Office Activation FAQ

• Which version of Office should I use?
• Download and activate Office through Office 365
• Activate volume-licensed versions of Office (KMS/MAK)
• Connect to VPN to activate Office
• Verify Office activation
• Manual activation for volume-licensed Office
• Troubleshooting activation errors
• Office Activation for macOS
• Summary Table

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Which version of Office should I use?

Duke-owned computers: Use the volume-licensed version of Microsoft Office (e.g. ProPlus or Standard). It installs without user account linkage and uses KMS activation by default. For offline/offsite use, MAK keys are available on request.

Personal or student devices: Use Office 365, available to all Duke students, faculty, and staff. Install on up to 5 devices and activate with your Duke NetID.

Graduating students: Before graduation, download the perpetual graduation license for one computer (PC or Mac). This is a one-time download and install. You must do this during your final semester while your NetID is active.

Visit the Software website for more information on available options.

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Download and activate Office through Office 365

1. Go to mail.duke.edu and sign in with your Duke NetID.
2. Click the app launcher (grid icon) in the top-left corner.
3. Select Microsoft 365.
4. Click “Install and more” → “Install Microsoft 365 apps” → “Install Office”.
5. When prompted, select “Sign in to an existing Office 365 subscription” and use your netID@duke.edu.

Note: Office 365 access is valid while affiliated with Duke. After graduation or departure, applications enter reduced-functionality mode, and cloud services (e.g., OneDrive) will be disabled.

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Activate volume-licensed versions of Office (KMS/MAK)

KMS Activation (Recommended)

• Office auto-activates on Duke's network (on-campus or VPN).
• DNS auto-discovery works for *.duke.edu domains (e.g., oit.duke.edu, win.duke.edu).

MAK Activation

If KMS isn't accessible (e.g., off-campus), request a MAK key via site@duke.edu.

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Connect to VPN to activate Office

1. Follow Duke VPN setup.
2. Then open Office or run activation commands manually.

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Verify Office activation

• Open any Office app → File → Account
• Look for the status message: Product Activated

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Manual activation for volume-licensed Office

Run these commands one at a time in Command Prompt (as Administrator):

• cd "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office16"
• cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:kms-srv-01.oit.duke.edu
• cscript ospp.vbs /act

Use Program Files (x86) if you're using 32-bit Office on 64-bit Windows.

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Troubleshooting activation errors

• 0xC004F039: Not connected to Duke’s network or VPN.
• 0xC004F06C / 0xC004F074: Time mismatch or KMS host not found. Sync time or reconnect to Duke network.
• 0x80070005: Permissions error — run Command Prompt as Administrator.
• More troubleshooting (Office)
• More troubleshooting (Windows)

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Office Activation for macOS

Volume-licensed Office for Mac does not require activation.

Office 365 for Mac users must activate using their NetID@duke.edu account — no product key is required.

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Summary Table

 

If you can't find the answer to your question, please contact the OIT Service Desk at (919) 684-2200.