How to Install Microsoft Office

This updated guide examines How to Install Microsoft Office and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Part 1

Installing Office on Windows

1. Go to your account's Office page. Go to http://www.office.com/myaccount/. This will open a page with your Office purchase.^[1]
2. ClickInstall >. It's an orange button below your subscription's name.
3. ClickInstallagain. Your Office setup file will begin downloading.
   • If you purchased the Student version of Microsoft Office, skip this step.
4. Double-click the Office setup file. You'll find it in your computer's default download location.
5. ClickYeswhen prompted. Doing so will run the setup file and begin installing Office on your computer.
6. Wait for Microsoft Office to finish installing. This process may take several minutes.
7. ClickClosewhen prompted. Your Microsoft Office programs have now been installed on your computer. You're free to begin using these programs right away.

Part 2

Installing Office on Mac

1. Go to your account's Office page. Go to http://www.office.com/myaccount/. This will open a page with your Office purchase.
2. ClickInstall >. It's an orange button below your subscription's name.
3. ClickInstallagain. Your Office setup file will begin downloading.
   • If you purchased the Student version of Microsoft Office, skip this step.
4. Open Finder. It's a blue, face-shaped app in your Mac's Dock.
5. ClickDownloads. This folder is on the left side of the Finder window.
   • If your browser downloads files to a different folder (e.g., your desktop), click that folder's name instead.
6. Double-click the Office setup file. Doing so will prompt it to begin running.
   • If you receive an error saying that the file can't be installed, try verifying the download before continuing. Microsoft is a signed developer, but Microsoft software doesn't always work flawlessly on a Mac.
7. ClickContinuetwice. It's in the bottom-right corner of the page. You'll do this once on the first page of the setup, and then again on the second page.
8. ClickAgree. This will indicate that you agree to Microsoft's terms of use.
9. ClickContinue. It's in the bottom-right corner of the page.
10. ClickInstall. This blue button is in the bottom-right corner of the page.
11. Enter your Mac's password. Type in the password you use to log into your Mac.
12. ClickInstall Software. It's in the bottom-right corner of the password entry window. Doing so will begin installing Microsoft Office on your computer.
    • The installation process may take a while.
13. ClickClosewhen prompted. Your Microsoft Office programs have now been installed on your computer. You're free to begin using these programs right away.

Part 3

Purchasing an Office Subscription

1. Go to the Microsoft product page. Go to https://products.office.com/.
   • If you've already purchased an Office subscription, skip ahead to installing it on Windows or on Mac.
2. ClickBUY OFFICE 365. It's a black button in the upper-right side of the page. Doing so will take you to the Microsoft Office product page.
3. Decide on an Office 365 option. There are four flavors of Office 365 subscription that you can buy:
   • Office 365 Home - Costs $99.99 per year. Comes with five computer installations, five smartphone/tablet installations, and up to five terabytes of online cloud storage.
   • Office 365 Personal - Costs $69.99 per year. Comes with one computer installation, one smartphone/tablet installation, and a terabyte of online cloud storage.
   • Office Home & Student - Costs a one-time charge of $149.99. Comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
4. ClickBuy now. This green button is below the name of the Office subscription that you choose.
5. ClickCheckout. It's a blue button on the far-right side of the page.
6. Sign into your Microsoft account when prompted. Enter your Microsoft email address, click Next , enter your password, and click Sign in .
   • If you're already signed into your Microsoft account, you'll still have to enter your password and click Sign in when prompted.
7. ClickPlace order. It's on the right side of the page. Doing so will purchase your Office 365 subscription for one year. You can now download and install Microsoft Office on your Windows or Mac computer.
   • If you bought the Student version, you don't have to pay again the following year.
   • If you don't have a credit, debit, or PayPal option on file for your account, you'll first need to enter payment information before you can place your order.