Asking me to buy word, excel etc after i purchased new subscription

Michael Francis 0 Reputation points
2026-06-16T21:19:53.1233333+00:00

I purchased ms 365 personal and after install when i try to use word, excel etc is is asking me purchase it.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Other
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  1. EmilyS726 244.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-16T21:53:54.25+00:00

    What are you using it on, Windows 11, or MacOS?

    Did you purchase directly from Microsoft, or from Apple App Store, for example? Please let me know because the installation method can be different in order for the account to be recognized.

    In the apps, can you make sure you are signing in with the right account - check the user icon on the upper right.

    If you got it from Microsoft, check https://account.live.com > Subscription, confirm that the name is indeed Microsoft 365 Personal and it is active.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-16T21:20:18.56+00:00

    Microsoft 365 Personal includes the desktop apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), but they must be correctly activated with the account that owns the subscription. When the apps still ask to purchase after installing, the usual causes and fixes are:

    1. Confirm the subscription actually includes Office apps
      Ensure the subscription is Microsoft 365 Personal (not Microsoft 365 Basic, which only includes OneDrive storage and does not activate desktop Word/Excel/PowerPoint). If it were Basic, the desktop apps would stay in reduced functionality and keep asking to buy.
    2. Sign in with the correct Microsoft account inside the apps
      Office apps must be activated by signing in, not by buying again or entering a product key:
      • Open Word (or Excel/PowerPoint).
      • If a “Sign in” button appears, select it.
      • Sign in with the same Microsoft account used to purchase Microsoft 365 Personal.
      • If already signed in with a different account, go to Account (or File → Account), sign out of all accounts, then sign in again with the correct one.
      The guidance is: use the Microsoft account, not a product key, to activate individually purchased Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.
    3. Install from the correct place
      Make sure the apps were installed from the Microsoft account that owns the subscription:
    4. Check for subscription/activation warnings
      If a banner such as “NOTICE Most features are disabled because your Office product is inactivate. To use for free, sign in and use the Web version.” or “Product deactivated” appears:
      • Select Sign in on the banner and sign in with the Microsoft 365 Personal account.
      • If the install was previously tied to another account or deactivated, this re-associates it with the active subscription.
    5. If Office came pre-installed on the device
      Pre-installed Office on a new device is often a trial. After buying Microsoft 365 Personal, it still needs to be activated with the purchased account:
      • Open an Office app, choose Sign in (not Buy), and use the Microsoft 365 Personal account.
      • If the pre-installed copy continues to prompt to buy, uninstall Office completely, then reinstall from the Services & subscriptions page for the correct account and sign in again.

    If, after these steps, the apps still ask to purchase, verify on the Services & subscriptions page that Microsoft 365 Personal is listed as active for the same account being used in the apps. If it is not active or not shown, the purchase may be under a different account.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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