activating microsoft 365

Question

activating microsoft 365

Juerg Baenziger 20

I am trying to activate a shared Microsoft 365 subscription on an apple notebook but I keep getting an error message that will not allow me to activate the subsription

EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-28T22:30:59.42+00:00

Juerg,

What is your macOS version?

Is your office product purchased from Microsoft or from Apple? Are you the plan owner?
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T00:51:01.13+00:00

I am the original purchaser of the family subscription, it is on a Windows and I believe I purchased it from Microsoft, or maybe I purchased it from Lenovo when I originally bought my Windows computer. The shared subscription seemed to work well for some years now on the Mac, but since about a month it doesn't allow to edit or create documents in Excel or Word. I tried downloading the apps again but that seemed not to work. The mac OS is Sonoma 14.1.4 and I have just now upgraded to Sonoma 14.8.9 and I am currently downloading the apps again on the mac using my wife's Microsoft account which shows the shared subscription. The error message I believe was 0x0 (from memory).
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-29T01:18:35.2733333+00:00

Thank you. If it was not purchased from Apple, make sure you do not download from Apple App Store. Please download from your Microsoft account.

If it still doesn’t work can you tell me the app version number it installs?
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T01:38:56.82+00:00

It still shows Activate Microsoft 365 to Create and Edit when I open Excel. When I check about the version it says: Version 16.77 (23091003); license not activated; Belongs to [it shows the account of my wife]; Device ID: [a long string of numbers].

I also tried to run office update and I get the following error: Update error.... some apps have encountered error
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T01:44:29.6966667+00:00

just for completeness sake the apps were downloaded as Microsoft_365_and_office_16.114.26102720_BusinessPro_installer and it came from https://account.microsoft,com
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-29T02:10:31.3166667+00:00

Does the one downloaded from your account work? That should install 16.114.3 version.
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T02:43:04.1133333+00:00

No it did not work, as I indicated it installed version 16.114.261102270 I am not sure if that is different from 16.114.3? And if so how I can get that version. Should I first uninstall the current versions? I can try this tomorrow because it deleted the download and I have spent too much time for today downloading I will try tomorrow once again.

Answer accepted by question author

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EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-28T22:30:59.42+00:00

Juerg,

What is your macOS version?

Is your office product purchased from Microsoft or from Apple? Are you the plan owner?
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T00:51:01.13+00:00

I am the original purchaser of the family subscription, it is on a Windows and I believe I purchased it from Microsoft, or maybe I purchased it from Lenovo when I originally bought my Windows computer. The shared subscription seemed to work well for some years now on the Mac, but since about a month it doesn't allow to edit or create documents in Excel or Word. I tried downloading the apps again but that seemed not to work. The mac OS is Sonoma 14.1.4 and I have just now upgraded to Sonoma 14.8.9 and I am currently downloading the apps again on the mac using my wife's Microsoft account which shows the shared subscription. The error message I believe was 0x0 (from memory).
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-29T01:18:35.2733333+00:00

Thank you. If it was not purchased from Apple, make sure you do not download from Apple App Store. Please download from your Microsoft account.

If it still doesn’t work can you tell me the app version number it installs?
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T01:38:56.82+00:00

It still shows Activate Microsoft 365 to Create and Edit when I open Excel. When I check about the version it says: Version 16.77 (23091003); license not activated; Belongs to [it shows the account of my wife]; Device ID: [a long string of numbers].

I also tried to run office update and I get the following error: Update error.... some apps have encountered error
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T01:44:29.6966667+00:00

just for completeness sake the apps were downloaded as Microsoft_365_and_office_16.114.26102720_BusinessPro_installer and it came from https://account.microsoft,com
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-29T02:10:31.3166667+00:00

Does the one downloaded from your account work? That should install 16.114.3 version.
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T02:43:04.1133333+00:00

No it did not work, as I indicated it installed version 16.114.261102270 I am not sure if that is different from 16.114.3? And if so how I can get that version. Should I first uninstall the current versions? I can try this tomorrow because it deleted the download and I have spent too much time for today downloading I will try tomorrow once again.

Answer 1

EmilyS726 278.3K Independent Advisor

Yes, ideally you need to uninstall the current apps first, then install them from your account. Let me know how that goes.

If that doesn't work, I am going to have you uninstall again, and install the 16.112 version since you said it worked in August. https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/mro1cdnstorage/C1297A47-86C4-4C1F-97FA-950631F94777/MacAutoupdate/Microsoft_365_and_Office_16.112.26081010_BusinessPro_Installer.pkg

Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T03:50:53.8833333+00:00

thanks I will try tomorrow
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T03:51:52.34+00:00

I will try this tomorrow and let you know
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-29T12:14:10.7533333+00:00

Sounds good. I look forward to hearing how it goes.
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T14:33:05.6733333+00:00

Do I also need to download the Microsoft license removal tool and make sure all old licenses are removed from my mac?
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-29T15:42:48.96+00:00

That is not necessary if there's no license change. We are just testing different version within the same license.
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T16:35:00.0033333+00:00

okay I already had removed all the applications and run the license removal tool. Then I just used your 16.112 version and this seems to have worked.
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-29T16:39:08.51+00:00

Ok, good. I am glad that the 16.112 works.

You might want to do this. Open any Office app, such as Word or Excel. From the top menu, select Help > Check for Updates. When Microsoft AutoUpdate opens, uncheck Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date, then confirm by clicking Turn Off.

I think your macOS can only support up to this version 16.112.

Typically Office apps can only support the most recent 3 macOS. With Golden Gate coming out this summer (Sept I think?) it pushes your macOS version out of the most recent 3. You said it stopped working around that time, so that tracks.
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T16:54:13.4833333+00:00

That sounds about correct. I did turn autoupdate off for now. I need to look into updating the OS to Golden Gate but need to make sure it will work with the other apps I use. That's why I am still on Sonoma. But for right now I think running office 16.112 is the way to go.

Thanks again for your help
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T20:46:54.64+00:00

Hey Emily

I was wondering whether I could trouble you once more. I also have an older Mac desktop which I would like to run some of the Microsoft365 applications as well. I had no problems until about the same time I ran into problems with my Mac Notebook. So naturally I figured that this is the same problem and I could fix it the same way I fixed the Notebook. I just deleted the Microsoft applications and downloaded the Version 16.112, but now noted that my old Mac cannot be updated to a more recent OS than Big Sur 17.7.11.

Microsoft 365 version 16.112 cannot run on OS 17.7.11. Is there a way for me to receive an earlier version of Microsoft 365 which would run on my old Mac Desktop?
EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-11-03T20:51:40.2333333+00:00

Yeah anytime, Juerg.

Big sur would be OS 11.7.11, not 17.7.11.

This is unfortunately a completely different issue.

If your OS is above version 12 but below 14, your office products can be functional, but Microsoft no longer maintains or updates that version. In this scenario, you can install the older downgraded version. Thats your previous scenario.

However, if your macOS is below 12, your current scenario with Big Sur, Office products will now enter reduced functionality mode. In other words, the OS is too old to receive the licensing update the Office now requires. Sorry.

This is an update that occured on July 13th and Microsoft shared it here: https://support.microsoft.com/office/update-microsoft-365-or-office-on-your-macos-or-ios-device-f418ae5d-bb5f-4078-b3d9-9340f5dd084e?apid=ets

If your device cannot update its OS to at least 12, your options will be: Use the web version or an alternative like LibreOffice.
Juerg Baenziger 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T21:49:21.7966667+00:00

unfortunately you are correct it is 11.7.11 and it looks like I am out of luck with this one.