Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
Because the purchase is a Microsoft 365 subscription, stop using the Office Deployment Tool’s setup.exe and install Microsoft 365 directly from the Microsoft account associated with the purchase.
Install Microsoft 365 on Windows
- Close the Deployment Tool and leave its folder unused.
- Open Services & subscriptions: https://account.microsoft.com/services
- Sign in with the same Microsoft account used to buy or redeem Microsoft 365.
- Find the Microsoft 365 subscription and select Install. Purchases made digitally from Microsoft normally appear here without requiring a product key.^1^
- Alternatively, go to: https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps
- Select Sign in → Install apps → Install.
- Open the downloaded installer:
- Microsoft Edge: select Run
- Chrome: select Setup
- Firefox: select Save File, then open the downloaded file
- If Windows asks whether the installer can make changes, select Yes.
- Keep the computer connected to the Internet until “You’re all set! Office is installed now” appears.^2^
- Open Start, search for Word, and launch it. Sign in with the same account and accept the license agreement to activate Microsoft 365.
If the subscription has not been redeemed
If the authorized retailer supplied a 25-character Microsoft 365 product key:
- Go to https://microsoft365.com/setup.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account that should own the subscription.
- Enter the key without hyphens if requested.
- Finish redemption, then return to Services & subscriptions and select Install.
The key only needs to be redeemed once. If the site says it has already been used, sign in to the Microsoft account where it was previously redeemed and install from that account instead.^3^
Check the product-name mismatch
“Microsoft 365 subscription” and “Office LTSC Standard 2024” are different licensing products. Before continuing with LTSC instructions, inspect the exact product shown under Services & subscriptions:
- If it shows Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or another Microsoft 365 subscription, use the installation procedure above.
- If it shows no Microsoft 365 purchase, check the order-confirmation email and confirm which Microsoft account was used.
- If your receipt specifically says Office LTSC Standard 2024, contact the seller to confirm what license was supplied before creating or running another deployment configuration.
The Office Deployment Tool is a command-line deployment utility that requires both setup.exe and a correctly configured XML file; double-clicking setup.exe by itself is not the normal subscription installation method.^4^
If the subscription appears but the normal installer still fails, run the Microsoft 365 setup troubleshooter from Microsoft’s installation-support page.^2^
References
- [Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/find-and-install-your-microsoft-downloads-from-microsoft-store#installing-microsoft-365)
- [Need help?](https://support.microsoft.com/office/lifecycle/officeinstall/download-install-or-reinstall-microsoft-365-or-office-2024-on-a-pc-or-mac)
- Where to enter your Office product key | Microsoft Support
- Overview of the Office Deployment Tool