Microsoft says I am not connected to the internet eventhough I am

Question

I tried to open Excel and a pop up appears saying I have no connection to the internet. I am able to get on the internet and sign into my Microsoft email.

Answer 1

Can you go check your Windows Settings > Windows update, and see if you might have  KB5085516 available to install?

KB5085516 is released on March 21st to address Microsoft account sign in issue among some apps caused by KB5079473 https://support.microsoft.com/topic/march-21-2026-kb5085516-os-builds-26200-8039-and-26100-8039-out-of-band-09e85404-1cb6-4ed4-9ca5-3e40d74307b9

Answer 2

Excel and other Office apps can show a “no internet connection” or “you’ll need the internet for this” message even when the general internet connection is working. The issue is usually with how Office or Windows detects and uses the connection, not with basic web access.

Try these checks and fixes in order:

1. Confirm Windows sees the internet correctly
   • On Windows, make sure the network icon in the taskbar does not show a warning (like a yellow exclamation mark or “No Internet Access”), especially if using wired Ethernet.
   • If the wired connection shows “No Internet Access” but Wi‑Fi works, update the network card (NIC) driver and test again.
2. Update the network card driver
   • Network card manufacturers release driver updates to fix compatibility issues that can affect Microsoft 365 apps.
   • Use Windows Update first. If no update appears, go to the PC or NIC manufacturer’s support site and install the latest driver.
3. Test disabling IPv4 Checksum Offload (if using wired Ethernet)
   • This feature can cause Outlook and other Microsoft 365 apps to think there is no internet on some adapters.
   • Steps:
     1. Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings (or View network connections).
     2. Right‑click the active network adapter → Properties → Configure.
     3. Go to the Advanced tab.
     4. Find IPv4 Checksum Offload and set it to Disable.
     5. Select OK, then restart Excel and test.
   • This may be a temporary workaround; if it helps, work with the device manufacturer or Windows support for a permanent fix.
4. Check that Windows is correctly registering internet connectivity
   • If Windows’ Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) is not detecting the internet, Microsoft 365 activation and sign‑in can fail even though browsers work.
   • In a browser, open the probe URLs used by Windows:
     • http://www.msftconnecttest.com/connecttest.txt
     • http://ipv6.msftconnecttest.com/connecttest.txt
   • Each should return the text Microsoft Connect Test. If they do not, there may be a network, DNS, firewall, or proxy issue that prevents Office from confirming connectivity.
   • If NCSI is not registering the connection and a proxy is not in use, an administrator can configure NCSI to use GlobalDNS via the UseGlobalDNS registry value as described in the reference article, then retry Excel/Office activation.
5. If the issue is only with sign‑in/activation prompts
   • If Excel shows a message like “You’ll need the internet for this. We couldn’t connect to one of the services we needed to sign you in,” but normal browsing works:
     1. Make sure Office is fully updated to the latest build.
     2. Open Microsoft Edge (not Internet Explorer) and go to https://login.microsoftonline.com and sign in. If this fails or is blocked, a firewall, antivirus, or network environment is likely blocking Office sign‑in endpoints.
     3. If it works in normal Edge but fails in InPrivate mode, check local security software or browser add‑ons that might interfere with authentication.

If none of these steps help and Excel still reports no internet while other apps work, the problem may be deeper in the Windows profile or system configuration. In similar cases from the references, full profile reset or even Windows repair/reinstall was ultimately required when all network and Office troubleshooting failed.

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References:

• Why am I getting a message that says to troubleshoot my Internet connection?
• Troubleshoot Problems Signing In to Windows
• Can't sign in or activate Outlook and Microsoft 365 applications
• Microsoft 365 Apps activation network connection issues
• Connection issues when signing in after updating to Office 2016 build 16.0.7967 on Windows 10
• Unable to sign into account - says I am not connected to Internet but I am - Microsoft Q&A
• I can no longer login to office. I have a subscription - Microsoft Q&A
• I have issue signing in to my microsoft office account. - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't sign in to microsoft 365 desktop apps - Microsoft Q&A