How to Download and Install Microsoft Office (Mac)

Created by Matthew Keysell, Modified on Thu, 2 Apr at 6:34 PM by Matthew Keysell

This guide explains how to download, install, and activate Microsoft Office on a Mac using the method recommended by GetRenewedTech. Please follow the steps carefully to ensure your perpetual licence activates correctly.

Before You Start

Before beginning, make sure you have the following ready:

Your 25-character product key from your order confirmation email
The Mac download link from your order confirmation email
At least 10GB of free storage space
A compatible version of macOS

Office 2021 and Office 2024 require macOS 10.15 Catalina or later.

Important Before Installing

Please use the installer provided by GetRenewedTech.

Do not install a different version of Office from another source, as this can cause activation problems or result in the wrong edition being installed.

If you already have an older version of Office installed on your Mac, it is best to remove it first before continuing.

Step 1: Remove Any Previous Version of Office

If Office is already installed on your Mac, remove it before installing the new version.

Download the Office Reset Tool and run it. When prompted, allow the installer to open and continue through the steps until you reach the option to completely remove Microsoft Office. Select this option and finish the removal.

Once complete, close the installer and move it to the Bin if prompted.

Step 2: Download the Office Installer

Open the download link provided in your order confirmation email and download the Mac installer file.

This will normally be a .pkg file.

Once the download has completed:

Open your Downloads folder
Double-click the installer file
If macOS shows a security prompt, click Open

Step 3: Install Office

Follow the on-screen installation steps:

Click Continue
Click Agree if prompted
Click Install
Enter your Mac password if required
Wait for the installation to complete

Once the installation has finished, click Close.

If the Microsoft AutoUpdate window appears afterwards, close it. Updates will be managed automatically.

Step 4: Activate Office Using the Activation Tool

This is the important part. Do not open Word, Excel, or any other Office app yet.

Before opening any Office applications, download and use the Office activation tool.

Download the Office activation tool here:

https://uk.getrenewedtech.com/Downloads/Office%202024%20Mac%20Activation.app.zip

Then follow these steps:

Open your Downloads folder
Open Office 2024 Mac Activation.app.zip
If prompted, click Allow
Open the Office 2024 Mac Activation app
Enter your 25-character product key in capital letters and include the hyphens
Copy and paste the key if possible to avoid typing errors
When you see the message “License key accepted. Installing…”, click OK immediately
Wait for the message “Installation Completed Successfully”, then click OK

If the activation tool times out or shows an error, close it and reopen it, then try again.

Step 5: Open Office and Skip Sign-In

Once activation is complete, open Word, Excel, or another Office application.

When prompted to sign in, click Skip Sign-In.

Do not sign in at this stage. Office 365 and Office 2024 use the same installer, and signing in too early can cause Office to switch to Microsoft 365 mode instead of activating your perpetual licence correctly.

After Office is fully activated and working, you can sign in later if needed.

Office Is Showing as Microsoft 365

This can happen if an Office application was opened before activation was completed, or if you signed in with a Microsoft account too early.

If this happens, remove Office completely and then repeat the installation and activation steps from the beginning.

If the Installer Will Not Open

If macOS blocks the installer:

Open System Settings or System Preferences
Go to Privacy & Security
Look for the message about the blocked installer
Click Open Anyway

Then run the installer again.

If Activation Fails

If the activation tool does not accept your key or activation does not complete successfully:

Double-check that the product key was entered correctly
Make sure the hyphens are included
Make sure you are using the correct Mac version for your order
Close and reopen the activation tool and try again

If you still cannot activate Office after trying again, please open a ticket on our helpdesk and include your order number along with details of the issue.

Need the Windows Office Tool Instead?

If you are looking for the Windows Office Tool, you can download it here:

https://uk.getrenewedtech.com/Downloads/OfficeTool.zip

Still Having Trouble?

If you are still unable to install or activate Office on your Mac, please open a ticket on our helpdesk with:

Your order number
The exact issue you are seeing
A screenshot if possible
Your macOS version
The version of Office you are trying to install

This will help our team assist you as quickly as possible.