Microsoft Office is one of the most complete and powerful office suites, used by millions worldwide for various activities. Microsoft Office can aid your report writing, presentations, money management, and team communication. However, you must activate Microsoft Office before accessing all these features.
Some users find activating Microsoft Office for free tedious, but it is easy for anybody with basic computer skills. So, how can you activate Microsoft Office? This tutorial will show you how to activate Microsoft Office for free.
Why is Activation Important?
There are several reasons why you need to activate Microsoft Office. Unlike other software suites like WPS Office, which grants you loads of features on their free plan, Microsoft Office limits the available features instead. Activating Microsoft Office verifies that you have a legal copy of the program and unlocks all its features.
Access to the latest updates and features: Microsoft Office constantly improves and adds new features to its applications. These updates often let you work more efficiently, securely, and creatively. However, you need to activate Microsoft Office first to receive these updates. Otherwise, you can lose out on important updates that repair bugs and include new features that boost your efficiency. You may not be able to make changes, save, print, or share documents if you’re yet to activate Microsoft Office.
Safety against malware and software piracy: Software piracy includes any unauthorized duplication, distribution, or software usage. Loss of money, legal lawsuits, and security threats are just some ways software piracy can hurt developers and end users. Any software intended to damage a computer system or its data is known as malware. If you use unauthorized or fake software, malware such as viruses, spyware, and ransomware can infiltrate your system. By activating Microsoft Office, you can verify that you installed the original one safe from piracy and malware.
Compliance with the terms and conditions: To use Microsoft Office, you must first read and agree to the Microsoft Software License Agreement (MSLA), a legally binding contract between you and Microsoft. The MSLA lays forth the responsibilities and privileges of both parties with the software. The MSLA stipulates that you must activate the product within a particular time frame after installation. You risk violating the MSLA and losing access to the software if you do not.
How to Activate Microsoft Office 365/2021/2016
Microsoft has invested significant effort and money in building products expressly for business usage over the years. Microsoft made its cloud debut with the 2016 version, which was released on September 22, 2015. Along with its launch, the company also began to offer a licensing system for office software over the Internet with the Office 365 program.
To get the most out of the program and use it without complications, you must validate it with a product key like an official license. You can also look for other activation ways without the product key. If you don't know how to activate Microsoft Office, we'll discuss the steps to follow in this section.
Activate Microsoft Office With Product Key
Activation keys are codes, often consisting of 25 alphanumeric characters, that prove you have a legitimate copy of Microsoft Office. You can find your activation key on the product packaging, confirmation email, or Microsoft account page, depending on how you bought Office.
Unlike other ways, using product keys to activate Microsoft Office is official and lawful. So if you already have the product keys, you can follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open any Microsoft Office applications you have installed. You can proceed, for example, with Microsoft Word.
Step 2: Once it loads, click on the "Blank document" option to move forward as if you were going to write a text.
Step 3: After this, click on "File" and, within the drop-down, select "Account."
Step 4: On the new screen, look for the option to enter a product key and click on it.
Step 5: Paste your activation key and click "Activate."
You are done after this, so close and reopen any application in the suite to verify that it is activated. You can verify it in the account interface, where you'll see "Product Activated" under the Office version.
Activate Microsoft Office for Free Using CMD
If none of the product keys with you work, you can activate Microsoft Office using CMD. This process lets you activate Microsoft Office without product keys in a simple and fast way. Activating your Office with this method takes about 5 minutes and just a few steps.
It's trustworthy and secure since it doesn't rely on potentially infected third-party programs or resources. Connect your system to the Internet if you want this method to work. After connecting to the Internet, follow the steps below to activate Microsoft Office for free using CMD:
Step 1: The first thing you need to do is open Command Prompt as administrator. To do this, press the Windows key and type "CMD" in the search bar. Right-click on the "Command Prompt" application and select the "Run as administrator" option.
Step 2: Once you have opened CMD as administrator, you will have to copy and paste the following command in the console:
cd /d %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\Office16
cd /d %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office16
Step 3: The previous command is about accessing the Office directory in CMD, whether 32 or 64-bit; that's why it will always show you an error. Ignore it, paste this command into Command Prompt, and hit Enter:
for /f %x in ('dir /b ..\root\Licenses16\ProPlus2021VL_KMS*.xrm-ms') do cscript ospp.vbs /inslic:"..\root\Licenses16\%x"
Step 4: When you see "Exiting," the command has been executed successfully. Be patient because it may take a few minutes.
Step 5: Finally, enter this command:
cscript ospp.vbs /setprt:1688
cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:6F7TH >nul
cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:NMMKJ-6RK4F-KMJVX-8D9MJ-6MWKP
cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:e8.us.to
cscript ospp.vbs /act
Step 6: Without hitting any key, the process will start automatically. Then it will stop, and you will see "Exiting" again. At that point, press Enter and wait for it to finish completely. When you see the "Product Activation Successful" message, you will have Office activated for free and without programs.
Activate Microsoft Office Using an Activation Tool
Unlike other methods, what you need here is an activator that is responsible for validating Microsoft Office so that it works perfectly. Many activation tools are available online, but some may be fake or harmful. You can opt for proposals like the one from KMSPico or KMSAuto, which work quite well.
Below is a step-by-step guide to follow if you want to activate Microsoft Office for free:
Step 1: First, you need to download KMSPico from this link.
Step 2: After downloading it, you must install the KMSPico. You may need to turn off your system's antivirus by going to Windows Security under Settings.
Step 3: Extract the downloaded file using WinRAR or any other file compression software. You will get a folder named KMSPico.
Step 4: Run the file named KMSPico.exe to complete the installation.
Step 5: Press the window key and search for KMSPico. Right-click on the file and select "Run as administrator."
Step 6: Click "Activate Office" from the tool's main window.
Best Free Alternative to Microsoft Office - WPS Office
WPS Office is a free option that you can use as a substitute for Microsoft Office. Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and cloud storage are some of the free features of the complete office suite known as WPS Office. Because WPS Office supports the same file formats as Microsoft Office, you'll have no trouble opening, editing, or sharing files with other people.
WPS Office also includes detailed instructions for fixing some problems you may face when using the program. This assistance can be brief lessons, frequently asked questions, and online help. WPS Office stands out as a great alternative to Microsoft Office, which is also free. It has several benefits over other free alternatives.
These benefits include the following:
Its user interface is intuitive and resembles that of Microsoft Office, so you don't need to get familiar with any new commands or menus.
It has a tabbed document view, which makes it simple and quick for you to navigate between several files.
WPS Office has a built-in PDF reader and converter. With this feature, you can open and edit PDF files without installing any software on your computer.
The WPS Office has a cloud service that stores and lets you access your data from any device as long as you're signed in. This is because they are kept in sync across all platforms. Additionally, the program offers you 1 GB of free storage after registration.
It has a mobile version suitable for iOS and Android smartphones and supports the entry of touch gestures and voice commands.
It offers various pre-made layouts, typefaces, clip art, charts, and animations. You can add any of these to your papers or presentations to make them more engaging for your readers.
WPS Office is a great choice for anyone who needs a free and reliable office suite that can handle various tasks and formats. You can download WPS Office from its official website or your device's app store.
FAQs
1. Why Can't I Activate Microsoft Office?
Perhaps I accidentally entered the incorrect account or product key, so before hitting the enter button, verify them again to be sure they are right. Alternatively, the product key's subscription may have expired, so renew or replace it. Another explanation is that we may have installed multiple Microsoft Office on the computer, often resulting in conflicts. Or maybe I am running a cracked copy of Windows, which is not just unsafe but also against the law.
2. Can I Use Microsoft Office Without a Product Key?
Yes, we can use Microsoft Office without a product key if we have a Microsoft account and a digital license. Most versions of Office that come with Windows computers or are downloaded from the Internet are like this. To activate Microsoft Office, we must sign in with our account or go through the steps above.
3. How Do I Find My Activation Key for Microsoft Office?
We can find its activation key in different ways depending on how we purchased the Microsoft Office copy. With an online purchase, we just need our Microsoft account information to activate Office. If this is a physical copy of Office, we can find the product key on a label on the packaging or the disk itself. A product key may be retrieved from the registry using a third-party tool if Office has already been installed on your device.
4. Are Cheap Activation Keys Legit?
Even though we may use these cheap activation keys to activate Microsoft Office, they are not legit. They are often obtained by unethical or illegal means that violate the laws and restrictions that Microsoft Office has in place. Most of the time, low-cost activation keys either may not work or get blacklisted.
5. How Can I Activate Microsoft Office on My Laptop?
In the case of Windows 10 or 11, we use our Microsoft account details to activate Microsoft Office. Microsoft will notify us if our account is detected. After logging in, the product is associated with the user's Microsoft account, allowing for future reinstallations or subscription management without needing a product key.
Summary
If you use Microsoft Office daily, you must activate it to get full access to all its services. However, you can source product keys online to activate Microsoft Office without spending money on the full version. You can also opt for legal and safe methods to activate Office, such as activation via a Microsoft account or Command Prompt.
There are office activators that seem like a tempting alternative, but using them is not the best practice. First, these programs are unsafe, as they often contain malware or viruses that can damage your computer or steal personal information. Also, using an unofficial activator violates Microsoft's license terms, which may lead to legal consequences.
Thus, why not opt for WPS Office instead of going through the stress of activating Microsoft Office? You'll get all the features available on Microsoft on a simpler and more familiar interface for free.
WPS Office easily opens all Microsoft file formats, from Word documents to presentations. It opens, edits, and shares these files without damaging them or causing any design distortion. WPS Office is available on desktop and mobile devices and is available for use immediately after we download it.
