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
    2024-12-24T07:11:27+00:00

    Hi Rafael, very helpful of you. I am away for a month from the location where my High Sierra iMac is located so I don't think I will be able to try remotely but I will definitely try it when I return, in the meantime I have my Macbook (M1 - Sonoma 14.7.2) with me not sure if I could try on it or a friend has an older Macbook (Monterey 12.7.6). I will give it a go in the next 3-4 days. Best wishes for the festive season and for a happy and prosperous New Year. Jean-Luc

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-12-29T13:02:53+00:00

    Hi Rafael,
    You are an absolute legend, a thousand thanks for this guide. I was able to do it successfully on 2 old High Sierra iMacs.

    It took me 1-2 minutes to understand what exactly did what in mitmproxy but after that it was a breeze.

    Can't thank you enough

    wish you all a happy new year

    Best Regards

    Lukas

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-12-30T08:34:05+00:00

    Rafael!

    Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to explain this. I intend to try your process out as soon as I feel brave enough. The Microsoft people were friendly and helpful, it must be said, but this is a fairly major systemic oversight! Too many of their technical designers probably don’t understand that many of us use obsolete operating systems and hardware.

    Best wishes for 2024.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-01-17T14:09:30+00:00

    Hello,

    A great great thank you rafaelfonte22!

    Your guide was exactly what I hoped to find after getting so much "it is not possible" answers.

    It worked perfectly and I can now use office apps on my old 2011 macbook air that still works flawlessly.

    It took me a few tries to accommodate to mitmproxy interface an modify the response in the 30s (or so) timeframe, but as soon as I was warmed up it worked without any hiccups.

    Thanks again you saved another old mac!

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-01-26T00:27:14+00:00

    You are lucky if you are young and competent enough to understand Rafael's guidance. I'm 80 and limited in ability with this stuff. I too tried to re-install Word and Excel 16.43 software after a crash required a re-install of my High Sierra 10.16 os. I had originally purchased them back when you could. They are for use on an old Mac that I use in my vacation place. I tried to open a new account to activate them under a different email to avoid confusion with the current Microsoft subscription on my newer Mac. Same problem.... after filling in the requested data and getting verification, the page went blank.

    I tried for a whole afternoon to reach Microsoft for help but 4 different phone numbers only resulted in the same recorded instruction to go useless FAQs on the internet. An earlier comment mentioned that he had spoken to a Microsoft person, I would like to know how he found them. It is all pretty disgusting.

    I never have this problem with Apple support. A phone call and you have help in minutes.

    Oliver

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