Is there a way to use PURCHASED Office 2024 w/o a MS account?

hershey4 · Sunday at 2:13 PM

This is so frustrating... I could sorta see needing an MS account to purchase it (but would still argue should not be necessary). And as a follow-on I could sorta see needing to be logged in to activate it. But I went to a lot of trouble to set up my new PC with a Local Account, I don't want a MS account signed on my PC all the time just to use some basic software that I PURCHASED!!

At the top of this site, I see that libreoffice might be an option. I will reluctantly take a peek. I also have a disk somewhere with my Office 2007. I installed it some time ago on Windows 10 laptop (it was tricky but I managed with help), but I don't use/like that laptop at all so I can uninstall it there. I believe I am allowed two total installations of Office 2007. (is an Uninstall the same as de-activating?)

I finally just upgraded to a real PC (and will eventually retire my W7 Dell XPS). Office 2007 is perfectly fine IMO and I would be happy to keep using it. I had thought in the spirit of moving from W7 to W11, I should go all the way and upgrade Office But there is no way I want a MS account on my computer!! And the installation scripts included mandatory agreement to tracking my use of it! I'm not renting it. I bought it.

Any way around this? Is this a well known thing and most people just go along and I shoulda done my research first?

Ghot · Sunday at 2:47 PM

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free office suite

www.libreoffice.org

Apache OpenOffice - Official Site - The Free and Open Productivity Suite

The official home page of the Apache OpenOffice open source project, home of OpenOffice Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw and Base.

www.openoffice.org

hershey4 · Sunday at 3:59 PM

I started to download libre free but it puts me on a Donate page and there is no way to skip. I would certainly consider donating if I like it, but first I gotta try it.

EDIT: Oops nevermind. It downloaded it in silence DUH!

Edwin · Sunday at 4:04 PM

hershey4 said:
Is there a way to use PURCHASED Office 2024 w/o a MS account?

Yes, sign out of Office..., remove the MS account from your PC.

hershey4 · Sunday at 4:38 PM

Edwin said:
Yes, sign out of Office..., remove the MS account from your PC.

doesn't seem like that will do it. It seems it will just want me to restore it again.

Edwin · Sunday at 5:14 PM

hershey4 said:
doesn't seem like that will do it.

Sure it will!

hershey4 said:
It seems it will just want me to restore it again.

It'll want you to, you don't have to!

Once you install it and activate it, there's no need for an MS account, as long as you use Office locally and don't use MS Connected Services.

Edwin · Sunday at 5:19 PM

The day I'm unable to use Office offline is the day MS and I part company!!!

hershey4 · Sunday at 5:20 PM

Well, I'll be darned. That was just way too easy!!!!! Thank you Thank Thank you!

hershey4 · Sunday at 5:23 PM

it did go through a couple of startup pages where I got to opt out of some tracking (and still have required tracking). So Microsoft still gonna be Microsoft...

hershey4 · Monday at 11:09 AM

follow up if anyone reading this in the future... I also discovered I was logged in to Edge with my MS account. Signed out of that also. (of course I only use edge when windows opens it even though it is not my default browser.. yet another gripe for another day)

MisterEd · Monday at 4:56 PM

Everyone is making things too complicated. I have local accounts on all my computers. I have two copies of Office Pro Plus 2019 and two of Office Pro Plus 2021. Of course I had to use my Microsoft Account to download to redeem my purchase and download the setup program. Using the Microsoft Account is only to get Office. It has nothing to do with the login on your computer.

Also, Office itself has a account login. You can log into your Microsoft Account if you want but it is optional. That is not required. You can keep everything offline if you want.

Note the only benefits I found of logging into your Microsoft Account was to auto-save documents, backing up your documents to One Drive and syncing documents.

The only exception I have made is with the Sticky Notes app. I log into it with my Microsoft Account on all my computers. That way my notes are synchronized on all computers.

hsehestedt · Monday at 5:01 PM

MisterEd said:
Everyone is making things too complicated. I have local accounts on all my computers. I have two copies of Office Pro Plus 2019 and two of Office Pro Plus 2021. Of course I had to use my Microsoft Account to download to redeem my purchase and download the setup program. Using the Microsoft Account is only to get Office. It has nothing to do with the login on your computer.

Also, Office itself has a account login. You can log into your Microsoft Account if you want but it is optional. That is not required. You can keep everything offline if you want.

Note the only benefits I found of logging into your Microsoft Account was to auto-save documents, backing up your documents to One Drive and syncing documents.

^^ YES! You in no way need to sign into a Microsoft account to register Office with a Microsoft account. That's how I have been doing it for years! I have office on every one of my machines, all registered to my MS account, but on almost every machine I use a local account or on some I use a Hybrid account.

hershey4 · Monday at 11:03 PM

MisterEd said:
Everyone is making things too complicated. I have local accounts on all my computers.

As far as the original complaint, keep in mind this was started by someone running 17 year old hardware and software before Microsoft accounts were even a thing! The obnoxiousness and intrusiveness of Microsoft is brand new to me!

I did know to make a Local Account which I did as soon as I finished setup, but was blown away when I later needed the account to buy software. That should not be a thing!!!

-an old person

hershey4 · Monday at 11:15 PM

MisterEd said:
Note the only benefits I found of logging into your Microsoft Account was to auto-save documents, backing up your documents to One Drive and syncing documents.

I'm not a fan of auto-save... I often want to Save As --> a new file. I do nightly backups to an external hard drive (Macrium Reflect). Not a fan of Syncing.. Always afraid of which one is the good one and the resources it takes and what if on a different network or other oddball syncing mishaps...

Therefore, it looks like I won't be needing my MS Account! Will it get deleted with inactivity? Is the registration of my PC or my software purchase of any importance over time?

syncing: I did just recently start syncing my Chrome profile. That's a game changer! But not my files please.

HeavyHemi · Monday at 11:23 PM

hershey4 said:
As far as the original complaint, keep in mind this was started by someone running 17 year old hardware and software before Microsoft accounts were even a thing! The obnoxiousness and intrusiveness of Microsoft is brand new to me!

I did know to make a Local Account which I did as soon as I finished setup, but was blown away when I later needed the account to buy software. That should not be a thing!!!

-an old person

Microsoft Passport I believe started in 1999, Windows Live in 2007. I've had my same email address since 1998.

dacrone · Monday at 11:26 PM

MisterEd said:
Of course I had to use my Microsoft Account to download to redeem my purchase and download the setup program

negatory. that is the easiest way for most, but def not required

idgat · Monday at 11:29 PM

hershey4 said:
I also discovered I was logged in to Edge with my MS account.

The "deviositiness" of Microsoft ... most users are unaware that if there is any login to a MS account, any where on the computer, Windows will permeate that logon to all another MS products, unless there is some user intervention

Masters of the bluff, most users don't realise you don't have to slavishly obey every threatening request from an MS product

Edwin · Monday at 11:36 PM

dacrone said:
that is the easiest way for most, but def not required

Even if you have an iso and product key, Office may ask for the account you used to redeem the key.

antspants · Monday at 11:42 PM

MisterEd said:
Everyone is making things too complicated

How is this complicated?

Edwin said:
Yes, sign out of Office..., remove the MS account from your PC.

antspants · Monday at 11:45 PM

idgat said:
The "deviositiness" of Microsoft

C'mon... you can't just run around making up words

Is there a way to use PURCHASED Office 2024 w/o a MS account?

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