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Identify what is failing
Activation and installation are different problems. Use the message you see to choose where to start:
| Message or symptom | First area to check |
|---|---|
| “No license found” or “Activate Office” | The Microsoft account, license status, and app source |
| Repeated sign-in prompts or “Authentication Expired” | Saved credentials in Keychain Access and the app’s location |
| “Installation limit reached” | Activated devices on the account |
0xD000000C |
Account sign-in, Keychain access, or a managed network account |
0xD0001043 |
A possible server-side activation issue |
0xD000001c |
The Mac’s computer name |
Unknown Error 0x0 or “License Not Found” |
Office updates and the macOS version for the affected installation |
| Installer will not download, open, or complete | The installer, macOS compatibility, or the product edition |
For Microsoft’s broader Mac activation and installation troubleshooting, see Microsoft’s Office for Mac troubleshooting guide.
Confirm that the account has the right license
Go to Microsoft account services and sign in with the same account used in Word, Excel, or another Office app. Confirm that the expected Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license appears and check its status. A Microsoft account that can use Word or Excel on the web does not necessarily include a license for the desktop apps.
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- Check whether the subscription expired, was cancelled, or has a payment problem.
- If the expected license is missing, try other Microsoft accounts you may have used to purchase or redeem Office. Search your email for the original purchase or redemption confirmation.
- If you use a work or school account, ask your organization’s administrator or IT department to confirm that a desktop-app license is assigned. An organizational sign-in by itself does not establish that you have that entitlement.
- If the account shows multiple Office licenses, confirm which one the apps should use before removing saved licenses.
Do not buy another license until you have checked the account and purchase record. A redeemed product key may be associated with a Microsoft account; verify that account rather than repeatedly entering the key.
Check the app source and update Office
The version of Office you installed must match your license. Microsoft 365 subscribers can use compatible Office apps from Microsoft or, in supported scenarios, the Mac App Store. A one-time Office license is not compatible with the Mac App Store versions; install those apps directly from Microsoft instead. See Microsoft’s explanation of Office activation and the Mac App Store.
Update apps downloaded from Microsoft
- Close all Office apps.
- In Finder, open Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate, then choose Update All or update the affected apps.
- If Microsoft AutoUpdate is not visible, check
/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/.
Update apps downloaded from the Mac App Store
- Open the App Store.
- Select Updates and install available updates for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote.
Check Microsoft’s current Microsoft 365 system requirements for your Office release and Mac. Requirements change, so do not assume that every Office version supports the same macOS versions. Microsoft’s issue page updated July 15, 2026, says that updating Office and running macOS 12 or later resolved Unknown Error 0x0 and “License Not Found” for the installations addressed there; treat that as specific to that issue, not a universal requirement for every Office release. See Microsoft’s current issue guidance.
Sign out and remove only the relevant saved credentials
If the license is valid but Office is signed into the wrong account, sign out in an Office app, quit all Office apps, then reopen Word or Excel and choose Sign in with another account if needed. Sign in using the account you verified on Microsoft account services.
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If activation still fails or Office repeatedly asks for credentials, Microsoft identifies stale Keychain data as one possible cause. To remove the Office data license file, open Spotlight, search for Keychain Access, open it, and search for Office. Follow Microsoft’s activation troubleshooting instructions to identify and delete the data license file, then reopen an Office app and try activation again.
Do not delete every Keychain item containing “Microsoft.” Removing unrelated credentials can affect other services. For persistent prompts to activate within a stated number of days, Microsoft specifically lists these entries:
Microsoft Office Identities Cache 3Microsoft Office Identities Settings 3Microsoft Office Ticket Cache
Deleting these entries requires local administrator privileges. If Office has been moved from the normal /Applications folder, return it there before deeper repair; Microsoft notes that moving apps can contribute to repeated Keychain prompts or “Authentication Expired.”
Use Microsoft’s License Removal Tool for persistent license conflicts
Use the Office for Mac License Removal Tool when sign-out and targeted Keychain cleanup do not work, Office is using the wrong license, a prior one-time license conflicts with a Microsoft 365 subscription, or an activation prompt persists. The tool removes all Office licenses from the Mac, so have the correct account credentials ready.
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- Quit every Office app and confirm that you can sign in with the account associated with the license you want to use.
- Download Microsoft’s Office for Mac License Removal Tool from its support page.
- Open the downloaded
.pkgfile and follow the setup wizard: select Continue, then Install. - Enter the Mac administrator password if prompted. When removal finishes, select Close.
- Open Word, Excel, or another Office app and sign in with the account for the intended license. If Microsoft’s instructions call for it, reinstall Office before activating.
- Restart the Mac after successful activation, then remove the downloaded removal-tool file from Downloads.
If macOS warns that the tool is from an unidentified developer, Microsoft says to Control-click the file and choose Open.
Fix the error code or activation condition
0xD000000C
Microsoft says this error means Office needs a valid account sign-in. Check internet access, quit every Office app, run the License Removal Tool, then reopen an app and activate. If you sign in to the Mac with a network account, such as an Open Directory account, it may not be able to write credentials to Keychain. Retry from a local Mac user account or ask IT to help with the managed setup. Details: Microsoft’s 0xD000000C guidance.
0x8A010101
Microsoft identifies this as potentially indicating an invalid product key. Do not keep guessing or re-entering keys; verify that the product and account are correct, then follow the relevant steps in Microsoft’s troubleshooting guide.
0xD0001043
Microsoft describes this as a possible server-side issue. Restart the Mac, run the License Removal Tool, uninstall Office, and reinstall it from Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 apps page before trying activation again. If the error persists, contact Microsoft Support rather than repeating the same repair. Start with Microsoft’s Mac troubleshooting steps.
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0xD000001c
Microsoft attributes this error to invalid characters in the Mac’s computer name being sent to the activation server. Open the Mac’s sharing or computer-name settings and use a simple name containing ordinary letters and numbers, then restart and try again. On older macOS versions, the path is Apple menu > System Preferences > Sharing; newer versions use System Settings, and the exact location varies by macOS version. See Microsoft’s troubleshooting guide.
“Installation limit reached”
This message means the account has reached the maximum number of computer activations allowed for that product or subscription; Microsoft does not state one universal limit for every license. Go to the account page, manage activated or installed devices, and try again. Microsoft says a one-time Office license is limited to a one-time installation under its stated terms. See Microsoft’s installation-limit guidance.
Unknown Error 0x0 or “License Not Found”
For the installations covered by Microsoft’s issue page, updating Office and using macOS 12 or later resolved the issue. Update Office through the same channel used to install it and check the current macOS requirements for your release. Do not apply the macOS 12 guidance as a blanket rule for unrelated activation errors. See Microsoft’s issue page.
Office keeps asking to activate after successful sign-in
Quit the app completely and reopen it. If the prompt returns, follow the targeted Keychain steps, then use the License Removal Tool if needed and activate again. Confirm that Office is in /Applications before escalating to a reinstall.
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Resolve installation problems separately
- The download stalls: Delete the incomplete download, empty Trash, then download the installer again.
- The installer will not launch: Wait for the download to finish, move the
.pkgto the Desktop, and retry. If it still will not open, download it again using Safari. - “Install Failed” appears: Delete the installer and download a fresh copy.
- “Unidentified developer” appears: Update macOS, then Control-click the installer and choose Open.
- “Unsupported operating system” appears: Check the system requirements and confirm that the product is for Mac, not PC.
- The installer stays on “Verifying”: Update macOS, restart, and try again.
- Apps seem to be missing: Look in Finder > Applications > Microsoft or in Launchpad.
For a Microsoft-provided installer, use Microsoft’s installation troubleshooting steps.
Reinstall only after account and license checks
A reinstall will not grant a license that the account does not have, assign a work or school license, or clear an activation limit. It is appropriate when the installation is corrupted, the wrong app source was installed, or earlier updates and license cleanup did not resolve the problem. Before major cleanup, close Office and back up important local files. Reinstalling the apps is not the same as deleting user documents.
- Sign in to Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 apps page with the account that owns the license.
- Select Install apps, download the Mac installer, and complete setup.
- Open an Office app and activate with the verified account.
Microsoft’s download and reinstall instructions provide the official path.
Know when to contact support
- Contact your organization’s IT department if a work or school license is missing, the Mac is managed, a network account cannot write to Keychain, or company policy limits changes.
- Contact Microsoft Support if your purchase should be associated with the account but no license appears, account or redemption access is unavailable, or activation still fails after the appropriate license cleanup and reinstall.
- Stop repeating a repair if the same error returns after the account, app source, and error-specific steps have been checked; provide support with the exact error code, Office source, macOS version, and account type.
Verify activation is complete
- The intended account is signed in to Office and shows the expected license.
- Word or Excel lets you create and edit documents.
- The activation banner is gone and sign-in prompts do not recur.
- You can restart the Mac, reopen Office, and continue working without an activation loop.
Microsoft 365 apps need internet access for initial installation and activation, updates, and billing management. After activation, they can work offline, but Microsoft says users should reconnect regularly; otherwise Office may enter reduced-functionality mode and show an unlicensed-product message. See Microsoft’s comparison of Microsoft 365 and Office 2024.
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