Microsoft 365 Activation Issue - Sign-In Stuck on Loading Screen

Peter 0 Reputation points
2026-09-14T15:43:12.03+00:00

My school offers Microsoft 365 to all students, but recently Microsoft Office has been giving me notifications saying that the apps are unlicensed. I noticed that Office is currently signed into my personal account. When I try to add my school account or update the license, the Microsoft login screen appears, but after I enter my school email address and click Next, it just hangs indefinitely on the loading screen and never continues.

So far, I have tried restarting Office and Windows, reinstalling office, using the Switch License and Update License options in Word, and confirming under Windows Settings → Accounts → Access work or school that my school account is connected. I also tried running the Microsoft 365 Activation Troubleshooter, but the troubleshooter itself failed with a message saying there was a problem running the activation diagnostic. I then ran Microsoft’s OLicenseCleanup.vbs script to clear old Office licensing information, which completed successfully, but I am still unable to complete the Microsoft sign-in process and activate Office with my school account.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For education | Windows
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  1. Chris-D 1,260 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-14T16:11:44.1633333+00:00

    Hi Peter,

    Thank you for sharing the details of your situation and the troubleshooting steps you have already completed. 

    Based on the information provided, the main issue appears to be that Microsoft Office cannot complete the sign-in process for your school account. Since Office is currently signed in with your personal account, it cannot retrieve and activate the Microsoft 365 license assigned by your school. 

    To help narrow down the cause, here are some steps you can try: 

    1. Open an InPrivate or Incognito browser window and go to https://www.office.com
    2. Sign in using your school account and confirm whether you can complete the sign-in process successfully. 
    3. If you can access Microsoft 365 normally on the web but cannot sign in to or activate the desktop applications, the subscription assigned by your school may not include the Microsoft 365 desktop applications.  
    • For example, an Office 365 Education A1 license generally provides access to the web applications only, while eligible A3 and A5 licenses include the desktop applications. 
    1. To confirm your license, you can go to My account. Check whether your assigned subscription is listed and whether it includes the Microsoft 365 desktop applications. 
    2. If the account and license appear correct, create a temporary Windows user profile and try signing in to Office with your school account from that profile. This can help determine whether the issue is associated with your current Windows profile. 
    3. Temporarily disable any VPN or proxy connection, and make sure that the date, time, and time zone on your device are correct before trying again. 

    If you cannot sign in through the browser, the subscription is not listed, or the issue continues despite the license being assigned correctly, please contact your school’s IT administrator for further assistance. They can verify your account status, license assignment, sign-in logs, and any access policies that may be affecting the authentication process. 

    If necessary, your school’s IT administrator can open a support request with Microsoft Support through the Microsoft 365 admin center for further investigation. 

    I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to share them in the comment below. I'm very happy to help.  


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