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

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.

0 comments

515 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Deleted

    This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

    Comments have been turned off. Learn more

  2. Deleted

    This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

    Comments have been turned off. Learn more

  3. Anonymous
    2017-05-13T21:16:31+00:00

    Eddie:

    As Ron B has already pointed out, (in theory) you can use a single email account to install 20-25 Office 2016 licenses, ie

    **Office 2016 / 2013/365 Installation and Activation Guide & FAQ**with Pictures -Specifically says you can activate 25 licenses on a single ID

    http://www.entaonline.com/banners/microsoft\_office/downloads/Office-Installation-and-Activation-Guide-2013.pdf

    Note: if you do that, you MUST keep your own record of the **full product key,**and computer ID used for each machine.  You cannot depend on MS to provide that information for you later. You can NO LONGER "extract" the full product key from the computer.

    Don't hold your breath waiting for MS to remove the requirement to associate the license with an email account. There are too many advantages for MS to maintain that relationship. The only way that will happen is if MANY really large customers move away from Office and tell MS that is the reason. But I don't expect it to happen because most large customers are "drinking the coolaid" and switching to 365 subscriptions.  In many places this changes office from a "capital" expense that has to be depreciated over several years, to a "current expense" that can written off of their taxes in full each year ...

    So, if your customers do decide to "vote with their feet (and wallet)" by moving away from Office, make sure to contact MS every time and tell them why this is happening.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Deleted

    This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

    Comments have been turned off. Learn more

  5. Anonymous
    2017-05-13T16:25:34+00:00

    Well it is time for me to reply. I just installed 25 Microsoft office 2016 home-business retail  packages. This should have taken me a few hours, but no, not with MS procedures of creating an online email account for each install. To make matters worse, after getting one email account set up, with email verification, the second one required the email plus a cell phone activation code. Ok, this had to be done of 24 installs, but guess what, it will only use the same cell phone twice, and requires you to use a different one after that. So here I am trying to get enough cell phone numbers to get the code for creating each account. This process of creating the accounts and verifying took longer than the install of all 25 packages would have taken in the past.

    Like others, I created the accounts all at one time, then the next day I started the installs. Of the 25 installs, 7 of them said the account was spamming, and again required a cell phone to unblock the account. Then a few days later another one was flagged as spamming, and Microsoft shut down the usage of excel and word. Neither could open a file for editing or viewing until the account was unblocked. WHY?

    I, like others have many customers out there with office installed, and right now I have about 20 customers, with up to 10 pc's that need the new office installed. I will not be upgrading to the new office for them unless MS stops the on line account creation. This is a waste of my time and a waste of my customers dollars to pay me to do something that is not necessary. Plus I see this as a huge problem in the future when MS shuts down the ability to open a file when they THINK the email account (which is not being used) is spamming. Once again waste of my time and cost to the customer.

    Oh for the volume license route, I tried this for the last install. I contacted 3 partners, and none called me back after 2 months. I emailed, and phoned directly, with no response. This was no help, for I knew the volume license does not require the online activation,  I have state agencies and they get the volume license, and the installs are like in the old days.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments