A family of Microsoft word processing software products for creating web, email, and print documents.
Dear @Muni Nasser,
Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.
I understand that you’re trying to use Microsoft Word on Windows, but the app shows error 2604 saying it can’t connect to the network, even though your device seems online.
Typically, the error 2604 message usually appears when the Office apps can’t contact Microsoft’s sign‑in/licensing services even though the PC may otherwise be online. Common triggers include:
- Campus/school firewall or proxy blocking Microsoft authentication/licensing URLs
- VPN or proxy misconfiguration (PAC files, authenticated proxies, SSL inspection)
- Stale cached credentials/tokens in Office or Windows
- Conditional Access/device compliance requirements on education tenants
To better assistance, could you please confirm following information:
- Can you open https://login.microsoftonline.com in a browser on the same device?
- Which type of account are you using to sign-in Word? Is it account provided by your school or your personal account? Can you use that account to sign in at office.com?
- Does the error disappear when you connect via a mobile hotspot with VPN off?
- Have you recently updated Office (File > Account > Update Now), and which Office build are you on (About Word)?
In the meantime, I recommend some steps below:
1/ Update Office
Go to Word > File > Account > Update Options > Update Now (If you cannot see Update Now option, it could be you have updated the lasted version)
2/ Repair Office
- Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft 365 (or Microsoft Office for enterprise/education or something like that) > Modify > Quick Repair.
- If still failing: Online Repair (reinstalls components; your files remain intact).
3/ Refresh sign‑in state
- In Word: File > Account > Sign out of all accounts; close all Office apps.
- Open Windows Credential Manager > Windows Credentials:
- Remove entries tied to your account.
- Reopen Word and sign in with your school account.
Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.
I truly appreciate your patience and understanding. If you have any further questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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