Download & Activation Guides

The three routes, in short

Every product we sell follows one of three routes. Your guide above spells out the details, and your order email says which one applies to your key.

Windows and Windows Server

1. Download the media from Microsoft (Windows 11, Windows 10, or the Evaluation Center for Server), or use the link in your order email for Enterprise, LTSC and Windows 7 media.
2. Install it, or keep the copy already on the machine.
3. Enter your key in Settings, System, Activation. On a server, convert an evaluation build with DISM /online /Set-Edition:… or run slmgr /ipk then slmgr /ato.

Microsoft Office and single apps

Office Professional Plus, Home & Student, Home & Business, Office for Mac and the single apps (Word, Outlook, Access, Visio, Project) are redeemed with a Microsoft account.

1. Redeem the key at setup.office.com with a Microsoft account, or create a free one.
2. Download the installer from account.microsoft.com, under Services and subscriptions.
3. Install it, open Word and sign in with the same account. Activation happens on its own.

Keep that Microsoft account. It is where the license lives and how you reinstall later on the same computer.

Office LTSC editions

1. Uninstall every other Office and Microsoft 365 version, then restart the PC.
2. Install from the link in your order email, or with the Office Deployment Tool and a configuration file. Don’t sign in with a Microsoft account during setup.
3. Open Word, go to File, Account, Change Product Key and enter your key. If you see 0xC004C020, switch to telephone activation and a Confirmation ID.