Office Activation Guide (setup.office.com)

How to activate, download and install your new Office product.

  1. Select Your Microsoft Account

    Microsoft Account

    Head to setup.office.com, sign in using your existing Microsoft account you want the product to be linked to, or create a new one.

  2. Enter Your Key

    Enter Product Key

    Check the account “Signed in as” is the one you want the product linked to.

    Enter your 25 character CD key, click next. 

    If you see an error stating “This product key has already been used” it means your product key has already been linked to your account. Skip to step 4.

  3. Check The Product

    Confirm Activation

    Check the product listed after “Product key confirmed” is correct, click next to redeem the key and link it to your Microsoft account.

    There are no refunds after clicking confirm as the key is permanently linked to your Microsoft account.

  4. Download

    Download Microsoft Office

    Click the download now button and follow the on-screen instructions.

  5. Uninstall Previous Office Apps

    Before installing your new Office suite you should fully uninstall any old Office apps on the computer. Old Office apps can cause conflicts with a new installation, so it is best to remove them beforehand.

    Steps to uninstall Office for Windows PC
    Steps to uninstall Office for Mac

  6. Install

    Installing Office

    Run the installer file that was downloaded to your computer (most likely in your downloads folder) and follow the on-screen instructions.

    If you get an error message saying “Sorry it looks like you’re on a slow connection…“, Office is taking a really long time to install, or it appears to hang during the install, you may want to cancel the installation and try the troubleshooting solutions.

  7. Install Complete

    Office Installed

    Your install is finished when you see “You’re all set! Office is installed now“, an animation sometimes plays showing you where to find the Office applications.

  8. Sign In To Set Up Office

    Office Activation Wizard

    This only applies to Office 2016 Suites or older. Upon opening an Office App for the first time you will be asked to activate your product with the Office Activation Wizard.

    Select “I want to activate the software over the Internet“, and then select next. Follow the prompts to complete the activation.

    If the internet activation fails, try the “I want to activate the software by telephone” and then select next. Follow the prompts to complete the activation.