Cannot activate Office Apps with High Sierra

Anonymous
2024-10-02T16:36:17+00:00

I have deleted everything and re-installed High Sierra on an old Macbook Pro. I have an Office 365 account and downloaded and installed Office (version 16.43). When first trying to use any of the Apps (Word, for example), I get a welcome page telling me all the great things I can get and then a window to enter in my Microsoft account email address. I then get a blank window where, when logging in to my account from a browser), I would need to enter my password. The blank screen never changes. Having done a clean install of the OS, there shouldn’t be any remaining bits of Microsoft licence.

Various web pages give conflicting advice about whether or not Office can still be used, albeit without support, or not with High Sierra. Can anyone give me the latest firm evidence about the situation and, if it is possible, suggestions as to how I can activate Office 365?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | MacOS

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-10-09T20:21:41+00:00

    Thank you so much for the Libre Office idea, I downloaded version 7.4, a slightly newer one, and it works on my Mac. High Sierra. I guess that is what I am going to have to do, going forward. It will be a learning curve, I have used Word since it first came out in the late 80s, and it's a shame I need to change now, but if my legitimate copy of Office no longer authenticates, I have no choice.

    However, having spent so much money on perpetual licenses in the past dictates that I cannot just leave a computer behind that still works fine, and I still have working copies of Adobe Creative Suite on it I bought before everything went to a subscription. I love it and want to keep using it, so older OS is the way to do it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-10-09T16:29:43+00:00

    I am having the exact same problem. A formerly activated office that I've not used for a few months. It's now deactivated, and when I try and activate it, I just get a blank page after clicking 'Next' having entered my email address.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-10-06T09:49:47+00:00

    I am also having the exact same problem. Is there an answer to this, or are we now no longer able to use Office programs with Mac OS 10.13.6?

    There are numerous references on the internet giving advice on how to activate Office on High Sierra but almost all are dated a few years ago and I suspect that, since then, Microsoft has changed things so that activation cannot be done. I have tried everything that I could find but without success and have now installed Libreoffice - it is not ideal but does provide a means of working. The recent issues of Libreoffice do not work on High Sierra and you will need the archived version of 7.4.0.1 at this link:

    https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/

    If you do manage to activate Office, please post back here the way you did it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-10-05T23:40:10+00:00

    I am also having the exact same problem. Is there an answer to this, or are we now no longer able to use Office programs with Mac OS 10.13.6?

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-10-04T10:46:18+00:00

    Hi Ryan,

     I can log into my Microsoft account without any problems from a browser, email or Onedrive. The Office version I have downloaded is 16.43 (I have tried 16.41 as well). The download and installation process seems to go perfectly. However, when first opening any App, I get the welcome screen and then a screen to enter my account ID. That seems to be accepted but then, when I expected to enter in my password, there is just a blank screen that doesn’t change. I have an Office 365 subscription and my internet connection is good. High Sierra 10:13.6 is, I know, old but my Macbook Pro is also old and cannot take later Mac Operating Systems. It seems a shame to have a laptop that is perfectly serviceable but cannot be used for Office apps.

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