trying to open an excel (aslo in word) file on mac. app doesnt recognise i have subscription

Yoav Brown 0 Reputation points
2026-11-08T22:41:53.1466667+00:00

i am logged in to my account i have subscription that should allow me to use excel and word and i can easily edit files on the web, when i open it with the app on my mac i get a pop up just below the task bar telling me i cannot edit or save because i dont have subscription. but i am clearly logged in and when i try to log in again i get an error code 0x0Screenshot 2026-11-09 at 0.24.38.png

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For home | MacOS
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  1. Vikki-T 13,600 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-09T10:06:06.04+00:00

    Hello Yoav Brown,

    The screenshot is helpful. It shows that Excel is failing during activation with error 0x0, so the issue appears to be with the Office license stored on the Mac rather than with the Excel or Word files themselves.

    First, please sign in to the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page and confirm that the Microsoft 365 subscription is active under the same account being used in Excel. Please also check that the plan includes the desktop Office apps, since being able to edit files in the browser does not by itself confirm desktop-app activation.

    Next, check where Excel and Word were installed from:

    • If they were downloaded directly from Microsoft, close all Office apps and install the available updates through Microsoft AutoUpdate.
    • If they were installed from the Mac App Store, update them through the App Store instead.

    Microsoft has identified error 0x0 as a known Office activation issue on macOS, and updating Office from the correct installation source is the recommended resolution: Unknown Error 0x0 or License Not Found on macOS.

    If all apps are already updated but activation still fails, the locally stored Office license may be damaged or linked to an older license. You can then use Microsoft’s official Office License Removal Tool for Mac, restart the Mac, and sign in again with the account that owns the subscription. Please make sure you know the correct account and password before running the tool, because it removes all Office licenses currently stored on the Mac.

    If possible, let me know which Microsoft 365 plan appears on the Services & subscriptions page, the macOS version, and whether Office came from Microsoft or the Mac App Store. Please do not post the full email address or other account information publicly. Thank you so much for your understanding.     

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-08T22:42:35.37+00:00

    On macOS 12 or later, resolve the Office 0x0 / License Not Found activation issue by updating Word and Excel through the same installation source from which they were originally installed.^1^

    Update Office

    First, select Apple menu → About This Mac and check that the Mac is running macOS 12 or later.

    If Office was installed from Microsoft:

    1. Quit every Microsoft Office application.
    2. Open Finder → Applications → Microsoft AutoUpdate.
    3. If Microsoft AutoUpdate is not listed there:
      • In Finder, select Go → Go to Folder.
      • Enter /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/.
      • Open Microsoft AutoUpdate from that folder.
    4. Select Update All.
    5. When updating finishes, reopen Word or Excel and test editing and saving.

    If Word and Excel were installed from Apple’s App Store:

    1. Quit all Office applications.
    2. Open App Store → Updates.
    3. Update Microsoft Word, Excel, and the other installed Office apps, or select Update All.
    4. Reopen an Office application and test activation.

    Microsoft lists this particular macOS 0x0 / License Not Found issue as resolved through the Office updates.^1^

    If updating does not restore activation

    Reset the locally stored Office licenses using Microsoft’s License Removal Tool. This removes Office licenses from the Mac, so have the subscription account and password available before proceeding.^2^

    1. Quit all Office applications.
    2. Download the Office License Removal Tool from the Microsoft Support page cited below.
    3. Open the downloaded .pkg file.
      • If macOS reports an unidentified developer, Control-click → Open.
    4. Select Continue, follow the prompts, and select Install. Enter the Mac administrator password if requested.
    5. After the tool reports that licenses were removed, select Close.
    6. Open Word or Excel and sign in with the account associated with the Microsoft 365 subscription.
    7. If offered a choice between a one-time Office license and Microsoft 365, choose Microsoft 365.
    8. After activation succeeds, restart the Mac.
    9. Delete the license-removal installer from Finder → Downloads.

    Editing successfully in the web apps does not by itself prove that the same account has a desktop-app license, because Office web access is available to Microsoft accounts without a paid desktop subscription. If activation still fails after the update and license reset, check the account’s Services & subscriptions page and confirm that Microsoft 365 is listed under the exact account being used in Word and Excel.

    If the Mac is older than macOS 12, the documented 0x0 update resolution is not applicable; upgrade macOS first if the hardware supports it.^1^

    References

    1. Unknown Error 0x0 or License not found error in Microsoft 365 or Office running on macOS | Microsoft Support
    2. How to remove Office license files on a Mac | Microsoft Support
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