Microsoft Office For Mac For Multiple Computers

 

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Applies to:Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio

Multiple Activation Key (MAK) activation is used for one-time activation through Microsoft-hosted activation services, either via the internet or by telephone. MAK activation requires that a MAK is installed on a client computer and instructs that computer to activate itself against those services.

Each MAK has a predetermined number of allowed activations and is based on your volume licensing agreement. Each Office activation that uses MAK counts toward the activation limit. After Office is activated, no re-activation is required unless the hardware changes significantly.

There are two ways to activate computers by using MAK:

  • MAK independent activation requires that each computer independently connect and be activated with Microsoft, either over the Internet or by telephone. MAK independent activation is best for computers that have direct access to the internet.

  • MAK proxy activation by using VAMT enables one computer with internet access to process activation requests on behalf of multiple computers. MAK proxy activation is configured by using the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). MAK proxy activation is appropriate for environments in which security concerns might restrict direct access to the internet or to development and test labs. For more information, see Perform Proxy Activation.

Activate Office 2019 by using MAK

If you're using MAK to activate volume licensed versions of Office 2019, you specify the key in the configuration.xml file used by the Office Deployment Tool when you deploy Office 2019 to the users in your organization. For more information, see Deploy Office 2019 (for IT Pros).

Activate Office 2016 by using MAK

If you're using MAK to activate volume licensed versions of Office 2016, you can enter the key by using one of the following supported methods:

  • Before you install Office 2016, you can use the Office Customization Tool (OCT) or the Config.xml file.

  • After you install Office 2016, you can use the product UI, the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), the ospp.vbs script, or enable a non-admin user to activate using MAK.

Configure MAK activation in the Office Customization Tool (OCT)

To enter a MAK key by using the Office Customization Tool (OCT), follow these steps:

  1. In the OCT, go to the Licensing and user interface page.

  2. Select Enter another product key, and then in the Product key field, enter the multiple activation key (five sets of five numbers or characters).

  3. After making any other necessary changes in the OCT, save the .msp file in the Updates folder.

Note

  • For more information, see Office Customization Tool (OCT) 2016 Help: Overview and Office Customization Tool (OCT) 2016 Help: Licensing and user interface.
  • You can activate Office 2016 automatically when you install by setting the AUTO_ACTIVATE property value to 1 in the Config.xml file. For more information, see Setting element. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)

Configure MAK activation in the Config.xml file

To enter a multiple activation key by using the Config.xml file, follow these steps:

  1. Add the following line to the Config.xml file:

Replace AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE with your 25-character product key.

  1. To apply the settings in Config.xml, at a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

Note

  • For more information about the Config.xml file, see Config.xml file reference. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)
  • You can activate Office 2016 automatically when you install by setting the AUTO_ACTIVATE property value to 1 in the Config.xml file. For more information, see Setting element. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)

Change the key by using the product UI

To change the Office 2016 product key on only one computer:

  1. Open an Office 2016 application, such as Word.
  2. Go to File > Account.
  3. Choose Change Product Key and enter the product key.

If you need to change the Office 2016 product key on multiple computers after Office is installed, we recommend that you use Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 3.1. For more information, see Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) Technical Reference.

Enable a non-admin user to activate an Office by using MAK

An administrator can create a registry key that allows a standard user (that is, a user who isn't an administrator) to activate Office 2016 by using MAK. By default, volume licensed versions of Office 2016 disable this behavior.

This can be used if you want a user to manually activate Office by using MAK, replace an existing key with a new key, or switch from KMS to MAK activation.

Microsoft Office For Mac 2 Computers

To enable this behavior, add the following line to the Config.xml file:

Or, you can set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform registry key to enable or disable standard user activation

  • To enable, set 'UserOperations'=dword:00000001
  • To disable, set 'UserOperations'=dword:00000000

Note

For more information about the Config.xml file, see Config.xml file reference. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)

Deploying multiple MAK keys

In some organizations, different groups have different MAK keys for their volume licensed versions of Office, Project, or Visio. Unfortunately, you can't include multiple MAK keys in the same configuration.xml file (for 2019 versions) or in the Office Customization Tool or config.xml file (for 2016 versions).

If you don't want to create separate XML files for each group, you could use one of these other methods:

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Important

Office 365 ProPlus is being renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. To learn more about this name change, read this blog post.

For details of when this change takes effect, and what actions admins might need to take, read this article.

Tip

The information in this article is intended for administrators and IT Pros. For information about activating a personal copy of Office, see Activate Office.

Shared computer activation lets you to deploy Office 365 ProPlus to a computer in your organization that is accessed by multiple users. Here are some examples of supported scenarios for using shared computer activation:

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  • Three workers at a factory share the same physical computer, each worker using Office on that computer during their eight-hour shift.
  • Fifteen nurses at a hospital use Office on ten different computers throughout the day.
  • Five employees connect remotely to the same computer to run Office.
  • Multiple employees use Office on a computer that's located in a conference room or some other public space in the company.

The most common shared computer activation scenario is to deploy Office 365 ProPlus to shared computers by using Remote Desktop Services (RDS). By using RDS, multiple users can connect to the same remote computer at the same time. The users can each run Office 365 ProPlus programs, such as Word or Excel, at the same time on the remote computer.

Shared computer activation is used for situations where multiple users share the same computer and the users are logging in with their own account. If you have users who are assigned individual computers and no other users work on those computers, you use product key activation for Office 365 ProPlus.

Normally, users can install and activate Office 365 ProPlus only on a limited number of devices, such as 5 PCs. Using Office 365 ProPlus with shared computer activation enabled doesn't count against that limit.

How to enable shared computer activation for Office 365 ProPlus

If you have an Office 365 plan that includes Office 365 ProPlus, you can use shared computer activation. Make sure you assign each user a license for Office 365 ProPlus and that users log on to the shared computer with their own user account.

Note

Microsoft office for mac for multiple computers windows 10

Shared computer activation is also available for the following:

  • Subscription versions of Project and Visio. For example, if you have the Project Online Professional plan or Visio Online Plan 2.
  • Microsoft 365 Business subscribers, whose version of Office is Office 365 Business. But, Microsoft 365 Business subscribers won't be able to use Group Policy to enable shared computer activation, because Office 365 Business doesn't support the use of Group Policy.

Shared computer activation isn't available for Office for Mac.

To enable shared computer activation when you deploy Office 365 ProPlus, you need the current version of the Office Deployment Tool, which is available for free from the Microsoft Download Center.

The Office Deployment Tool, combined with a simple text file, is used to install Office 365 ProPlus on the shared computer, and to enable shared computer activation for that computer. Add the following lines when you create the text file.

After Office 365 ProPlus is installed, you can verify that shared computer activation is enabled on that computer.

Note

Here are some other ways that you can enable shared computer activation:

  • Download and run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.
  • Use Group Policy by downloading the most current Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) for Office and enabling the 'Use shared computer activation' policy setting. This policy setting is found under Computer ConfigurationPoliciesAdministrative TemplatesMicrosoft Office 2016 (Machine)Licensing Settings.
  • Use Registry Editor to add a string value of SharedComputerLicensing with a setting of 1 under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOfficeClickToRunConfiguration.

How shared computer activation works for Office 365 ProPlus

Here's what happens after Office 365 ProPlus is installed on a computer that has shared computer activation enabled.

  1. A user logs on to the computer with her account.

  2. The user starts an Office 365 ProPlus program, such as Word.

  3. Office 365 ProPlus contacts the Office Licensing Service on the Internet to obtain a licensing token for the user.

    To determine whether the user is licensed to use Office 365 ProPlus, the Office Licensing Service has to know the user's account for Office 365. In some cases, Office 365 ProPlus prompts the user to provide the information. For example, the user might see the Activate Office dialog box.

    If your environment is configured to synchronize Office 365 and network user accounts, then the user probably won't see any prompts. Office 365 ProPlus should automatically be able to get the necessary information about the user's account in Office 365.

  4. If the user is licensed for Office 365 ProPlus, a licensing token is stored on the computer in the user's profile folder, and Office 365 ProPlus is activated. The user can now use Office 365 ProPlus.

These steps are repeated for each user who logs on to the shared computer. Each user gets a unique licensing token. Just because one user activates Office 365 ProPlus on the computer doesn't mean Office 365 ProPlus is activated for all other users who log on to the computer.

Microsoft Office For Mac Torrent

If a user goes to another computer that also is enabled for shared computer activation, the same steps occur. There is a different licensing token for each computer that the user logs on to.

If a user logs on to a shared computer again, Office 365 ProPlus uses the same licensing token, if it is still valid.

Additional details about shared computer activation for Office 365 ProPlus

Licensing token renewal The licensing token that is stored on the shared computer is valid only for 30 days. As the expiration date for the licensing token nears, Office 365 ProPlus automatically attempts to renew the licensing token when the user is logged on to the computer and using Office 365 ProPlus.

If the user doesn't log on to the shared computer for 30 days, the licensing token can expire. The next time that the user tries to use Office 365 ProPlus, Office 365 ProPlus contacts the Office Licensing Service on the Internet to get a new licensing token.

Internet connectivity Because the shared computer has to contact the Office Licensing Service on the Internet to obtain or renew a licensing token, reliable connectivity between the shared computer and the Internet is necessary.

Reduced functionality mode If the user is not licensed for Office 365 ProPlus, or if the user closed the Activate Office dialog box, no licensing token is obtained and Office 365 ProPlus isn't activated. Office 365 ProPlus is now in reduced functionality mode. This means that the user can view and print Office 365 ProPlus documents, but can't create or edit documents. The user also sees a message in Office 365 ProPlus that most features are turned off.

Activation limits Normally, users can install and activate Office 365 ProPlus only on a limited number of devices, such as 5 PCs. Using Office 365 ProPlus with shared computer activation enabled doesn't count against that limit.

Microsoft allows a single user to activate Office 365 ProPlus on a reasonable number of shared computers in a given time period. The user gets an error message in the unlikely event the limit is exceeded.

Single sign-on recommended The use of single sign-on (SSO) is recommended to reduce how often users are prompted to sign in for activation. With single sign-on configured, Office is activated using the user credentials that the user provides to sign in to Windows, as long as the user has been assigned a license for Office 365 ProPlus. For more information, see Understanding Office 365 identity and Azure Active Directory.

If you don't use single sign-on, you should consider using roaming profiles and include the %localappdata%MicrosoftOffice16.0Licensing folder as part of the roaming profile.

Licensing token roaming Starting with Version 1704 of Office 365 ProPlus, you can configure the licensing token to roam with the user's profile or be located on a shared folder on the network. Previously, the licensing token was always saved to a specific folder on the local computer and was associated with that specific computer. In those cases, if the user signed in to a different computer, the user would be prompted to activate Office on that computer in order to get a new licensing token. The ability to roam the licensing token is especially helpful for non-persistent VDI scenarios.

To configure licensing token roaming, you can use either the Office Deployment Tool or Group Policy, or you can use Registry Editor to edit the registry. Whichever method you choose, you need to provide a folder location that is unique to the user. The folder location can either be part of the user's roaming profile or a shared folder on the network. Office needs to be able to write to that folder location. If you're using a shared folder on the network, be aware that network latency problems can adversely impact the time it takes to open Office.

  • If you're using Group Policy, download the most current Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) for Office and enable the 'Specify the location to save the licensing token used by shared computer activation' policy setting. This policy setting is found under Computer ConfigurationPoliciesAdministrative TemplatesMicrosoft Office 2016 (Machine)Licensing Settings.

  • If you're using the Office Deployment Tool, include the SCLCacheOverride and SCLCacheOverrideDirectory in the Property element of your configuration.xml file. For more information, see Configuration options for the Office Deployment Tool.

  • To edit the registry, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOfficeClickToRunConfiguration, add a string value of SCLCacheOverride, and set the value to 1. Also, add a string value of SCLCacheOverrideDirectory and set the value to the path of the folder to save the licensing token.

    Note

    If you're using Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) to deploy Office 365 ProPlus, the registry location is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOffice16.0CommonLicensing.

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