This post will show you how to activate Microsoft Office. Check how to activate Microsoft Office for free and how to activate MS Office 365/2021/2019/2016/2013 with product key, KMS, etc. If you want to recover deleted or lost office document, you can use a free data recovery program -MiniTool Power Data Recovery.
Microsoft Office includes popular programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, etc. Depending on how you purchase Office, the Office activation process may differ. This post will show you how to activate Microsoft Office 365/2021/2019/2016/2013 in different ways. It also provides a free office file recovery tool to help you recover deleted or lost office documents effortlessly.
How to activate Microsoft Office 365/2021/2019/2016, etc.
This is how you can activate Microsoft Office for free
If you bought a laptop with Windows 11/10 operating system and Microsoft Office preinstalled and bought it with an OEM license, you may be able to activate Microsoft Office for free. Activation instructions are usually found in the computer box or on the desktop screen after activating your Windows 10/11 operating system. You may be asked to sign in to Office with a Microsoft account to activate your Office package. If you don't already have a Microsoft account, you can follow the instructions to create a Microsoft account.
You can also activate Office for free by signing up for a 1-month trial ofMicrosoft 365Start Family. You can test the activated Office version for one month. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can download, install, and use the Microsoft Office tools for free.
How to activate MS Office with product key
1. If you have Office installed
Once you have successfully installed the Microsoft Office package on your PC and purchased an Office product key, you can activate your Office suite by following the guide below.
- Open any of the Office applications like Word, Excel, etc. on your PC.
- In the pop-up welcome window, click the buttonRegisterto enter your Microsoft account credentials and sign in to Office.
- click onfile->Account.
- click onActivate product.
- Click on the optionUse a different account.
- Click on the linkI have a product key.
- Then you can enter your product key to activate your Microsoft Office product. After activation, the message "Product Activated" appears on the Account page along with the Office edition.
2. If you don't have Office installed
If you purchased Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office with a product key, you can follow the instructions below to activate Office and install Office products on your Windows 11/10 computer.
For Microsoft 365 and Office 2021/2019/2016/2013 you can clickhttps://setup.office.com/go and click the buttonRegisterclick to sign in with your Microsoft account. If you don't have an account, you can click the buttonCreate a new accountclick tocreate a Microsoft account. Enter your product key in the pop-up window. You can then download and install your Office product.
If you bought Microsoft Office or the Microsoft 365 suite from the Microsoft Store, you can go tohttps://www.microsoft.com/de-de/store/b/salego and top right upRegisterClick to sign in with your Microsoft account that you used to purchase Office. After that you can click your name at the top right and then clickorder historyclick. Locate your Office purchase and clickInstall Officeto view your product key.
How to activate Microsoft Office with KMS activators
For schools, businesses, or other organizations, you can use a KMS software product to automatically activate Office products without entering a license key. The Key Management Service (KMS) is an activation service that allows organizations to activate systems within their own network. The KMS client can search for a local KMS server and activate the software such as Windows operating systems or Office products for 180 days. After 180 days, you may need to reactivate Office using the KMS tool.
Top Microsoft Office KMS activators include KMSpico, MicroKMS, Microsoft Toolkit Activator, KMSAuto, etc.
For more information on KMS activation, see Microsoft's official guides:
Activate with Key Management Service
Key Management Services (KMS) client activation and product keys
How to check whether your MS Office is activated or not
You can open any Microsoft Office program such as Word and clickfile->Accountclick. Under product information you can see whether your Microsoft Office is activated.
Disadvantages of not activating Microsoft Office
While you can use Microsoft Office for free and not activate it, it has some limitations.
- A product notice is constantly displayed at the top of the application. It's a yellow bar that says "Word hasn't been activated. To continue using Word without interruption, activate it before the date." There is a button next to the messageActivate.
- If you don't activate your Office before the date specified in the warning, you won't be able to use many features of the Microsoft Office applications. All Office editing features are disabled.
- When you click on the Microsoft Office programfile->Accountyou'll also see a notification that says "Activation required".
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How to Recover Deleted/Lost Office Documents for Free
If you accidentally deleted some Microsoft Office documents like Word files, Excel files, PPT files, etc., you can firstly search and find the target files in Windows Recycle Bin. If you do thatTrash emptiedhave, you must have oneprofessional data recovery programuse to recover the deleted office documents. However, if you deleted some files from a USB flash drive, they will also be permanently deleted. You still need a data recovery program to help youRecover deleted files from USB flash drive.
WithMiniTool Power Data Recovery, which is specially designed for data recovery, you can recover all deleted or lost files, photos, videos, etc. from various storage devices.
With MiniTool Power Data Recovery, you can recover deleted/lost MS Office files or any other type of files from Windows PC or laptop. You can also use it to recover data from USB, SD/memory card, external hard drive, SSD, etc.
This program will help you deal with various data loss situations. You can use it toRecover data from a formatted hard drive, recover data from a damaged hard drive,Recover data when PC won't start, and much more.
Download and install this program on your Windows computer. Read below how to use it to recover deleted or lost Microsoft Office documents from your PC or USB drive.
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- Launch MiniTool Power Data Recovery application. If you want to recover files from a USB flash drive, you should connect the USB drive to your PC's USB port beforehand.
- On the main interface, you can select the destination drive that contains your deleted/lost documents and clickScanIf you don't know which drive to select, you can click the tabDevicesclick, select the entire drive or device, and clickScanclick.
- After the scan, you can check the scan result to see if the files you need are there. If so, tick them and clickSave on computer.
Tip: If you have a specific type of Office file, such as B. Word files, you want to scan quickly, you can click the icon in the left panescan settingsclick. Here you can choose what kind of files you want to scan. If only youScan and recover Word filesyou canDocumentschoose and only the file typeOffice Word-Dokument(*.doc) select. click onOKto save the scan settings.
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WithMiniTool ShadowMakeryou can select any files and folders to backup to another location on your PC or to an external hard drive, USB flash drive, etc. You can also select one partition or multiple partitions to backup partitions. You can even choose to backup the entire hard drive contents.
Besides backing up files, you can also use MiniTool ShadowMaker to backup and restore your Windows system. This is useful when your computer is having problems and you want to restore it to a previous, healthy state.
This program also offers another backup method –sync file- which allows you to easily create backups. If you want to backup regularly, you can set a schedule to back up the selected data automatically. If you only want to keep the latest backup version, you can set an incremental backup scheme.
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Conclusion
This post provides Microsoft Office 365/2021/2019/2016/2013 activation guide and free data recovery guide to help you recover deleted or lost office documents. I hope it helps you.
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FAQs
How to activate Office 365 2016 for free? ›
- Activating your free Office suite via Microsoft. Open the Microsoft Office program of your choice. ...
- Step 1: open the Office program. ...
- Step 2: choose an account. ...
- Step 3: log in to Microsoft 365. ...
- Step 4: accept the conditions. ...
- Step 5: get started.
You activate Microsoft 365 by signing in with a Microsoftaccount. If we detect your Microsoft account, we'll show it on this screen. After you sign in, your product is added to your Microsoft account, so that you can reinstall it later, or manage your new subscription, without a product key.
How do I manually activate Office 2021? ›- Log into your computer with an administrator account.
- Type into the search field. cmd.exe.
- Click with the right mouse button on cmd.exe and select “Run as Administrator”
- Change to the directory where Microsoft Office is installed. ...
- Enter. ...
- Finally enter.
- Go to Start > Word 2016.
- Select Activate. Activate should be the only option that's shown. If you're prompted for a product key and you know you paid for Office, see Troubleshoot Office that's pre-installed on a new PC.
- Follow the prompts to complete the activation process.
Microsoft 365 for the web is a free version of Microsoft 365 that you can use in a web browser. All you need is to sign up for a Microsoft account with a new or existing email address. Use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more for free on the web.
How to activate Office 365 for free product key? ›- To redeem a new purchase.
- Step 1: Go to www.office.com/setup or Microsoft365.com/setup.
- Step 2: Sign in with your Microsoft account, or create one if you don't have one. ...
- Step 3: Enter your product key, without hyphens, if prompted.
You can also activate Office for free if you start a 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365 Family. You can try the activated Office version for one month. If you subscribe to a Microsoft 365 plan, then you can download, install, and use Microsoft Office tools for free.
Can you activate Office 2021 without a Microsoft account? ›Microsoft Office 2019, 2021 or 365 cannot activate without a valid Microsoft Account. More information about the requirement is available at Microsoft.com. Subscription-based Office 365 and M365 products must be activated within 6 Months (180 days) from the time of Windows activation.
How do I permanently activate Office 2013? ›From the start menu click All programs > Microsoft Office 2013, then click on any program in the folder (e.g., Access 2013, Excel 2013) to open it. The Activate Office window will open. Click Enter the product key instead. Ensure the option Use recommended settings option is selected, and click Accept.
How do I find my Office 2021 activation key? ›- Visit your account in the Microsoft store.
- Log in to your account.
- Tap on Install from a disc.
- Tap I have a disc.
- Tap on View your Product key. The code will appear on your screen.
What happens if you don t activate Office 2021? ›
If Office activation fails, you'll see Unlicensed Product or Non-commercial use / Unlicensed Product in the title bar of your Office apps, and most features of Office are disabled.
How much does Office 2021 cost? ›| Feature | Office 2021 Home & Student | Office 2021 Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Access 2021 | No | Yes |
| License Type | Single PC/Mac | Single PC/Mac |
| Technical Support | Limited | Limited |
| Price (USD)* | $149.99 | $439.99 |
Sign into the Microsoft 365 admin center. Go to Billing > Your products > Volume licensing > Downloads & keys > hover on product and select View keys.
How do I activate and install Office 365? ›Go to office.com/setup and sign in with an existing Microsoft account or create a new one, then enter your product key. Follow the remaining prompts to finish linking your Microsoft account with this version of Microsoft 365.
Why does Office 2016 say not activated? ›If the error message says that your Office isn't activated, it means that your Office apps are now on the level of a trial version. Depending on the type of warning you get, you can still make use of them as normal.
What happens if I stop paying for Office 365? ›Admins and users no longer have access to the services or Microsoft 365 apps that came with the subscription. All customer data—from user data to documents and email—is permanently deleted and is unrecoverable. At this point, you can't reactivate the subscription.
Is Microsoft 365 free for lifetime? ›Microsoft 365, because it is a subscription license service and requires an annual or monthly subscription to get the latest versions of the Office apps, such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Do I have to pay for Office 365 every year? ›Do you have to pay an annual fee for Microsoft Office 365? The short answer is, yes. Microsoft Office 365 requires an annual or monthly subscription fee. There are different subscription plans available to choose from, depending on your needs and budget.
Does Microsoft 365 come with a product key? ›Case 1 - You purchase an Office online, you'll be provided with a product key. Case 2 - Your PC is shipped with the Office app, it normally offers a 1-month trial without a key.
How to get the product key? ›The product key is on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in.
What is the difference between Office 365 and Office 2021? ›
The biggest difference between Microsoft Office 365 vs 2021 is that Office 365 is a subscription service, while Office 2021 is a one-time purchase. This means that with Office 365, you always have the latest version of the software and access to online storage and collaboration features.
How to activate Microsoft Office for free without Internet? ›- To download the offline installer, go to www.office.com. ...
- Select Install Office. ...
- In the Download and install window, select Other options.
- Check the box Download an offline installer and select the language you want to install the Microsoft 365 apps in.
Install and activate Office A Microsoft account or work or school account is required to install and activate Microsoft 365 and Office versions 2013 or later.
Can I use Office 365 with a local account? ›However, there are many drawbacks to using a local account: First, Microsoft will frequently nag you about switching to a Microsoft account, starting with the Windows installation process. You won't be able to use Microsoft services like OneDrive or Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
How do I activate a deactivated Microsoft Office? ›- If you have more than one Office App open (i.e. Word, Excel, Powerpoint) close all but one App.
- Click “Reactivate” or “Sign in”
- Sign in to your Microsoft 365 account.
- Click “Accept”
- Restart Microsoft 365 Apps and check activation.
If Office can't activate, it eventually becomes unlicensed and all editing features of Office are disabled. Office can become unlicensed for a number of reasons. For example, if your Office 365 subscription expires, you must renew your subscription to restore all features of Office.
Does Office 2013 expire? ›Support for Office 2013 ended on April 11, 2023 and there will be no extension and no extended security updates. All of your Office 2013 apps will continue to function. However, you could expose yourself to serious and potentially harmful security risks.
Why does Office 2016 keep asking for activation? ›This can happen if you don't uninstall the pre-installed version of Office on your new PC before installing a volume license version of Office. To stop the prompts for activation, make sure your Office uses volume licensing and then update the registry.
How to find Microsoft Office 2021 product key using command prompt? ›Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Type the following command to navigate to the Office folder. Type cscript ospp. vbs /dstatus , and then press Enter.
How to find product key for Microsoft Office 2013 already installed? ›- Navigate to the Start button and search for the CMD.
- Run CMD with administrator rights.
- Type cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\OSPP.VBS" /dstatus to extract the product key of Microsoft Office 2013 (64-bit) (Win64-bit)
How do I change my Office 2021 activation key? ›
On the device where you want to change the key, open any Office app, select the File menu and then select Account near the bottom of the menu. Under Product Information, select the Change License button. If there is no Change License button, you may need to install Office updates.
Does Office 2021 expire? ›One other important note: Office 2021 and Office LTSC 2021 will be supported with security updates only through Oct. 13, 2026. That's just five years of support, down from seven years in Office 2019 and 10 years in prior releases.
Why is Office suddenly unlicensed? ›office 2019microsoft certified partnerproduct keynot openingupdate officeIf your Office apps are not opening and showing "Unlicensed Product" or "Non-commercial use/ Unlicensed Product" in the title bar, it means your Office products have been disabled.
Why my Microsoft Office is not activated? ›Here are a few reasons why you might see a "Product Activation Failed" error on any Microsoft Office app: You're either using the app without a license, or your Microsoft 365 or any other subscription has expired. You are running a pirated version of Windows.
How much is Microsoft Office 2021 lifetime? ›Microsoft Office Professional 2021 lifetime license: $30
It's available for both Mac and Windows, so be sure to grab the right one for the computer that you use regularly. If you're looking for productivity tools, it's difficult to match the Microsoft Office suite of apps.
Features: Microsoft Office 2021 is the most up-to-date version of the suite and includes all the latest features, such as AI-powered grammar suggestions and new data analysis tools. Office 2019 and 2016 both offer similar functionality, but they lack some of the newer features found in Office 2021.
Is Office 2021 better than Office 2019? ›Compared to Office 2019, the 2021 version reintroduces the OneNote application and adds a well-known, popular messaging app – MS Teams. MS Office is available in many languages officially supported by Microsoft. With both Office suites you can save, open, import, export and generally manage files in the same format.
Can I recover Microsoft Office? ›If you signed in with a Microsoft account, from the Office home page select Install Office > Install. (Office 365 subscribers should select Install again). This begins the download of Office. Follow the prompts on your screen to complete the install.
How do I transfer Microsoft Office to another laptop? ›- Uninstall from the current computer.
- Install on the new computer.
- Uninstall the factory-installed trial (Optional)
- Activate on the new computer using same Product Key.
- Go to Start > Word 2016.
- Select Activate. Activate should be the only option that's shown. If you're prompted for a product key and you know you paid for Office, see Troubleshoot Office that's pre-installed on a new PC.
- Follow the prompts to complete the activation process.
What is difference between Office 365 and Microsoft 365? ›
What is the difference between Office 365 and Microsoft 365? Microsoft 365 includes everything you know in Office 365. Microsoft 365 is designed to help people and businesses achieve more with innovative Office apps, intelligent cloud services, and world-class security.
How do I activate my Office 365 device? ›Please refer to "(Your organization has disabled this device) error when you try to activate Microsoft 365 Apps", go to Azure Active Directory > Devices > select the device > Enable in the Azure portal.
How do I know if my Microsoft Office is permanently activated? ›To check if Windows has been activated, click Settings > System > About > System Info (under related settings). In Windows 10, select the Start button, Settings, Update & Security, and Activation. The activation status is listed next to Activation. Right-click Start and then click System.
How long is Office 2016 activation period? ›After 30 days, your trial version of Office will expire and Office functionality will be partially blocked. The user will be prompted to purchase a license and activate the product (using a retail/MAK key or via Office KMS activation), or to uninstall Office completely.
How to find product key for Microsoft Office 2021 already installed? ›Here's how to view your product key in the Microsoft Store: Go to www.microsoftstore.com. In the upper right-hand corner, select Sign in and enter the user ID and password you used to buy Office. After you sign in, select your name in the upper right-hand corner, and then select Order History.
How do I know if my Microsoft 365 is activated? ›Windows is Activated
Microsoft Windows 10 or 11 must be activated before you can redeem and activate Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365. To check the activation status in Windows 10 or 11, select the Start button. Select Settings icon. Select Update & Security, and then select Activation.
- Sign into the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Go to Billing > Your products > Volume licensing > Downloads & keys > hover on product and select View keys.
Using the command line to check your license type
Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Type the following command to navigate to the Office folder. Type cscript ospp. vbs /dstatus , and then press Enter.
- Visit setup.office.com and sign in with your Microsoft account or create a new account.
- Enter your product key (or activation code). ...
- Select Install Office. ...
- If the User Account Control asks whether you want to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes.
Sign out of Office and sign back in
Select Sign out. Select Sign in. Make sure you are signed in with your Work or School account, not your personal Microsoft account. Try activating Microsoft 365 again.
How many devices can I activate Microsoft 365? ›
With Microsoft 365, you can install Office on all your devices and sign in to Office on five devices at the same time. This includes any combination of PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones.
What is the difference between a Microsoft account and a Microsoft 365 account? ›Your Microsoft Account is not your Business Office 365 account, they are two completely different accounts. One is owned by you as an individual and the other is managed by your company.
Is Office 365 license per user or device? ›It's per user: "Users can install Office 365 ProPlus on up to five different computers with a single Office 365 license. For example, a user can have Office 365 ProPlus installed on a computer in the office, on a laptop to use when traveling, and on a home computer.
How do I install Microsoft Office 365 on a second computer? ›Go to https://office.com, and sign in using your work account. Select Install Office > Microsoft 365 Apps > Run , and then select Yes. The Microsoft 365 Apps are installed. The process might take several minutes.
How long does Office 365 activation last? ›Activating Microsoft 365 Apps
As long as the computer can connect to the internet at least once every 30 days, Microsoft 365 Apps remains fully functional. If the computer goes offline for more than 30 days, Microsoft 365 Apps enters reduced functionality mode until the next time a connection can be made.