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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. To restore all features of Office, you'll need to fix the problem that's causing activation to fail.
Step 1: Sign in to Office with the right account
If Office asks you to sign in, enter the account you used to buy Office. You'll see "We couldn't find any Office products" if you use the wrong address.
Try this: Sign in to Office
Step 2: Check for multiple copies of Office
You may not realize you have more than one copy installed. Having two installs can cause activation conflicts.
Try this: Check for multiple copies of Office
Step 3: Check your subscription status
If your subscription has expired, you'll see "We couldn't find any Office products." Renew your subscription to use Microsoft 365.
Try this: Check your subscription status
Step 4: Troubleshoot activation
If Office still won't activate, choose your Office version for additional troubleshooting help.
Microsoft 365
Office 2021, 2019 and Office 2016
Office 2013
Note:If you're running Office on Windows 7 (which is no longer supported, see Windows 7 end of support and Office), you need to make sure that TLS 1.2 is enabled by default. SeeUpdate to enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 as default secure protocols in WinHTTP in Windows.
Step 1: Sign in with the right account
Please try signing in using all your personal email addresses in case you bought Office using a different email address. If you're at work or school, you may need to log in using your work or school account instead of your personal email account.
To check if your Microsoft account is associated with Office, sign in to . Your Office product or Microsoft 365 subscription should be listed there. If it's not, your email address won't work for signing in to Office.
Step 2: Check for multiple copies of Office
Activation can fail if you have multiple copies of Office installed. Let's uninstall any versions of Office you aren't using before we continue to troubleshoot.
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Open Control Panel using the steps below for your operating system.
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Windows 11or Windows 10: On the Windows task bar, type Control Panel in the Type here to search box, select Control Panel in the search results, and then select Programs and Features.
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Windows 8.1 or Windows 8: Right-click the Start button
(lower-left corner), select Control Panel, and then select Programs and Features. -
Windows 7: Select> Control Panel > Uninstall a program.
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In the Search Programs and Features box (upper-right corner) of Programs and Features, search for the word office.
You might see multiple versions installed, like this:
If more than one version appears, right-click the version you aren't using and select Uninstall.
If only one version is listed, you can go to Step 3: Check your Microsoft 365 subscription status.
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When the uninstall is finished, restart your computer.
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Open an Office app and sign in, if prompted.
(Video) HOW TO FIX UNLICENSED PRODUCT OF MICROSOFT OFFICE 2019 2016 ~ EASY 100% WORKING -
If Office still won't activate, try running an online repair as described in Repair an Office application to fix up the remaining install of Office. If you still can't activate, proceed to the next step.
(lower-left corner), select Control Panel, and then select Programs and Features.
Step 3: Check your Microsoft 365 subscription status
If you have aMicrosoft 365 for home subscription, let's make sure it's still active and renew your subscription, if necessary.
If you don't have Microsoft 365, you can skip to Step 4: Troubleshoot Office activation.
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Close all Office apps.
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Go to your page.
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If prompted, choose Sign in and enter the Microsoft account email and password associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.
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Review the details under the Subscriptions heading or Cancelled subscriptions heading.
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If your subscription has expired, you can renew it by following the steps in Renew Microsoft 365 Family.
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After you renew your subscription, you can restart your Office apps as needed. If Office still won't activate, continue to the next step
Step 4: Troubleshoot Office activation
Select your version of Office for troubleshooting steps:
Microsoft 365
Office 2021, 2019 and Office 2016
Office 2013
Microsoft 365: Use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
The Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant runs on Windows PCs and can help you identify and fix activation issues with Microsoft 365.
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Select the Download button below.
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Select your browser from the drop-down list to see how to save and then start the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.
Select your browser - Select your browser
- Edge
- Internet Explorer
- Chrome
- Firefox
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At the top of the browser window, select Open file.
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In the next box that indicates SetupProd_Act.exe is finished downloading, select Run.
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At the bottom of the browser window, select Open to open the SetupProd_Act.exe file.
If the file doesn’t open automatically, choose Save > Open Folder, and then double-click the file (it should start with "SetupProd_Act.exe").
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In the lower-lower left corner select the SetupProd_Act.exe file and from the drop down, select Show in folder.
Double-click the download, SetupProd_Act.exe.
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Select Save File, and then OK.
In the upper-right browser window, select Show all downloads. In the Library, select Downloads > SetupProd_Act.exe, and then select the folder icon. Double-click SetupProd_Act.exe.
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The Application Install dialog box opens. Select Install to start the installation.
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The Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant opens in a new window. Select I agree to accept the Microsoft Services Agreement.
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Select Yes to allow the app to make changes to your device.
(Video) Unlicensed Product | Word (Unlicensed Product) | How to fix unlicensed product in word | Solved -
Follow the prompts to troubleshoot your Office activation issue.
If Office still won't activate after you run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant, you can Fix Unlicensed Product errors yourself.
Fix Unlicensed Product errors yourself
If you've tried the earlier troubleshooting steps and Office is still unlicensed, you can troubleshoot activation failures yourself.
Try these first
Check your computer's date, time, and time zone
Run Office as administrator
Update Office
Check connectivity
Check your firewall
Check your antivirus software
Check your proxy settings
Check your computer's date, time, and time zone
If these settings aren't correct, Office activation might fail. Follow the steps below for your operating system.
Windows 11 orWindows 10
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Close all Office apps.
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In the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, select the date or time.
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Select Date and time settings.
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Select Set time automatically and, if shown, Set time zone automatically. If you don't have the option to set the time zone automatically, make sure your local time zone is shown in Time zone.
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Restart any Office app.
Windows 8.1 orWindows 8
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Close all Office apps.
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In the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, select the date or time.
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Select Change date and time settings.
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If the date or time is wrong, select Change date and time and correct the date and time settings.
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If the time zone is wrong, select Change time zone and select your local time zone.
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Restart any Office app.
Windows 7
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Close all Office apps.
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In the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, select the date or time.
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Select Change date and time settings.
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If the date or time is wrong, select Change date and time and correct the date and time settings.
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If the time zone is wrong, select Change time zone and select your local time zone.
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Restart any Office app.
Tip:In Windows 7, you can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server to keep the computer clock up to date. To do this, select the date or time in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, and then select Change date and time settings. Select the Internet Time tab, select Change settings, select Synchronize with an Internet time server, and then select Update now.
Run Office as administrator
Running Office as administrator helps fix permission issues that might cause Office activation to fail. Follow the steps below for your operating system.
Windows 11 andWindows 10
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Close all Office apps.
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Press the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen.
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Type an application name, like Word. The Word program icon appears in the search results.
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Right-click the Word icon, and select Run as administrator.
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Select Yes to allow Office to run as administrator.
Windows 8.1
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Close all Office apps.
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In Windows 8.1, right-click the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen, and then select Search.
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Type an application name, like Word. The Word program icon appears in the search results.
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Right-click the Word icon, and select Run as administrator.
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Select Yes to allow Office to run as administrator.
Windows 8
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Close all Office apps.
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In Windows 8, move your mouse to the upper-right corner of your screen to open the charms bar, and then select the Search icon.
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Type an application name, like Word. The Word program icon appears in the search results.
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Right-click the Word icon, and select Run as administrator.
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Select Yes to allow Office to run as administrator.
Windows 7
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Close all Office apps.
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Press the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen.
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In the Search programs and files box, type an application name, like Word. The Word program icon appears in the search results.
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Right-click the Excel icon, and select Run as administrator.
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If prompted, select Yes to allow Office to run as administrator.
Update Office
The latest Office updates might contain fixes to activation issues. To learn how to update Office, see Install Office updates.
Check your firewall
If you're using a firewall from another manufacturer, visit the manufacturer's website for information about how to temporarily disable the firewall. For Windows Firewall, please see below.
Windows 11 and Windows 10
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Please go to Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
Windows 8.1 and 7
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Please scroll to Turn Windows Firewall on or off in Protect my PC from viruses.
Check your antivirus software
For information about how to turn off your antivirus software, check your antivirus manufacturer's website. Uninstalling your antivirus software may also help. Don't forget to reinstall it after Office is finished installing and if you turned it off, be sure to turn it on again.
If you're not sure which antivirus software you have, use the following instructions to get to Control Panel to find the name of your antivirus software.
Tip:Windows 10 comes with default antivirus software, Windows Defender. If you determine that you're using it, select the Start button > Settings > Update & Security, and then select Windows Defender on the left. Slide the button to Off. Remember to turn it On again.
- Select your operating system
- Windows 11 and Windows 10
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 7
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On the Start
menu, enter Control Panel in the search box and select Control Panel from the results. -
Do one of the following:
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In Category view, select System and Security > Security and Maintenance, and then select the down arrow next to Security.
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In Large icons or Small icons view, select Security and Maintenance, and then select the down arrow next to Security.
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If Windows can detect your antivirus software, it's listed under Virus protection.
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Go to the Control Panel by right-clicking the Start button
(lower-left corner), and choosing Control Panel. -
Do one of the following:
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In Category view, select System and Security > Action Center, and then select the down arrow next to Security.
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In Large icons or Small icons view, select Action Center, and then select the down arrow next to Security.
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If Windows can detect your antivirus software, it's listed under Virus protection.
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Go to Control Panel by choosing the Start button
(lower-left corner), and choosing Control Panel. -
Do one of the following:
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In Category view, select System and Security > Action Center, and then select the down arrow next to Security.
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In Large icons or Small icons view, select Action Center, and then select the down arrow next to Security.
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(lower-left corner), and choosing Control Panel.If Windows can detect your antivirus software, it's listed under Virus protection.
Check your proxy settings
If you use your device both at home and at work, try turning off the proxy settings in Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer before you install Microsoft 365. If you’re using a different browser, check their help to find out how to turn off proxy settings.
Microsoft Edge
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Click the Start button
(lower-left corner), and choose Settings. -
Select Network & Internet, go to the bottom of the selections on the left side, and click Proxy.
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In Automatic proxy setup, automatically detect settings or use setup script, by sliding to On or Off.
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In Manual proxy setup, you can choose to use a proxy server. Generally, it will be off and if you slide it to On, be sure to select Save. And if it was off by default before you turned it on, be sure to slide back to Off when you've finished using it.
Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11
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In Internet Explorer, click Tools (upper-right corner) > Internet options.
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Click the Connections tab, and then click the LAN settings button.
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Under Proxy server, clear the option "Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections)."
(Video) FIX - You Can't Make this Change because the Selection is Locked || Unlicensed Product Office 2019 -
Click Apply and OK to save changes. Restart your computer.
Note:There might be more proxy settings that you need to bypass. If this doesn't work, and you’re installing Office from work or school, check with your IT department for more information. For IT administrators, please see Microsoft 365 URLs and IP address ranges.
Still need help? Contact Support
If you’ve tried everything in this article and still need help, you can contact Office support.
FAQs
Why does my Microsoft Word keep saying unlicensed product? ›
If 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.
How do I activate unlicensed Office without product key? ›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. Be sure to remember this account so that you can install or reinstall Office later, without a product key.
Can you still use unlicensed Microsoft Office? ›All editing functionalities are disabled on an unlicensed copy of Microsoft Office. Upon opening a blank document, you will see “PRODUCT NOTICE: Most of the features of Word/Excel/PowerPoint have been disabled because it hasn't been activated” message with the Activate button next to it.
Why is my Microsoft Office not licensed? ›Make sure you have the correct Office installed
If no Office version is shown, you don't have an Office license assigned to the account you are signed in with. If you are signed in with your Work or School account, and don't have a license assigned, contact your Microsoft 365 Administrator to get a license assigned.
Sign out of the Office app through which you made the In-App purchase. To find out which Office app you used to make the purchase, see below. Close and re-open the app. Click Restore previous purchase at the bottom of the Get started with Microsoft 365 window.
How to fix unlicensed Microsoft Office 2016 for free? ›- Try these first.
- Check connectivity.
- Check your computer's date, time, and time zone.
- Run Office as administrator.
- Update Office.
- Repair Office licensing (applies only to Office 2013)
- Check your firewall.
- Check your antivirus software.
...
- Step 1: open the Office program. On a laptop with free Office for 1 year, programs like Word and Excel are pre-installed. ...
- Step 2: choose an account. An activation screen will appear. ...
- Step 3: log in to Microsoft 365. ...
- Step 4: accept the conditions. ...
- Step 5: get started.
If Office came with your PC, Mac, Laptop, or tablet, look for the product key on the Certificate of Authenticity that came with your computer. Tip: You may have one certificate of authenticity for Windows and another for Office.
How to find the product key? ›Generally, if you bought a physical copy of Windows, the product key should be on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, the product key should appear on a sticker on your device. If you've lost or can't find the product key, contact the manufacturer.
Does factory Reset remove Microsoft Office? ›When you perform a factory restore on your computer, all the programs are deleted, including Microsoft Office.
Does a Microsoft Office license expire? ›
If you see a circle arrow, then your subscription is set up for recurring billing, unless you turn recurring billing off or cancel it beforehand. The next charge info shows you when you'll be charged next, and for how much. If you see Expires on [date], then your subscription will expire on that date, unless you renew.
How to bypass Office 2016 activation? ›If you have downloaded Microsoft Office 2016 from the web but don't know how to activate the office without any product key or activator. cscript //nologo ospp. vbs /sethst:%KMS_Sev% >nul&echo ============================================================================&echo.
How do I legally activate Office 2016? ›- 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.
- Open the document.
- Click the Review menu.
- If you cannot see the Restrict Editing icon in the ribbon, click Protect.
- Select Restrict Editing.
- Click Stop Protection.
- Enter the password in the pop-up window and click OK.
- The document can now be edited.
- Click File > Help > Activate Product Key. If you don't see an Activate Product Key button, your software is already activated, and you don't need to do anything.
- Follow the steps in the Activation Wizard.
To determine the Office subscription license type, open an Office app (such as PowerPoint), select the name of the app in the menu, and then About (app). The license type will be listed below the Product ID.
How do I find my Microsoft Office product key on my HP laptop? ›If your Microsoft Office product came with a hardware purchase, such as a laptop or computer, it likely has the product key printed on its Certificate of Authenticity. Also, look through the manuals as the product key often comes on a card bundled with the warranty cards and manuals.
Where can I find the 25 digit product key? ›The other way to find your Product Key is to look for the 25-character code that came with or on the packaging that accompanied your device. This will either be a card inside the box, a sticker on the DVD sleeve, or printed upon the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC.
Where can I find my Windows product key for free? ›One of the easiest -- and my favorite -- way to find a Windows 10 or 11 product key is by using a free utility called Magical JellyBean KeyFinder.
What is the code to find Windows 10 product key? ›- Press the Windows key and R keys simultaneously.
- Type cmd in the run box dialogue you have summoned, and hit the enter key.
- In the resulting cmd.exe window, type “wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey” without the quotation marks.
How do I activate Microsoft Office again? ›
- On the Products tab, find the subscription that you want to reactivate. Select the three dots (more actions), then select Reactivate this subscription. ...
- In the Reactivate this subscription pane, select a payment method from the drop-down list, or select Add payment method.
- Select Save.
Sign Up for the Microsoft 365 Trial
As such, you can take a free one-month Microsoft 365 trial. The trial will grant you access to the full Microsoft Office 2021 suite. Also, you get 1TB OneDrive cloud storage and 60 minutes of Skype credits per month.
After you sign in, select your name in the upper right-hand corner, and then select Order History. Locate the Microsoft 365 one-time purchase or individual Microsoft 365 app, and then select Install Microsoft 365 to view your product key (this doesn't actually install Microsoft 365).
What to do if product activation failed? ›Update Windows OS. In case the Microsoft Office product activation failed issue is caused by system errors, you can run a Windows Update to update your OS to the latest version to see if the issue can be fixed. To update Windows 10, click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.
How many times can I activate Microsoft Office? ›With a single license, you can install Microsoft 365 Apps on up to 5 devices. For more information about licensing, see Overview of licensing and activation in Microsoft 365 Apps.
Is it possible to install Microsoft Office for free? ›Get started with Office 365 for free
Students and educators at eligible institutions can sign up for Office 365 Education for free, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and now Microsoft Teams, plus additional classroom tools. Use your valid school email address to get started today.
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 to activate Office using CMD? ›- 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.