I click on "Activate Office Now," which I'm pretty bloody sure I was trying to do from the beginning. It then asks me to "get started" (???) and when I click on it, it takes me back to the "Office is not associated with this account" page.

    So, basically, I cannot install Office 2016 at all, even if I play their game. Wonderful job, guys.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-10-20T22:15:01+00:00

    saveme66:

    Note that when I did follow Sushma Reddy's advice (more properly passing-of-the-buck) to post the question on the Office 365 forum, it generated a thread about as positive toward MS as this one turned out to be. Here is the link:

    https://community.office365.com/en-us/f/156/t/412487

    Not one respondent has replied to either of my posts with anything positive to say about the process. The only semi-official MS responses were to replace the question with instructions on how to use account-based activation, not how to activate without an account.

    And despite the fact that MS has attempted to turn this into an OEM provider (e.g. Dell) vs. Microsoft issue, my understanding (based on responses to my post) is that the situation does not change even with a retail purchase of H&B 2016. So it is really MS vs (us) the customer, despite what they would like to make us think.

    Clearly, MS must reconsider this activation nonsense if they want to retain their customer base. I have exactly zero clients that want subscription-based services like Office 365; they all want to outright purchase the software. Not one of them balks at the cost of the software itself, but the level of nonsense in this account-based activation process and the amount of time it is consuming for me as the sole proprietor of their technical services has just cause me, for one, to now begin testing and seriously considering the free LibreOffice for all my clients.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-10-20T20:26:14+00:00

    There are issues even with a MS Live account. To be clear, this  is how it has worked for at least two years through this summer:

    go to the following link: https://officesetup.getmicrosoftkey.com/

    type in 25 character key, hit enter

    get MS login page type in account and password

    Next page displays two questions, Country and Language

    type these in and hit enter, brings you to download page with all the downloads for this account.

    However, now as soon as you type in the login information, I am redirected to a page to install Office 365?

    No options  for Office 2016.

    This is the second laptop in a week. The first laptop I received from Dell this week, had a product key that apparently was assigned to someone elses MS Live Account, according to Microsoft. So I said, disable it and assign it to mine, since I have the valid key. Right? We can't do that, says Microsoft, you have to figure it out with Dell.

    Let the finger pointing begin!

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-10-20T19:23:55+00:00

    I heard from my dell rep that this is something they're conscious of and working on @ Microsoft, take that with appropriate grains of salt.

    Timeline was suggested to be weeks not months away, as it's been a major annoyance for all the manufacturers and their support trees.

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