[Microsoft Office] How to activate one-time purchase Office Home & Business (ex: Office 2021, or 2019)

This article describes how to activate a one-time purchase version of Office Home & Business (ex: Office 2021, 2019, etc.), and you also can refer to the Microsoft’s Activate Office topic. Before activating Office, please check below Office regulations from Microsoft.

Note: If you had activated Office already and you need to reinstall it, please click here.

• Before you activate Office applications, Windows OS must be activated on your computer.
• You need to activate Office within 180 days from the time the Windows OS is activated.
• You need to sign in with a Microsoft account. (The Office authority will be linked to your Microsoft account.)

The following activation process takes Office 2021 as an example:

Note: if you have a one-time purchase of Office Home & Business (ex: Office 2021, or 2019), please follow the following steps to upgrade Microsoft 365 to Office 2021.

1. Open an Office program, such as Word.
   
2. When you start an Office app for the first time, the system will inform “You’ve got Office”. Please sign in with a Microsoft account① to activate it. If you don’t have a Microsoft account yet, please select Create Account.
   Note: After signing-in, your product will be added to your Microsoft account, so that you can reinstall it later, or manage your new subscription without a product key. Please must remember your Microsoft account and password, otherwise, you won’t be able to activate Office again if you forgot the account.
   
3. After signing-in to your Microsoft account, you will get a confirmation whether you want to link Office 2021 activation to your Microsoft account. Select [Next]②.
   
4. You need to agree to the Microsoft Services Agreement. Please read it and then select [Confirm]③.
   
5. Office 2021 has been linked to your Microsoft account successfully, and then please click [Get started]④.
   
6. Before activating Office 2021, you may receive a notification that Office needs an update. Please click [Update Now]⑤.
   
7. Office is downloading updates.
   
8. To complete Office updates, select [Continue]⑥ to close the Office program.
   
9. The updates have been installed, please click [Close]⑦.
   
10. After that, you need to activate Office 2021 as well as upgrade the program from Microsoft 365 to Office 2021. Open an Office program, and then select [File]⑧ at the upper-left corner of the toolbar.
    
11. Select [Account]⑨, and then click [Activate Product]⑩.
    
12. Click [Update Now]⑪.
    
13. Office is downloading updates.
    
14. To complete Office updates, select [Continue]⑫ to close the Office program.
    
15. The updates have been installed, please click [Close]⑬.
    
16. You will receive a notification that your account has Office 2021, please click [Get started]⑭.
    
17. Please click [Accept]⑮ to agree to the Microsoft Office license agreement.
    
18. The Office 2021 activation has been completed and is ready for you. You can also check the status on the Product Information of Account.
    

Q & A

Q1: If I reset my PC and the Office program is missing (or, I deleted it), how can I download it back?

A1: If you had activated Office, please click here and sign in to your Microsoft account, which is linked to Office program. You can find the Office program on the Products you’ve purchased field, and then install it again.

If your problem is not worked out with above solution and information, please contact us for further information.