How do I activate Microsoft Office for free?

Activate Microsoft Office on your Dell Device

Note: The MSA account that is used for activation should not be on a Domain.

MS Office Activate in Windows 10 (Official Dell Tech Support)

Duration: 02:33
Closed captions: English only

Note: This video makes use of Windows 10 to walk you through the Activation process. However, the steps in this video are applicable for Office Activation on Windows 11 as well.

Getting started (Prerequisites)

Active Internet Connection
To redeem and activate Microsoft Office that is installed on your computer, you need an active Internet connection. If your computer shows connectivity issues, use the Windows Network Troubleshooter

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. This page indicates whether Windows is activated.

If Windows is not activated, click Troubleshoot and follow the prompts.

Microsoft Account
A Microsoft account is required to access and save settings for Microsoft devices and services. This makes it simple to reinstall Office without a product key. If you do not have a Microsoft Account, go to Microsoft's support site

Microsoft Office 2019, 2021 or 365 cannot activate without a valid Microsoft Account. More information about the requirement is available at Microsoft.com

Microsoft Office Product Activation and Product Life-Cycle Policies

180-Day Activation Window
Subscription-based Office 365 and M365 products must be activated within 6 Months (180 days) from the time of Windows activation. The product eligibility will otherwise expire. Contact Microsoft directly for assistance at Microsoft.com/Support.

Microsoft Office 2016 - End of Service (EOS)
Office 2016 reached end of service (EOS) on 10-13-2020. Dell support is limited to “best effort.”

For additional info see the Microsoft Lifecycle page: Microsoft Office 2016 - Microsoft Lifecycle

Microsoft Office Version

Did you order Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365 with your computer?

If in doubt, check the order details of your computer.

Pre-Installed by Dell
Microsoft Office Version	How does it show up on my computer configuration or invoice?	Who can I contact for support?
Microsoft Office 30 Day Trial	Microsoft Office 30 Days Trial	Microsoft Support
Microsoft Office 2021	Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Professional 2021	Activate Microsoft Office 2019 or 2021
Microsoft Office 2019	Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Professional 2019	Activate Microsoft Office 2019 or 2021
Microsoft Office 2016	Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Home & Business 2016 DFO   Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Home & Student 2016 DFO Axx-xxxx Microsoft Office Professional 2016 DFO Microsoft Office 2016 reached end of service (EOS) on 10-13-2020. Dell can no longer support Microsoft Office 2016. For additional info see the Microsoft Lifecycle page, the Microsoft EOS Community, or contact Microsoft directly. Microsoft Office 2016 - Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Docs Microsoft Office End Of Support - Microsoft Tech Community	Microsoft Support

If you purchased Microsoft Office through a retailer, contact your retailer for support.

Activate Microsoft Office 2019 or 2021

You received the computer and want to activate Microsoft Office 2019 or 2021 for the first time.
With all prerequisites in place, it is time to activate Office.

From the Windows desktop:

• Click the Start button, and bring up the Windows start menu.
• Click the Microsoft Word tile (Figure 1).
  
  
  
  Figure 1
   

The Office application presents the “You’ve got Office” screen. The version of Office that is purchased with the computer will be displayed here.

Office takes a few moments to update features and validate the license. Allow Office to finish this step (the duration varies depending on Internet connection speed and number of updates available for download) (Figure 6 - 9).

Microsoft Office 2019 or 2021 is now activated and ready to use (Figure 10).

Activate Microsoft Office 365

You received the device and want to activate Microsoft Office 365 for the first time.
With all prerequisites in place, it is time to activate Office.

From the Windows desktop:

• Click the Start button, and bring up the Windows start menu.
• Click the Microsoft Word tile (Figure 11).
  
  
  
  Figure 11

The Office application presents the “You’ve got Office” screen. The version of Office that is purchased with the computer will be displayed here.

Office takes a few moments to update features and validate the license. Allow Office to finish this step (the duration varies depending on Internet connection speed and number of updates available for download) (Figure 16 - 19).

Microsoft Office 365 is now activated and ready to use (Figure 20).

Activate Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365 After a Windows Reinstall or Hard Drive Replacement

Note: The MSA account that is used for activation should not be on a Domain.

From the Windows desktop:

• Click the Start button, and bring up the Windows start menu.
• Click the Microsoft Word tile (Figure 21).
  
  
  
  Figure 21
   

Click File -> Account (Figure 22 and 23).

• Click "Sign in."
• Enter the Microsoft Account credentials.
  
  
  
  Figure 22
  
  
  Figure 23

Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365 is now activated (Figure 24).

Troubleshooting

Note: These steps apply to 2019, 2021, and 365.

Missing Office apps (missing on a new device, or after reinstalling Windows)

If you cannot locate Office apps like Word, and Excel open a web browser.

Browse to: Account.Microsoft.com/Services

Sign on with your Microsoft Account.

Select Services & Subscriptions.

Select View Product Key and Install (Figure 25).

The number of applications that are included with the Microsoft Office suite depends on the edition you purchased with the computer. You can find the list of applications that are included at Compare All Microsoft Office Products

Select Install next to the Office version you purchased with the computer (Figure 26).

Select a Different Microsoft Account

If you like to use a different Microsoft Account, Click on "use different account."
A new screen appears that allows you to enter sign information for an existing account (Figure 27):

• Type MSA Email address.
• Password.
• Click "Sign In."
  
  
  
  Figure 27
   

• Next to the "No account" prompt, select "Create one!"
• Fill out the form with your information, and create a password.
• Select "Next."

If these steps do not resolve the issue, go to the "Contact Microsoft if the issue persists" section.

Contact Microsoft if the Issue Persists

Note: If the steps in the Troubleshooting section do not resolve the issue, use the following steps.

Still have Problems?

If you still cannot download, install or activate Microsoft Office, contact Microsoft directly.

Click the link (Support.Microsoft.com

Then select the "Contact Support link."

Answer the questions below.

Choose from the contact options presented. The options may vary, depending on availability (Figure 28).

If you purchased the computer directly from Dell, you can obtain a copy of the bill with the following steps. If you bought the computer from a third party (for example retailer), contact the retailer for a copy of the invoice.

This should bring up a printable (.pdf) invoice.

Microsoft Office Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Microsoft Account Requirements

Can I activate a Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365 license without a Microsoft Account (MSA)?
No. Microsoft requires a Microsoft Account (MSA) and an active Internet connection for successful activation.

I have more than 25 new computers with Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365 preinstalled. How can I track the licenses without creating multiple Microsoft Accounts (MSAs)?
Microsoft Accounts can only register up to 25 licenses per account

Dell recommends creating one MSA per computer. This simplifies the license tracking.

• Browse to Account.Microsoft.com/Account.
• Click “Create a Microsoft account.”
• Click “Get a new email address” on the Create account page.
• Use the Service Tag of your Dell computer as the email alias, example:
• Click "Next" and follow the remaining steps.
• Best Practice Tip:
  Use a secure password that is known to your IT or Network Administrators. This simplifies the account recovery process if necessary.

I lost or cannot remember my Microsoft Account (MSA) credentials.
If you cannot access your Microsoft Account, follow the steps in: Help with the Microsoft Account Recovery Form

Note: The process is fully automated. Dell cannot assist with MSA recovery or licensing transfer to another Microsoft Account.
Contact Microsoft directly at Contact Us - Microsoft Support

Commercial or Enterprise Deployment

Note: Office OEM licensing does not include a traditional 5x5 Product key and does not include reimaging rights. It is critical for IT organizations to accommodate their deployment to stay within compliance and achieve a seamless activation experience for their end users.

My organization limits access to public Internet. Can I activate Office OEM licensing?
No. Office and Windows OEM licensing require that the client computer can reach public Microsoft endpoints to register and activate the product successfully. See Office 365 URLs and IP Address Ranges

If the Office license cannot successfully activate, Office stays in trial mode for 30 days from the time the user launched any of the Office applications for the first time. The end user sees multiple notifications prior to the expiration date. Most features will be disabled after the trial period ends.

Dell recommends using Volume Licensing with Office Pro Plus

I ordered multiple computers with Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365 preinstalled. Can I activate the all licenses at once?
No. Each computer must be activated individually. The activation must occur on the computer the license was purchased for.

Can I use or manage the Office product key in a Microsoft Key Management Server (KMS)?
No. Office OEM licensing does not include a traditional 5x5 product key and does not support reimaging rights. The license must be managed through the associated Microsoft Account (MSA).

Where is my 5x5 Product Key?
Office OEM licensing does not include a traditional 5x5 product key. The license is generated by Microsoft servers when Office is activated for the first time on the computer it was purchased with. Dell has no access to the license or product key and cannot provide 5x5 keys.

Can Dell provide a list of all Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or 365 license keys that I ordered?
No. Office OEM licensing does not include a traditional 5x5 product key. The product license is generated by Microsoft servers when Office is activated for the first time on the device it was purchased with. Dell has no access to the license or product key.

Operating System (OS) Reinstall and Re-Imaging

My organization purchased computers with Microsoft Office factory installed. Can I reimage the device with my company’s image and still activate Office OEM version?
No. Microsoft does not allow reimaging rights on OEM installed versions of Office. Only Office Pro Plus

If you purchased Office with OEM Licensing, you must activate Office with the Dell factory image before reimaging the computer. This step associates the factory enabled Office license to the Microsoft Account (MSA).

After this step, proceed to reimage.

After the reimaging is completed follow the steps under Activate Microsoft Office 2019 or 2021 and use the same Microsoft Account (MSA) that was used for the activation. The Office application detects the correct license in the MSA and automatically reactivate.

My organization maintains custom images with Office preinstalled. Can I use the OEM license to activate Office after reimaging with my image?
No. Office OEM licensing requires that the license is activated on the computer before the computer is reimaged.
Microsoft only grants reimaging rights to Office Pro Plus licenses (Volume License). All other Office editions (for example Home and Student, and Home and Business) will fail the product activation after the computer was reimaged.

Can I view my product key online?
See the Microsoft article on viewing your product key online

System Drive Replacement and System Exchange

I received a replacement drive or a replacement system. How can I get Office back on?

1. Sign into your Microsoft Account (MSA): Account.Microsoft.com/Account
2. Click "Services and subscription" and scroll down to "Products you've purchased" (Figure 35).
   
   
   
   Figure 35
    
3. Click "Copy Key" and then click "Install" (the Office installer will download and reinstall Office on your computer).
4. After the installation finishes, open Microsoft Word.
5. You are prompted to sign into your Microsoft Account (Figure 36). Use the same MSA.
   
   
   
   Figure 36
    
6. If Office cannot detect the associated license, you are prompted with the screen below (Figure 37).
   
   
   
   Figure 37
    
7. Paste the license key into the field on the bottom.

Office Version

I purchased Office 2019 or 2021, but the app splash screen shows "Office 365" (Figure 38) - did I receive the wrong version?

No, you did receive the correct version. Microsoft Office will update the version

you successfully (re)activated the license (Figure 39).

You can verify the Office version by:

• Opening an Office app (for example Word or Excel).
• Click "File."
• Click (Office) Account (Figure 40).

More Resources

How do I activate Microsoft Office without product key?

Is there a version of Microsoft Office that is free?

What happens if Microsoft Office is not activated?