Microsoft 365 Excel not unlocking on MacOS

It seems you are experiencing an issue with Microsoft 365 Excel on Mac where it remains in protected mode despite having a valid purchase. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

1. Check Your Subscription Status: Ensure that your Microsoft 365 subscription is active. You can do this by logging into your Microsoft account and checking your subscription details.
2. Sign Out and Sign Back In: Sometimes, simply signing out of your Microsoft account in Excel and then signing back in can refresh the license association.
3. Repair Office Installation: If the issue persists, consider repairing your Office installation. You can do this by going to the Applications folder, finding Microsoft Excel, and using the repair option if available.
4. Remove Office License Files: You may need to remove any existing license files that could be causing conflicts. Instructions for removing Office license files on a Mac can be found in the Microsoft support documentation.
5. Contact Support: If none of the above steps work, it may be necessary to contact Microsoft support for further assistance, especially if the error message indicates that your purchase cannot be associated with your account.

These steps should help you troubleshoot the issue with Excel on your Mac.

References:

• Microsoft 365 Apps activation error: "There's a problem with your account"
• Microsoft 365 Apps activation error: "We've run into a problem with your Office 365 subscription"

Hi John,

Thank you for sharing your question.

I get that you're annoyed with this Excel problem on your Mac. Paying for Microsoft 365 and getting errors like “Unable to associate your purchase” is super frustrating. I am here to help.

Usually, this happens when your Apple ID subscription doesn't match the Microsoft account you're using for Excel, even if the App Store purchase went through. Here's how to fix it, according to Microsoft's support people.

Make sure the Apple ID you used to buy it from the App Store is the same one your Mac uses for the App Store, and install Office from there. When you open Excel, hit Restore Previous Purchase or Activate, and log in with the Microsoft account you want to link to the subscription.

If that doesn't do the trick, try these steps from Microsoft support.

Close all Office apps (Excel, Word, etc.).

Open Keychain Access, search for anything with Microsoft 365 in the name, and delete it to clear your saved logins.

Get and run Microsoft’s License Removal Tool for Mac to remove any license files that are messing things up.

Restart your Mac, open Excel, and click Restore Previous Purchase. Make sure you log in with the right Microsoft account when it asks you to.

I hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Noel