I can't access Excel

Question

I want to be able to use Excel. I thought my subscription was up to date, but purchased another family suite just in case. I need help.

Answer 1

Hi William Graf,

Thank you for reaching out. I understand you're unable to access Excel even after purchasing a Microsoft 365 Family subscription.

To help determine whether this is a subscription, activation, or installation issue, could you please provide the following information:

• Are you using Windows or Mac?
• What happens when you try to open Excel? Do you receive an error message? If so, please share the exact wording or a screenshot.
• Can you confirm whether your Microsoft 365 subscription is shown as active at account.microsoft.com/services?
• Are other Office applications (such as Word or PowerPoint) working normally?
• Are you signed in to Excel with the same Microsoft account that was used to purchase the subscription?

In the meantime, please try these quick checks:

1. Open any Office application and verify which Microsoft account is signed in.
2. Sign out of all Office applications, then sign back in using the account that owns the Microsoft 365 Family subscription.
3. Verify that the subscription appears as Active under your Microsoft account services page.
4. If you're using Windows, run an Online Repair for Microsoft 365:
   • Control Panel > Programs and Features
   • Select Microsoft 365
   • Choose Change > Online Repair
5. If the issue persists, reinstall Microsoft 365.

Once you provide the device type and any error message you see, we can narrow down the cause and recommend the appropriate fix.