Get Microsoft 365 to function on Mac (it has been purchased, activated and downloaded)

Since reinstalling did not help, remove the old Mac license information with Microsoft’s License Removal Tool, reactivate with the purchasing account, and replace the old Dock icon.

1. Confirm which Microsoft account owns Microsoft 365

1. Go to Office.com/signin.
2. Sign in using the email address used to purchase or redeem Microsoft 365.
3. Confirm that the Microsoft 365 license appears for that account.

Do not continue until the correct email address and password are available—the removal tool clears all Office licenses stored on this Mac. ^1^

2. Clear the stale or conflicting license

1. Quit Word, Excel, and every other Microsoft 365 application.
2. Download the Microsoft License Removal Tool.
3. Open Finder → Downloads, then double-click the downloaded .pkg file.
   • If macOS reports an unidentified developer, hold Control, click the file, and select Open.
4. Select Continue, follow the prompts, and select Install.
5. Enter the Mac administrator password when requested.
6. When the tool reports that the licenses were removed, select Close. ^1^

3. Open the newly installed application—not the old Dock shortcut

1. In Finder, open Applications.
2. Double-click Microsoft Word from that folder.
3. Sign in with the exact Microsoft account confirmed in step 1.
4. If asked which license to use, select Microsoft 365 for Mac.
5. Close Word, restart the Mac, and test Word and Excel again. Microsoft documents license removal and reactivation for situations involving an incorrect or previous license. ^2^

If Word works when opened from Applications, replace the obsolete Dock shortcut:

1. Control-click the old Word or Excel icon in the Dock.
2. Select Options → Remove from Dock.
3. Open the working app from Finder → Applications.
4. Control-click its active Dock icon and select Options → Keep in Dock. ^3^

If the old version still opens

Perform Microsoft’s complete Mac uninstall rather than another drag-to-Trash reinstall. This removes residual containers that an ordinary deletion can leave behind:

1. Open Finder → Applications and move all Microsoft 365 applications to the Bin.
2. In Finder, press Command+Shift+G, enter ~/Library, and select Go.
3. Remove the Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other listed Microsoft folders from Containers.
4. Under Group Containers, remove:
   • UBF8T346G9.ms
   • UBF8T346G9.Office
   • UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost
5. Remove the Office icons from the Dock and restart the Mac.
6. Sign in at Microsoft 365 Apps with the licensed account, select Install apps, and reinstall. ^4^

Caution: Back up Outlook data before removing Outlook-related container folders; Microsoft warns that this process can remove Outlook data.

References

1. How to remove Office license files on a Mac | Microsoft Support
2. [Activation](https://support.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-activation-licensing/what-to-try-if-you-can-t-install-or-activate-office-for-mac)
3. Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on a PC or Mac
4. Uninstall Office for Mac | Microsoft Support