How to connect my Macbook air 2017 to my microsoft 365prescription (family) currently on my Macbook pro M3 chip

Question

I am finding it difficult to activate the MS office package on my Macbook air 2017, I first downloaded the current installation package but could not install it on the Mac air because it needs IOS version 14 or more . I had to download and install a compatible pacckage (August 13th release , 2024 for the MS word. even with that, the MS package refuse to recognise my subscription. Please what should I do?

Answer 1

Here's my article on how to download, install and activate Office on your older Mac: Most Recent Office You Can Run - Best Practices

Answer 2

Hi, Aliyu Mamman nauzo

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

What you are running into is mostly a compatibility mismatch: newer Microsoft 365 installers require newer macOS versions, and if you install an older Office build to fit your MacBook Air, activation can fail if the sign-in or licensing files on the Mac do not line up with your Family subscription.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

Check whether your MacBook Air can upgrade macOS, then match the Office version to that macOS

On the MacBook Air, go to Apple menu > About This Mac > Software Update and install the newest macOS it offers. Microsoft 365 for Mac supports only the newest macOS versions, and since September 2025 (Office 16.101) you generally need macOS Sonoma (14) or later to keep installing and receiving updates.

If your Mac cannot reach Sonoma, you will be limited to older Office builds (they can still work, but you may stop getting updates).

Make sure your Microsoft 365 Family sharing is actually assigned to the exact account you are signing into on the MacBook Air

Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services and confirm the subscription shows under that same email. If you are not the Family organizer, the organizer must invite you and you must accept the invite on your account, otherwise Office can show “no subscription found” even when OneDrive storage looks correct.

Reset Office licensing on the Mac, then sign in fresh

This fixes cases where Office is “stuck” on an old license or cannot read the subscription properly. Use Microsoft’s License Removal Tool to remove the Office license files, restart the Mac, then open Word and sign in again with the correct Microsoft account.

Reinstall using Microsoft’s official install flow (not a random standalone installer)

After confirming your account at Services & subscriptions, use Microsoft’s official download and install steps for Mac so the installer matches your license type. This reduces “wrong build, right account” problems that commonly cause activation loops.

Hope this helps. Feel free to get back if you need further assistance.

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