Cannot access Microsoft Apps on Desktop

Allison 0 Reputation points
2026-09-15T01:47:56.8933333+00:00

I purchased a Microsoft home office package a few years ago. It gave me Excel, Word and Powerpoint. I've been using it for years, but now I cannot edit any excel document. It prompts me to login to my Microsoft account so I can edit the document, but after I do that I get error 0x0.

I have a MacBook Air. I have tried downloading the Excel app from the App Store but that isn't working. I've tried looking for updates but it won't work. Am I being forced to a subscription service for Microsoft 365 now?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | MacOS

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  1. Norah-L 10,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-17T04:00:20.9+00:00

    Hello Allison,

    You are not necessarily being forced to subscribe to Microsoft 365. Error 0x0 is an identified Office activation issue on Mac, while the App Store version of Excel requires a Microsoft 365 subscription and cannot use an older one-time Office license.

    Please try the options below and check whether the issue continues:

    1. Check Apple menu > About This Mac. If possible, update the Mac to macOS 12 or later.
    2. Quit all Office apps, open Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate, then install all available Office updates.
    3. Sign in at Microsoft account Services & subscriptions and confirm that your Office purchase is listed. Use that same account when activating Excel.
    4. Remove the Excel version downloaded from the App Store. Reinstall Office directly from your Microsoft account page instead, since a one-time licence must use Microsoft’s installer.

    Please note that if the Mac cannot be updated to macOS 12 or later, or if the installed Office version is no longer supported (such as Office 2019), the licensing components required for activation may not install correctly to resolve the issue. In that case, please temporarily edit files using Microsoft 365 for the web as a workaround.

    Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps, and I'll be glad to continue looking into it with you.

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