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Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | Other | MacOS
Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
This issue matches a known activation problem on macOS where Office can open files but becomes unusable for editing after an update.
Use this recovery path:
- Check macOS version first. Office should be running on macOS 12 or later.
- Close all Office apps.
- Open Microsoft AutoUpdate from Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate.
- If it is not in Applications, check /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/.
- Review available updates and select Update All or update the Office apps individually.
- Launch Word again and test activation.
If Word is still locked after updating, remove and reinstall the Office apps:
- Close Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Open Finder > Applications.
- Locate the Office apps, control-click each one, and choose Move to Trash.
- Reinstall using the Mac installer that matches the perpetual license version:
- After installation completes, open Word and activate it with the perpetual one-time license.
If the apps were originally installed from the Mac App Store, update them through App Store > Updates instead of Microsoft AutoUpdate.
A related lifecycle change also starts July 13, 2026: unsupported macOS or unsupported Office app versions can enter reduced functionality mode, where files open and print but cannot be edited or saved. The supported fix is to update macOS first, then update Office.