FAQ

Please see the Office 2011 System Requirements.

Yes, both Office for Mac 2011 and Office for Mac 2008 work with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.
For additional information please visit the Microsoft Solution Center.

Yes, if your MacBook Air or Mac mini meets the necessary Office for Mac 2011 System Requirements, you can install and run Office 2011.

If your Mac does not have a DVD Drive, installation instructions for installing Office 2011 are available.

Your product key is 25 characters.

If you purchased Office for Mac on a traditional disc, the 25-character product key is on an orange sticker affixed to the DVD sleeve or case. In some cases, instead of the product key, you will see instructions on how to retrieve the product key online

If you purchased and downloaded Office for Mac online, the 25-character product key can be found on the confirmation page and on the email message that was sent to you when you downloaded the software.

Download: A download is a simple file transfer that loads the program and installation files onto your computer so that the program runs correctly.

Installation: Installation is the unpacking and loading of software. The Microsoft Office for Mac Setup Assistant will walk you through this process once you’ve successfully downloaded the file.

Activation: Activation is the process of verifying that a computer is running genuine Microsoft software in compliance with the software license associated with it. Activation takes place after a successful installation. The Microsoft Office Setup Assistant will automatically contact the Microsoft licensing servers through your Internet connection. It is checking to confirm that you have entered a valid 25-character product key. Once verified, your product is activated immediately.

Product key issues: Make sure that the 25-character product key is entered exactly as printed.

Tip: If you have an electronic copy of your product key from an email or on your "My Account" page, you can copy and paste the entire product key into the product key boxes. The key will flow into the boxes correctly.

Network issues: Network access is required to activate Office for Mac 2011. If you are using a firewall, check that it is not blocking your network access. If necessary, you might have to temporarily disable the firewall or connect to another network that has full access.

If online activation is unsuccessful, try telephone activation: If the Microsoft Office Setup Assistant cannot activate Office for Mac by using the Internet and you see a message that online activation was unsuccessful, click Activate By Phone. To activate the product by telephone, find your location in the pop-up menu and call one of the phone numbers provided. Telephone activation might take longer than activation through the Internet.

If you are still experiencing difficulty activation your product, please visit the Microsoft Solution Center.

Yes, you must activate Office for Mac 2011. To activate, click Activate in the Microsoft Office Setup Assistant and enter your valid product key.

The 15-day activation grace period is the time you are allowed to run Office for Mac before you have to activate the software with a valid product key.

Yes. If you are not connected to the Internet, you can activate by phone. Before activating by phone you have to try to activate online.

To activate by phone: After you install Office for Mac 2011, the Microsoft Office Setup Assistant launches. Enter your product key and click Activate. The Microsoft Office Setup Assistant validates your product key. If you’re not connected to the Internet, you will see a message that online activation was unsuccessful. Click Activate By Phone. Find your location in the pop-up menu and call one of the phone numbers provided. Telephone activation might take longer than activation through the Internet.

Error 1: "The installation failed."
To continue, you must remove Office for Mac completely from your computer and reinstall. To do this please visit the Microsoft Solution Center.

Error 2: "Online activation did not complete successfully because the product key has been used the maximum number of times permitted."
You receive the error message if one of the following conditions is true:

For information on how to resolve this issue, please visit the Microsoft Solution Center.

Error 3: "You must quit the following applications before you continue."
You must quit any application that potentially interacts with Office for Mac during the Office for Mac 2011 installation. Closing the application is not the same as quitting. To quit an application you can either:

For additional information on how to resolve this issue, please visit the Microsoft Solution Center.

Error 4: "When I start an Application like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook, my Welcome screen does not have any buttons such as OK or Close to continue."
You're unable to see the Close button because your screen resolution is too low. The Close button has been cut off at the bottom of the screen.
To increase your screen resolution:

For online store purchases, downloads, or product key questions, please contact Microsoft Support for any Office for Mac 2011 issues. If you purchased Office for Mac 2011 from a retail store, for technical assistance (including software installation/un-installation, product activation and product use), please contact Microsoft Support.