You probably noticed that some Office programs are not working properly. Maybe it’s an activation or update problem. If this is your case or not, it is important to see if it is activated and updated correctly.
When we have a new computer, we do our best to provide it with essential programs. A clear example is what Microsoft Office offers: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note, among others.
Although Office has a variety of programs, we can recognize Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as the most widely used, since they are essential programs when performing basic tasks in all work. But have you ever checked if the programs are activated and updated correctly?
Perhaps your answer is no because everything continues to function normally. But there may come a time when basic program features such as spelling and grammar checking in Word no longer work, just to mention one example.
Well, if you want to avoid this type of inconvenience, we recommend that you first check if Office is active and secondly keep it updated.
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are the most widely used Office programs.
How to know if Office is activated and updated
Office programs work differently depending on the operating system where they run: Windows or macOS. Therefore, the steps to know if Office is activated and updated will vary.
How to know if Office is activated and up to date on Windows
Office programs, and even other Microsoft programs, are known to work perfectly on Windows. As for compatibility, there is nothing to discuss. However, how do you see that Office is successfully activated and updated? You will achieve this by following these simple steps:
With any Office program (Word, Excel, or other) open a document.
In the open document select file.
You will see a series of options that are displayed on your screen. Just tap on the account.
Now you will see useful information about the Office program that you have opened. Like what? Well, the current version of the program and especially if the product is activated or not.
In case Office is not activated, you can solve it by registering with your Office 365 account (educational or professional version), or also adding a license key in case you have purchased the product physically. If you do not have all of the above, you can continue using Office but with certain limitations.
Now, if you have followed the instructions and the product still does not activate correctly, we suggest you review the typical activation errors in the Office suite.
How to know if Office is activated and up to date on macOS
The way Office works on macOS differs from Windows. Being a different operating system, the configuration options of the programs are located in other sections.
To find out if Office is activated and up to date on macOS, follow these steps :
Open the Office program of your choice.
Locate yourself at the top of the program options. Click on the name of the program (Microsoft Word, for example).
You will see some options that are displayed. Select the name of the program (following the previous step it would be “about” Microsoft Word).
An information window will open where the current version of your program will be and if the license is activated or not.
In case the license is not activated, you can follow the suggestions indicated above (subscribe to Office 365 or add a license key ). But if it is and you want to update Office, follow these steps:
With the Office program open, go to where it says help.
Click on check for updates.
A window will open that says Microsoft AutoUpdate, and it will immediately check for updates. If there is, just press update and the program will take care of everything.