Microsoft will ask you to choose from a list like this: But, if you are fortunate to already have a product redeemed on Office, the confusion gets deeper. Redeem one product, get that one key, and you’re good. It does not, however, choose that product key for your installation unless the current redemption is the first one. This translates the redeem code into a valid product key. Near as I can tell, the redeem code is recognized as valid and for an application (non-enterprise) product, and then you’re directed to a Microsoft sign-in page.Īfter logging in to a valid Microsoft account, the redeem code is, well, redeemed for the actual product. If you have Office 2016 pre-installed, running any of the Office applications for the first time takes you through this process when clicking “Activate”. Confused yet?Īs you start the installation, all Microsoft front end installers or products act as recognizers for the above redeem code (I’ll be calling it this from now on). It looks like the following fake example: Also, the key is in the format of previous types of Microsoft product keys, namely the 25 alphanumeric characters separated by dashes. On the key card is a “Product Key” and it even uses vernacular like “Use this product key”. These all funnel you through a very similar process:ĭuring this above process, there are a number of confusing points, but perhaps the most confusing is what Microsoft considers a “Product Key”. Also, most new computers include installations of Office trial versions and/or the “Get Office” Windows 10 tool. With that, you’re told to open /setup to install and activate the product. When you purchase a retail copy of the various Office 2016 products, you’re provided a key card and no cd-rom media. To eke out more control over the installation process (and force more people to buy more copies of Office), Microsoft has created a “Click to Run” process and online installation/activation. The reason for all your pain, of course, is money.

I can’t answer all these questions, but I’ll show you how to fix this mess so you can install Office and move on. You might have wondered why licensing Retail versions of Microsoft Office 2016 on Windows has become so cumbersome and clunky and confusing? Why does Microsoft force a login to install and activate Office? Why is this service so bad at showing information and handling more than one installation? If fact, if you have more than one retail copy of Office to install and activate on the same account, you’re in for serious confusion.

Office 2016 key activation