This usually means the Mac still has the old Office 2019 license on it, so Office 2024 is not activating against the new license.
Do this on the Mac:
- Remove the old Office 2019 license.
- Download and run the License Removal Tool.
- This removes the existing Office 2019 for Mac license without requiring removal of the Office apps.
- Open an Office app such as Word.
- Sign in with the account associated with the new Office 2024 for Mac purchase.
- Activation should start when the app opens. On Mac, the What’s New window can appear first; select Get Started.
- Update Office.
- In any Office app, select Help > Check for Updates.
- Install available updates.
- If activation still fails, fully reinstall the apps.
- Close Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- In Finder > Applications, move the Office apps to Trash.
- Reinstall using the Microsoft installer package, then open an app again and sign in with the account tied to Office 2024.
- If the Mac shows Unknown Error 0x0 or License Not Found, make sure the Mac is on macOS 12 or later, then update Office from Microsoft AutoUpdate:
- Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate
- Select Update All or update the individual Office apps.
If the install option is missing from the account used for Office, or the wrong account was used during redemption, use the account associated with the Office 2024 purchase.
If the issue continues after removing the old license, signing in with the correct account, and updating or reinstalling, contact Microsoft support.
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