As an Office user, of course, you already know that the original purpose of creating Microsoft Office was to provide convenience in all activities related to documents.
However, along with the development of technology, Microsoft will always improve the features and services provided so that its newest products can meet the needs of society in the mobile-first or cloud-first era as it is today.
Even though Microsoft has now presented its newest version of Office 2019, that doesn’t mean the previous version is no longer used.
Considering that each version released has different features and system specifications. For example, in Microsoft Office 2016, where there are still many Office users who use the features and services provided.
In terms of functionality, there is no significant difference between Office 2019 and Office 2016.
Say, if you are a student, you can use Microsoft PowerPoint to manage presentation views in real-time and simultaneously with other students connected to the online office.
Meanwhile, if you want to make income and expense reports for your MSME, use some of the features available in Microsoft Excel to make calculations easier and save them to the Cloud Storage, the goal is to prevent the risk of losing unwanted data.
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Why does Microsoft Office need to be activated?
Apart from the features and services provided in Microsoft Office 2016, of course, you have to activate it first so you can enjoy the features as a whole.
On the other hand, if you don’t activate Microsoft Office 2016, the software only functions as a document viewer.
This means you can only view documents and cannot use Microsoft Office to save or create new documents until all menus/features are deactivated.
Apart from that, under certain conditions, you will often get a Microsoft Office Activation Wizard notification when you open a file.
Not only that, it is also possible that the Microsoft Office you are using will display Product Activation Failed and Unlicensed Product information.
Therefore, so that some of these problems do not happen to you, please activate Microsoft Office 2016 by following the guide below.
Can You Activate Office 2016 Without a Product Key?
If you want to activate Microsoft Office 2016 but don’t have a product key, then don’t worry.
The activation process can still be done without the original product key, the methods you can use also vary.
You can activate Ms. Office 2016 for free without a product key and without software using CMD or a batch file. So, you can do it easily and practically without having to download cracked software.
Or, you can also use activator software such as KMS Pico, KMS Auto, and others to activate Office 2016 on your laptop.
However, if you use an activator application, you must download it first, and must turn off the antivirus if you want to use it.
How to Activate Office 2016 Free Without Software?
As previously said, there are various methods you can use to activate Microsoft Office 2016 if you don’t have a product key.
The easiest and most practical method is one that doesn’t need special software, just using CMD or a batch file.
This activation method is said to be easy and practical because you don’t need to download activator software or crack applications.
Apart from that, you can also activate it without turning off the antivirus or Windows Defender first.
And most importantly, even though it can be done without software, this activation method is also free, aka it can be done without the original product key.
So, please choose which way you want to use activation without software, use CMD or a batch file.
#1. How to Activate Office 2016 Using a License Key
This first method can actually be said to be very practical because the step in activating Microsoft Office 16 is without the hassle of needing to download a help application or the like.
However, it is rare to use the following method because the step process requires legal confirmation of payment to the official developer.
- Make sure you have completed the payment to get the official 2016 product code.
- Please open a program in Microsoft Office, either via Word or Excel.
- During the initial startup step, a notification window will usually appear instructing the user to enter an activation code, please click the Activate button.
- Then you can press the Enter Product Key button.
- Please fill in the 25-digit code that was previously purchased.
- Then press the Continue button for the next stage of the process.
- In this step, please press the Redeem Online button.
- Log in to a Microsoft account, you can register if you don’t have one yet.
- In the final step, press the Finish Activation button.
- Finished.
#2. How to Activate Microsoft Office 2016 with CMD
- Make sure your laptop is connected to the internet because this is an online activation.
- If already connected, open CMD as admin (click Start and search for CMD then click Run as administrator ).
- In the User Account Control window that appears, click Yes to continue.
- Next, Type or Copy the following command and Paste it in the CMD window. (curl -L keyms.id/ao2016 -o ao2016.cmd & ao2016.cmd )
- After that, the Office 2016 activation process will take place automatically, just wait for it to finish.
- If it is complete and successful, a description of Product activation successful will appear.
- Because the activation is complete, please just close the CMD window.
After you have carried out the activation steps above, now the Word, Excel and PPT 2016 applications on your laptop can be used again.
#3. How to Activate Ms. Office 2016 Using Batch Files
- Make sure the laptop you are using is connected to the internet network.
- If already connected, please click the link below to open the Office 2016 activation code.
- After that, a new tab will open in your browser showing the Office 2016 activation code.
- Please right-click on the page that displays the activation code.
- Then click Save as so you can save the code as a batch file.
- In the Save As window that opens, select the location where you want to save the batch file containing the activation code.
- Then, please change the Save as type section to All Files.
- Then, also change the File name section and add .bat at the end of the file name.
- If so, please click the Save button to save the batch file to your laptop.
- After that, open File Explorer and look for where the batch file was stored.
- Then, right-click on the batch file and then click Run as administrator to carry out the Office 2016 activation process.
- If the Windows Protected your PC window appears, please click More info.
- Then, click the Run anyway button to keep running the file.
- In the User Account Control window that appears, please click Yes to continue.
- After that, a CMD window will open and the Office 2016 activation process will take place automatically.
- Please just wait until the Microsoft Office 2016 activation process on your laptop has been activated.
- If the activation process is complete and successful, a description of the Product activation successful will appear in the CMD window.
- Because the activation process is complete, please close the CMD window that is still open.
After performing the Office 2016 activation steps above, now you can return to using Word 2016, Excel 2016, PPT 2016, and others.
How to Activate Office 2016 Using the KMS Application?
If you have tried to activate it without software but it didn’t work, then to keep Microsoft Office 2016 activated, please use the KMS application.
There are several KMS applications that you can use, including KMS Pico, KMS Office, and KMS Auto Lite.
However, if you want to do this method, then you must turn off Windows Defender / Security or another antivirus on the laptop first.
If you don’t turn off Windows Defender or another antivirus, the KMS activator software won’t work.
If you have turned off the antivirus on the laptop, then please just choose which application you want to activate, KMS Pico, KMS Office, or KMS Auto Lite.
#1. How to Activate Office 2016 Using KMS Pico
- Make sure you have turned off Windows Defender or another antivirus on the laptop.
- After that, please click the link below to download KMS Pico.
- Next, please extract the KMS Pico file that you downloaded.
- Then, open the extracted folder and you will find the KMSPico file.
- Run the KMSPico.exe file as admin (right-click then click Run as administrator ).
- Next, an Extracting window will appear, which means the Office 2016 activation process is in progress.
- The window will disappear by itself after the activation process is complete.
- If the window has disappeared, then you have successfully activated Microsoft Office 2016 on your Laptop.
- Finally, please reactivate Windows Defender or another antivirus that was turned off earlier.
This method is the fastest and simplest method compared to activation using other KMS applications.
#2. How to Activate Office 2016 Using KMS Office 2019
- Please disable Windows Defender or another antivirus on the Laptop.
- After that, please download KMS Office 2019 by clicking the link.
- Next, please extract the KMS Office 2019 file that you have downloaded.
- Then open the extracted folder and you will find an OInstall folder and file.
- Please run the OInstall.exe file as admin (right-click then click Run as administrator ).
- In the KMS Office 2019 window, you will be on the Main Window tab, please click on the utility tab.
- Then, on the utility tab, please check the Office reactivation task checkbox.
- After that, click Office RETAIL => VL to convert Office 2016 to a Volume License.
- Please wait until the conversion process is complete which is indicated by the appearance of Completed.
- Next, please click Activate Office to start the Microsoft Office 2016 activation process.
- If a Windows Security Alert window appears with the name KMS emulator by Ratiborus, please click Allow access.
- The next step is to please wait until the activation process is complete.
- When it’s finished, a successful Product activation statement will appear, which means that Office 2016 has been activated.
- Because it’s successful, please close the KMS Office 2019 window.
- Finally, make sure you reactivate the antivirus that was disabled earlier.
After performing the steps above, the description of the unlicensed product or product activation failure will disappear and you can return to using Office 2016 which has been activated.
#3. How to Activate Office 2016 with KMS Auto Lite
- Please turn off Windows Defender or another antivirus temporarily.
- Next, please download the activator by clicking the link.
- After downloading, please extract the KMS Auto Lite file if it is still in rar format.
- Next, please open the KMS Auto Lite extracted folder.
- In that folder, you will find two files namely KMSAuto X64 and KMSAuto.
- You won’t run both but adapt to the Windows bit used.
- If your computer uses Windows 64 Bit, use KMSAuto X64, and if 32 Bit, please use KMSAuto.
- Run KMS Auto Lite as admin (right-click then click Run as administrator ).
- In the KMS Auto Lite window that opens, please click the Tools tab.
- Then, check the Convert Office 2010/2013/2016 RETAIL => VL checkbox.
- Next, return to the main page by clicking the Main Window tab.
- After that, please click on the Install GVLK option.
- Then, tick Forcibly and then click the Office key to install the key office product.
- If successful, the Key Installed Successful description will appear on a blue screen.
- Next, please click Activate Office to activate your Microsoft Office 2016.
- If the office activation process is successful, a description of Activation Successful will appear.
- Because it has been successful, please close the KMS Auto Lite window.
- Finally, make sure you reactivate Windows Defender or Laptop antivirus.
After you activate using one of the methods above, please try using one or several Microsoft Office 2016 products.
#4. How to Activate Office 2016 with AAct Portable
The next way to activate Office 2016 can be with the help of special applications such as Activator to carry out the process alternatively.
Please download the Activator application first, which we provide in the link below, then follow the next steps:
- Please open the download file to run the activated program.
- Make sure all Office applications are closed or not running.
- For those who use an antivirus like Smadav, please turn it off first by right-clicking the Smadav icon on the taskbar, then pressing Allow Windows-Script (Until Restart).
- If you have found the download activator file, right-click then Extract Here.
- Please enter the RAR password “000000”, then press OK.
- Open the extracted folder, then run the program called Aact_x64 by right-clicking Run as administrator.
- If a notification warning Windows protects your PC appears, please click Run anyway, that’s because Windows protection is still active from the start.
- On the AAct_x64 application display, navigate to the Office Activation menu, after that the system will automatically activate.
- Wait until the process is complete.
- If you have crossed and opened Office Word, check on the Account menu, and make sure the writing has changed to Product Activated.
- Good luck.
Ensure Microsoft Office 2016 is Active
After you activate using an activator or without software and the process is successful, then you must then ensure that your Office 2016 is really active.
Actually, the easiest way to check is to open Microsoft Word, Excel, or PPT 2016 on your laptop.
Then, pay attention to the title of the document, whether there is still a description of Unlicensed Product or Product Activation Failed.
If this information does not appear, it means that your Office 2016 is active.
However, if you want to know more clearly whether Office 2016 on a laptop is active or not, then please follow the guide on how to check Office activation status.
Check Office 2016 Active Period, Permanent or Not
If your Microsoft Office 2016 is already active, then another thing you shouldn’t miss is checking the active period of Office on your Windows Laptop, whether it’s permanent or not.
However, in general Office 2016 which is activated using CMD, batch files, or KMS applications will only be active for 180 days or 6 months.
Meanwhile, the Office that is activated using the original product key will be permanently active.
To find out more clearly about how much longer Microsoft Office 2016 is active on your laptop, please follow the guide on how to check Office’s active period.
But don’t worry, because even though it’s only active for 6 months or 180 days, Office 2016 can actually be used anytime. All you need to do is reactivate every 6 months.
By re-activation, the active period of Office will be extended for another 6 months. So, if you re-activate every 6 months, then your Office 2016 will continue to be used at any time.
 FAQs on Activate Microsoft Office 2016
What features are available in Microsoft Office 2016?
There are Cloud Storage features on the desktop, Tell Me, Smart Lookup to collaboration features that function to edit shared documents in real-time with users who are connected to Office online.
Does Microsoft Office provide a free version?
Of course, Microsoft also presents Web Apps that can be used online and are free for anyone. However, the version it provides is also available with limited features and services compared to paid Office.
Is there an alternative application to replace Microsoft Office?
Currently, many developers provide office applications for free, for example, WPS Office and LibreOffice which are often options for users looking for applications to replace Microsoft Office.
What causes the Microsoft Office Activation Wizard notification to appear frequently?
This notification appears because your Microsoft Office activation is having problems, this happens when the license has expired or expired. To get rid of it, you just need to reactivate it.
Is the activator program safe to use?
There is no guarantee that activator programs are safe to use.
Is the activator program an illegal program?
Yes, the activator program is included in illegal programs that are not recommended for use. But for some reason, some users are forced to use the program for activation.
Closing
This is a tutorial on how to permanently activate Office 2016 for free without a product key that you can use to activate Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. software.
You can use one of the methods above as a way to deal with unlicensed Office 2016 products and to make Office 2016 products usable again.
You can use any of the methods above to activate Office 2016 Professional Plus, Standard, and other Office editions.
In addition, the activation methods above can be done on all versions of Windows, whether it’s Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11.