How Do I Activate My Microsoft Excel?

New computers often have Microsoft Office pre-installed, but it has to be activated to continue using it after the trial period. Microsoft lets its users pick between buying a yearly subscription to Office 365, which includes a suite of premium apps, or activating Microsoft Excel with a one-time license. In any case, the activation will be linked to your Microsoft account.

Activating Pre-Installed Software

There are two possible scenarios with pre-installed software. It's either a free trial or an included offer of a one-time purchase or one-year subscription. If the screen says "start your free 30-day trial," you'll need to purchase a copy of Microsoft Excel still. If you choose to purchase Microsoft Excel separately, it can be found online at the Microsoft Store or you can purchase a product key from other electronics retailers.
However, if the screen shows "You've Got Office" and displays a sign-in link, the software is already paid for. In that case, it's easy to activate Microsoft Office by signing in to a Microsoft account or creating a new account. Both options will display as buttons below "Learn More." By creating the account, your copy will be activated. When there are troubles with activating Microsoft Excel through this method, reinstalling the software often resolves any bugs in the process.

Activating Microsoft Office Using Product Keys

Some stores provide a card or email with a product key after purchase. There are a few steps involved in this route:

1. Within the settings for Windows, ensure your copy of Windows is activated. Under Time & Language, check that Country or Region matches the same region as where the device was purchased. Additionally, in Date & Time, slide "set the time automatically" and "set the time zone automatically" to on.
2. To activate Microsoft Excel, launch the software by typing the name in the Windows search bar or finding it in your list of applications.
3. Begin the Microsoft Office activation process by signing in to your Microsoft account or creating a new one.
4. When "Activate Office" appears, click on it.
5. A new browser window will pop up. Sign in again using the same username and password.
6. Follow the instructions, such as inputting country, language, and product key information.
7. Open Microsoft Excel and open a new or existing document. Click accept on the license agreement to fully activate Microsoft Excel.
   

Once that process is complete, your copy of Microsoft Excel is activated and you can throw away the product key card. In the future, if you need to reinstall the software, you can use it again with your Microsoft account. It's important to remember and use the same email and password so you can always access your Microsoft Office products.