Office 365 issues on Mac

Question

I’ve been having ongoing issues with Office 365 on my Mac, and I suspect it stems from how I originally installed it. I first subscribed to Excel as a standalone app, then later purchased a full Microsoft 365 subscription. Ever since, I’ve had constant problems accessing files and using desktop apps.

For example, OneDrive won’t work on my desktop. It says I have two versions installed, but I can’t figure out how to identify or remove the one that’s not in use. More recently, I’ve been completely locked out of the desktop versions of Excel, Word, and other apps. A banner pops up saying “Activate Microsoft 365 to Create and Edit”, but when I click “Activate,” it says “No license found for this email” and only gives me two options: purchase a subscription or sign in with a different account.

I’m able to access everything online through the browser (OneDrive, Word, Excel, etc.), but nothing works on my desktop, which is incredibly frustrating.

Answer 1

Dear Mary Renée Warren

Thank you for posting your question in the Q&A forum.

Based on the information you provided, I understand you're experiencing issues using OneDrive on your Mac. From my research, it seems likely that you're running two versions of OneDrive simultaneously, one installed from the web and the other from the Mac App Store. This can cause conflicts.

To resolve this, I recommend uninstalling both versions of OneDrive. But before doing so, before proceeding, please confirm that your data has been successfully uploaded to OneDrive Web. Once your data is secure, proceed with uninstalling and then reinstalling OneDrive, preferably just one version.
You can visit the link to download OneDrive: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/download?msockid=048a6c38ac6d61e809d77a31ad376091

Additionally, I suggest you uninstall all standalone Office apps and any previous Microsoft 365 installations. Then, reinstall only the Microsoft 365 suite, which includes all Office apps. This will help ensure a smoother and more consistent experience.

I hope this information is helpful. Please give it a try, and if you still encounter issues, feel free to share more details. I’m always here and happy to help!

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