Still cannot edit any word documents as office won't activate on my Mac (version 15)

Suzy King 0 Reputation points
2026-09-01T13:48:18.1133333+00:00

Still getting the error 0 0 when I try to activate the Microsoft Office updates. I cannot edit any word documents or use Microsoft for my job!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For business | MacOS
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  1. Stefan Blom 351.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-01T14:37:43.2133333+00:00

    Microsoft Word Version 16.66.1 and it says License not activated.

    Unfortunately, that version is too old.

    Which Office product do you have? You need one which licenses at least version 16.83. If you have a subscription, such as Microsoft 365 Personal, you should be able to upgrade to an even more recent version than that I believe.

    See https://www.brandwares.com/bestpractices/2023/03/most-recent-office-you-can-run-best-practices/ .

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  2. Heimerdinger 295 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-01T14:09:21.1466667+00:00

    Hi @Suzy King, 

    Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

    Based on your description, I understand that Office will not activate on your Mac and you continue to receive Unknown Error 0x0. As a result, Word opens in a limited or view-only mode, and you cannot edit the documents you need for your work. 

    To help narrow down the issue, could you please confirm the following: 

    1. When you mention Mac version 15, do you mean macOS 15? Please provide the complete version shown under Apple menu > About This Mac. 
    2. What version of Word is installed? You can find this under Word > About Microsoft Word. 
    3. Was Office installed from the Microsoft 365 website or from the Mac App Store? 
    4. Are you using a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account? 
    5. Does the same Microsoft 365 account activate Office successfully on another device? 

    Microsoft has documented the Unknown Error 0x0 / License Not Found issue on macOS. Although the issue has been marked as resolved, the Office applications must be fully updated for the fix to take effect. 

    If Office was installed from the Microsoft website, please try these steps: 

    1. Close Word, Excel, Outlook, and all other Office applications. 
    2. Open Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate. 
    3. If Microsoft AutoUpdate is not listed in Applications, check the following location:  /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/ 
    4. Open Microsoft AutoUpdate and select Update All. 
    5. After all updates are installed, restart the Mac. 
    6. Open Word and sign in with the account associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription. 

    If Office was installed from the Mac App Store, open App Store > Updates and install all available updates for Word, Excel, and the other Microsoft applications. 

    You can also try signing out of Office before restarting: 

    1. Open Word or Excel. 
    2. Sign out of your Microsoft 365 account. 
    3. Close all Office applications completely. 
    4. Restart the Mac. 
    5. Reopen Word or Excel and sign back in. 

    For reference, please review the following Microsoft articles: 

    Certificate update for Microsoft 365 apps on managed macOS and iOS devices 

    Update Microsoft 365 or Office on your macOS or iOS device 

    Unknown Error 0x0 or License Not Found in Microsoft 365 or Office on macOS 

    If this is a work or school account and the issue continues after updating Office, your Microsoft 365 administrator may also need to confirm that an eligible Microsoft 365 Apps license is assigned to your account. 

    Please note that I’m also a Microsoft product user and do not have access to your account, subscription, or activation information. However, once you provide the macOS version, Word version, installation source, and account type, I will do my best to provide more appropriate guidance. 

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. I look forward to your update.

    Note: Please follow the steps in the forum documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  3. AI answer

    2026-09-01T13:48:34+00:00

    For error 0x0 / License not found on a Mac where Office opens documents in reduced functionality mode, the supported fix is to update Office first.

    1. Make sure the Mac is running macOS 12 or later.
    2. Close all Office apps.
    3. Open Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate.
    4. Install all available updates with Update All.
    5. After updates finish, open Word again and test activation.

    If Office was installed from the App Store instead of microsoft.com:

    1. Close all Office apps.
    2. Open the App Store.
    3. Select Updates.
    4. Update Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
    5. Reopen Word and test.

    If activation still fails after updating:

    1. Confirm the Mac has internet access.
    2. Reset Office credentials:
      1. Open Spotlight.
      2. Search for and open Keychain.
      3. Search for Office.
      4. Delete the data license file.
    3. Run the Microsoft 365 Activation troubleshooter.

    If Word still says a subscription is required after that, remove the Office license files and reactivate:

    1. Run the License Removal Tool.
    2. Open Keychain Access.
    3. Delete these items:
      • Microsoft Office Identities Cache 3
      • Microsoft Office Identities Settings 3
      • Microsoft Office Ticket Cache
    4. Restart the Mac.
    5. Open any Office app and sign in again to activate.

    Notes:

    • Changes in Keychain Access require local admin privileges.
    • Office for Mac must contact the Office Licensing Service on the internet to activate.
    • For organization-managed Microsoft 365, the user must have an assigned Office license before activation will succeed.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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