Microsoft Office 2016 activation issues

[XMan]

So I've had to reload the OS on my Hackintosh a couple of times to fix various issues. This last time, I restored apps from a Time Machine backup, and when I try to activate it I get the error that it's been done too many times.

On the PC side that's usually not a big deal, there's a number you call and verify you only have it installed on one system, and they give you a new code, but there doesn't seem to be any similar system in place for the Mac version. (Full disclosure, I do only have it installed on one system, the Hackintosh is the only macOS box I have).

Has anyone run into this? Microsoft's chat reps were spectacularly useless, they wanted me to delete the keychain settings for office and change my DNS servers for some reason, but as I interpret the error it's because the license key has been flagged on their end, so no change to my system would seem to fix it, in my mind.

 

[Tweak155]

You may need to call in or try the email service, I'd be shocked if MS can't fix this for you.

I just recently had this on Office 2010... got a new CPU & Mobo combo and now it wont activate. When I click the telephone option they say it's been discontinued.

First time I've been bitten by DRM. But in your case, I can't imagine there isn't a solution.

 

[UsandThem]

You may need to call in or try the email service, I'd be shocked if MS can't fix this for you.

I just recently had this on Office 2010... got a new CPU & Mobo combo and now it wont activate. When I click the telephone option they say it's been discontinued.

First time I've been bitten by DRM. But in your case, I can't imagine there isn't a solution.

Exact same thing happened to me about a year ago for a couple retail version of Office I bought. It said something to the effect of "You have exceeded the allowed number of activations. Click here to buy Office now". Pretty crappy that they do that IMO.

 

[XMan]

Gah. Spent an hour on the phone with them, all they had me do was uninstall and re-download it. And, of course, it still wouldn't activate.

Is there an e-mail address to tech support that is NOT in India?

 

[UsandThem]

Gah. Spent an hour on the phone with them, all they had me do was uninstall and re-download it. And, of course, it still wouldn't activate.

Is there an e-mail address to tech support that is NOT in India?

Unfortunately I think that is where all their consumer activation "support" service is located, at least with me dealing with stuff over the last 20 years.

 

[Beer4Me]

Are you using this license elsewhere? Is this a retail, OEM, or O365 version of O2016? If you changed any hardware on your Hackintosh and using OEM key of O2016, I'm afraid you are SOL. MS won't do anything as they don't care about Apple users, lest Hackintosh. OSX retail keys should activate fine time over time, at least that has been my experience. I have a retail copy of O2011 for OSX, and NEVER had an issue reinstalling. Also, O365 versions of Office coincidentally are NOT limited to 5 activations per account despite what MS tells you.

 

[XMan]

As I said earlier, this is the only Mac I have. License is not in use elsewhere. No hardware changes, just a couple of OS reloads trying to chase down other issues.

It's an Office Professional Pro license I bought through my work.

 

[XMan]

Third time was the charm. Third rep deactivated it on their end, reactivated, and wow, amazingly enough, it worked, without futzing around with my settings.