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Same MS Office 2016 version on two computers doesn't always recognize Office 365 subscription

Anonymous
2022-12-22T19:38:23+00:00

Hi there,

I've been trying to tackle an annoying issue on one of my computers.

Context: I have two computers, each having MS Office 2016 installed (same 16.x branch). This is the perpetual license of MS Office. I am both part of the administrative staff, as well as a student. As most part-time employees, I do use my own devices. The login for students and staff accounts is the same.

The case use scenario: I sometimes need to be collaborating on the same document, wether as a student or en employee. I also need to move from computer to another, and not wanting to have to worry wether I saved and closed the document on any of them. Now, for efficiency and compatibility reasons, I refuse tu use the slow and crippled online version of MS Office. This was a nice effort, but at the end of the day, it's juste another slow web app.

Using the standard version of MS Office 2016 with an Office 365 account is no problem: when I open a shared document hosted on OneDrive or its other interface (SharePoint - never understood the difference between both), an "Autosave" button appears in the quick access toolbar and is automatically turned on.

Autosave button that can be activated

Any edition made from any computer is quickly reflected accross all computers that have this same document open. I've heard it's not instantaneous like "true" Office 365 apps, but it's fast enough for my needs.

The problem: This very handy autosave button / feature isn't available when there's no Office 365 subscription. On one MS Office install, my Office 365 subscription isn't recognized, meaning I can open and edit documents, but can't have them autosaved to OneDrive, meaning changes aren't reflected. Besides, the document may or may not be locked from the other users.

Ribbon interface can't be edited without an Office 365 subscription. Quick Access toolbar simply doesn't have this button among the choices.

The question: how do I force MS Office 2016 to recognize my subscription on all computers?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For education | MacOS

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Jim G 134K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2022-12-29T18:37:01+00:00

    It's all your fault! Now Microsoft is ditching the brand name of the most successful product they ever had! Say bye bye to "Microsoft Office."

    Image

    You can buy Microsoft Word all by itself at the Microsoft store: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/word/cfq7ttc0hlkm?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

    The short answer to your original question about Office 2016 working differently on two Macs is that one had a perpetual license running in 32-bit mode. The other has a subscription license and is running in 64-bit mode.

    You have a wide variety of licenses at your disposal. You might be able to set both Macs up on the same version of and same license type of Office, but you will have to be cognizant of the operating system range supported by each version of Microsoft Office so your OS and Office apps are compatible with each other.

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  2. Jim G 134K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2022-12-24T02:02:21+00:00

    hi Chris,

    Your question was moved to the Word for Mac forum, so now maybe the replies will make more sense.

    I have a problem with your statement: "Using the standard version of MS Office 2016 with an Office 365 account is no problem." Office 2016 was sold as a stand-alone product and by subscription. I'm not entirely clear as to which license type you actually have. Let's start with that. Please use the Menu Bar in Word and choose Word > About Word to display the license type and version. If you have the final update of Word 2016, the version will be 16.16.27 but what we need to know is what it says for license type.

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  3. Suzanne S Barnhill 278K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2022-12-23T02:36:44+00:00

    You have posted in a forum for Word for Windows, so proposed solutions would apply to Windows versions. If you want solutions for Mac, post in a MacWord forum.

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-12-22T21:48:37+00:00

    Hi,

    I'm Sneha and I'd be happy to help you out with your question. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

    To troubleshoot the issue you're experiencing with your Office 365 subscription not being recognized on one of your computers, you can try the following steps:

    1. Check your Office 365 subscription status: Go to the "Account" tab in any Office application and click the "Manage Account" button. This will open the "Account" window, where you can check the status of your Office 365 subscription. If your subscription is not active, you may need to renew it or purchase a new subscription.
    2. Sign out and sign back in to your Office 365 account: In the "Account" window, click the "Sign Out" button, then close all Office applications. Reopen the Office application and sign in with your Office 365 account by going to the "Account" tab and clicking the "Sign In" button.
    3. Repair your Office installation: If your Office 365 subscription is active and you are still having issues with it not being recognized, you may need to repair your Office installation. To do this, go to the "Control Panel" and click the "Programs and Features" link. Find the Office application you're having issues with (e.g. Word, Excel, etc.), select it, and click the "Change" button. In the "Install/Uninstall" dialog box, click the "Repair" button and follow the prompts to repair the Office installation.
    4. Reset the Office application: If repairing the Office installation doesn't resolve the issue, you can try resetting the Office application. To do this, go to the "Control Panel" and click the "Programs and Features" link. Find the Office application you're having issues with (e.g. Word, Excel, etc.), select it, and click the "Change" button. In the "Install/Uninstall" dialog box, click the "Reset" button and follow the prompts to reset the Office application.

    If you have any other questions or need assistance with anything, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm here to help to the best of my ability.

    Give back to the Community. Help the next person who has this issue by indicating if this reply solved your problem. Click Yes or No below.

    Best Regards, Sneha

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-12-22T20:09:30+00:00

    2016 and 365 are seperate products only 365 includes Onedrive

    Auto save on the ribbon only applies to docs opened from OneDrive, or in the case of a new doc, after you have used 'SaveAs'to name it

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