Activating Microsoft Office on a PC or Mac: A Simple Tutorial

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Quick steps for activating a product key & setting up MS Office
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This wikiHow tutorial teaches you how to activate Microsoft Office for Windows or Mac. If you have an Office 365 subscription, you won't need to activate Office—just sign in with the Microsoft account you used to subscribe. If you bought a retail version of Microsoft Office, you'll need to link the 25-digit product key included on the receipt or product card to your Microsoft account first.

Microsoft Office Activation on a PC or Mac

  • If you have an Office product key, go to setup.office.com to register your product key and connect it to your Microsoft account.
  • If you bought Office through Microsoft's website or were given access by work or school, just log in with your Microsoft account to activate.
  • If you don't have Office yet, you can get it from www.office.com.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Registering an Office 365 Product Key

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    Go to https://setup.office.com in a web browser. If you bought a Microsoft Office 365 subscription/product card or ordered the software from an online store, you have a 25-digit product key (in the form of XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX) on your card or receipt. In this case, use this method to connect the product key to your Microsoft account.
  2. 2
    Sign in to your Microsoft account. If you're already logged in to your Microsoft account, you can skip this step. If not, you'll be prompted to do so now.
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  3. 3
    Type the 25-digit product key and click Next . The product key is printed on a card that came with your purchase or on the (digital or paper) receipt. [1]
    • Once your key is validated, you won't need it anymore because it's associated with your Microsoft account.
  4. 4
    Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install Office. Now that you've entered your product key, all you'll need to do is install Office (if you haven't already) and log in with your Microsoft account to start using it.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    You can activate Office from Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or any other product from the suite. You'll find your Office apps in a folder called Microsoft Office (version) in the Start menu.
    • If you don't have Microsoft Office installed on your computer, you can get it at https://www.office.com . Just sign in with the account you used to purchase Office, click Install Office near the top-right corner to download the installer, and then double-click the installer in your Downloads folder to run it.
    • If you haven't purchased Office yet, click Buy Office instead of Install Office after signing in, and then follow the on-screen instructions to make your purchase.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    If Office isn't yet activated, you'll be prompted to sign in to your Microsoft account now. [2]
    • If you see a window titled "Microsoft Office Activation Wizard," select the option for "I want to activate the software over the Internet (recommended)," click Next , and then follow the on-screen instructions to activate.
    • If you are activating the version of Office 365 that was preinstalled on your PC, you can click Buy Office to buy Office now, or enter your product key into the field.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    Use the email address connected to the Microsoft account you used to purchase Office or register your product key .
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    Once you're signed in to your Microsoft account, Office will activate immediately.

    Note: If you have exceeded the number of installs you are allowed with your subscription, you may need to deactivate an installation on another computer.

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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    Install Microsoft Office on your Mac. If you haven't already done so, you'll need to install and redeem Microsoft Office before you can activate it. [3]
    • Go to https://www.office.com . If you're not signed in, sign in with the account associated with Office. This is usually your Microsoft account, but if you got Office through your employer or school, you may need to use that account info.
    • If you signed in with a Microsoft account, click Install Office . If you don't see this option and are signed in through a business account, go to https://aka.ms/office-install instead, select Office 365 apps , and follow the on-screen instructions. [4]
      • If you haven't yet purchased Office, click Buy Office at the top-right corner first, and then follow the on-screen steps to make your purchase.
    • Open your Downloads folder and double-click the file called something similar to Microsoft Office Installer.pkg .
      • If you get an error that the file can't be opened because it's an unknown developer, wait about 20 seconds, drag the file to your desktop, and then hold the Control key as you click the file to open it.
    • Click Continue and follow the on-screen instructions to install.
    • Click Close when the installation is complete.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    You can activate Office from any of the included Office apps, such as Microsoft Word. To open Word, open Finder, select the Applications folder, and then double-click Microsoft Word in the "Microsoft Office" section.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    If you don't see this screen, just skip this step.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    If you don't see this activation screen, open the File menu, select New from template , and then click Sign In to bring it up.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    Be sure to use the same address that's associated with your Office purchase.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    Microsoft will now verify your purchase and activate Office.
    • The activation will fail if you sign in with any account that isn't connected to a valid Office subscription.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac
    For example, if you opened Excel to activate Office, you'll see "Start Using Excel." Now that you've activated Office, you can use any Office app.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    The lead-in to this article says it is for Windows and Mac. Does Method 1 above work for a Mac? There is no Windows button on a Mac.
    Community Answer
    Method 1 will also work for Mac. Replace clicking the Windows button in Step 1, with how you normally start MS Office from "Finder" or "LaunchPad".
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 8 Helpful 3
  • Question
    How can I change the activation from using my email to using a product key when activating MS Office?
    Community Answer
    Use Method 2 instead of Method 1 of the following wikiHow: How to Activate Microsoft Office on PC or Mac .
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 10 Helpful 0
  • Question
    i don't have key how to active the MS office?
    Toasterflame
    Top Answerer
    Microsoft Office is a paid-for software with a license subscription-based model. In order to use Microsoft Office, you will have to pay for a license.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 3 Helpful 2
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      • You can use Microsoft Office for free on your Mac or PC in your web browser—just go to https://www.office.com and log in with your Microsoft account to access free versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. [5]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/get-help-with-setup-office-com-6e1bc8e8-9e8e-4cce-8b9d-80dcbe17f253?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/activate-office-5bd38f38-db92-448b-a982-ad170b1e187e
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/activate-office-for-mac-7f6646b1-bb14-422a-9ad4-a53410fcefb2
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/download-install-or-reinstall-microsoft-365-office-2024-or-office-2021-on-a-pc-or-mac-4414eaaf-0478-48be-9c42-23adc4716658#InstallSteps=Install_on_a_Mac
      5. ↑ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Purchase and install Office.
      2. Validate your product key if you have one.
      3. Open an Office app.
      4. Click Sign In .
      5. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
      For more advice, like how to activate Microsoft Office through your Microsoft account, scroll down!

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