How to set up Microsoft 365 (Office)

Microsoft 365 is Microsoft's subscription version of Office. You get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and 1 TB of cloud storage in OneDrive, all for one monthly or yearly fee. Setting it up on a new computer is mostly a matter of signing in with the right account and downloading the installer.

Before you start: which plan do you have?

Microsoft sells these consumer plans:

If you only use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and you do not want a subscription, the one time Office 2024 is worth a look. For most people, Microsoft 365 Family is the best value because you can split it with up to 5 other people.

Step 1: Sign in to your Microsoft account

1. Open a web browser. Go to account.microsoft.com.
2. Sign in with the email and password tied to your subscription.
3. If you do not remember which account you used, check the receipt email from Microsoft when you bought the subscription.
4. If you have never had a Microsoft account: click Create one. Use an existing email (Gmail, Yahoo, whatever) and a strong password.

Step 2: Confirm your subscription is active

1. From account.microsoft.com, click Services & subscriptions.
2. Look for "Microsoft 365" in the list. It should say Active with a renewal date.
3. If it says expired or not found, you do not have a subscription on this account. Either renew, or sign in with a different account that has the subscription.

Step 3: Install on Windows

1. Still on account.microsoft.com, click Install Microsoft 365.
2. The installer (about 4 MB) downloads. Find it in your Downloads folder. Double click OfficeSetup.exe.
3. Click Yes if Windows asks for permission.
4. The install runs in the background. It downloads about 4 GB. Takes 5 to 20 minutes depending on internet speed.
5. When it says "You are all set," click Close.
6. Open Word from the Start menu.
7. Word asks you to sign in. Use the same Microsoft account that has the subscription.
8. Accept the license agreement.

If install fails: see the Common problems section below.

Step 4: Install on Mac

1. From account.microsoft.com, click Install Microsoft 365.
2. Microsoft_365_Installer.pkg downloads to your Downloads folder.
3. Double click the .pkg file.
4. Click Continue, agree, choose where to install (your hard drive), enter your Mac password.
5. Wait for the install to finish (5 to 15 minutes, about 2 GB).
6. Open Word from your Applications folder.
7. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
8. If Mac asks if Word can access folders, click OK.

Step 5: Set up OneDrive

Your subscription includes 1 TB of cloud storage in OneDrive. Set it up so your files back up automatically.

Windows: OneDrive comes preinstalled. Open the Start menu, type OneDrive, open it. Sign in with the same Microsoft account. Choose folders to sync (recommended: Desktop, Documents, Pictures).

Mac: download OneDrive from the Mac App Store. Open it, sign in. Choose folders to sync.

For full setup, see our cloud comparison.

Step 6: Set up Outlook

Outlook is included. To add your email:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Type your email address. Click Continue.
3. Enter your email password.
4. If you have 2FA on, complete the prompt.
5. Outlook configures itself. For Gmail, you may need to allow access in Google's security page.

Outlook can hold multiple email accounts. Add more under File > Account Settings.

Common problems

"Sorry, we ran into a problem" during install

• Uninstall any older Office. Settings > Apps > find Microsoft Office or any "Office" entry > uninstall.
• Restart your computer.
• Run the Microsoft Office removal tool from Microsoft's site, then reinstall.

"This Office product is not licensed" or activation error

• You signed in with a different Microsoft account than the one with the subscription. Sign out: File > Account > Sign Out. Then sign in with the correct one.
• The subscription expired or payment failed. Check at account.microsoft.com > Services & subscriptions.

"Cannot connect to Microsoft servers"

• Your internet is dropping. Restart router.
• A VPN or firewall is blocking the install. Turn the VPN off, retry.
• Antivirus is blocking the installer. Pause antivirus, retry.

Word and Excel installed but Outlook is missing

Microsoft 365 Home & Student plans skip Outlook. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family include it. If you have Personal or Family and Outlook is missing, run the installer again from account.microsoft.com.

Office is preinstalled on my new computer but asks for activation

Many new PCs come with Office installed as a trial. To activate the full version:

• If you bought a year of Microsoft 365 separately, sign in with that account. The trial converts.
• If you bought a one-time product key, enter it at setup.office.com.
• If you do not want it, uninstall and install nothing. LibreOffice is a free alternative.

Microsoft 365 on phone and tablet

The Office mobile apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive) are free on iPhone and Android for reading. Editing requires signing in with a Microsoft 365 subscription on devices over 10.1 inches; under that, basic editing is free. Install from the App Store or Play Store.

What to do with the old computer

If you moved to a new computer, sign out of Office on the old one before getting rid of it:

1. Open Word on the old computer.
2. File > Account > Sign Out.
3. Optionally uninstall Office.

This frees up one of your install slots. Microsoft 365 Personal allows 5 simultaneously signed in devices.