To start the phone activation process, follow these steps:

Before you begin: open Word (or any other Office app), go to File → Account → Activate Product and select “I want to activate the software by phone”. Leave this window open: you’ll need the installation ID displayed there.

The steps:

From any device with an internet connection, go to aka.ms/aoh

Sign in with a Microsoft account (this account is not linked to your licence; it is only used to access the site)

Complete the CAPTCHA

Enter the installation ID from the Office window

The website will provide you with a confirmation ID

Enter the confirmation ID in the Office window

Click Next → Finish. Done.

That’s all. The old method involved calling a telephone number; now you simply need to obtain the confirmation ID from the website.

If your Office computer is not connected to the internet, follow steps 1 to 5 on your phone or another device, then enter the confirmation ID on your offline PC for steps 6 to 7.

1. 1. Open any Office application, such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint.

1. 1. If you haven’t been asked for a product key yet, go to the “File” menu and click on “Account” at the bottom of the navigation pane.
   2. 

1. 1. Under “Product Information”, click on “Activate product”.

1. 1. Select “I have a product key” and enter your product key
   2. .

1. 1. You will then be asked to choose how you would like to activate your software. Select “I want to activate the software by telephone” instead of “Internet”.

Make a note of the installation ID

Once you have chosen to activate Office by telephone, you will be asked to generate an installation ID. The installation ID is a unique code that you will provide to Microsoft’s automated system during the telephone call. Follow these steps to generate it:

1. 1. Once you have selected the option to activate Office by telephone, a new window will appear showing your installation ID. It will be a long string of numbers grouped into several fields.

1. 1. Make a note of this installation ID, as you will need it during the phone call.

Make the call

Once you have obtained your installation ID, you are ready to call Microsoft’s automatic activation service. Here’s how to do it:

1. 1. In the “Activate Office by phone” window, select the country or region you are calling from. A freephone number will then be displayed which you can call. Most countries have a freephone number, with the call charged to Microsoft.
   2. 

1. 1. Call the freephone number and follow the automated instructions.

1. 1. When prompted, enter the installation ID using your phone’s keypad.

1. 1. Listen carefully to the automated system. It will provide you with a confirmation ID once it has verified your installation ID.

Keep a pen and paper to hand so you can write down the confirmation code.

Enter the confirmation ID

Once you have received your confirmation ID from the automated telephone system, you will need to enter it into the Microsoft Office activation wizard to complete the activation process. Here’s how to do it:

1. 1. Go back to the “Activate Office by phone” window on your computer, where you previously found your installation ID.

1. 1. You will see a series of empty fields labelled ‘Confirmation ID’ (A to H). Carefully enter the confirmation ID that you noted down during the phone call.

1. 1. Once you have filled in all the fields, click on the “Next” button to complete the activation.

If everything has been entered correctly, a message will appear confirming that your Microsoft Office product has been successfully activated. You can now close the activation window and enjoy all the features of your Microsoft Office suite.