Signing into Office - "You'll need the Internet for this."

Can you go check your Windows Settings > Windows update, and see if you might have  KB5085516 available to install?

KB5085516 was released on March 21st to address Microsoft account sign in issue among some apps caused by KB5079473 https://support.microsoft.com/topic/march-21-2026-kb5085516-os-builds-26200-8039-and-26100-8039-out-of-band-09e85404-1cb6-4ed4-9ca5-3e40d74307b9

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Hi Betsy Kirtland,

I understand how concerning it can be when Office apps prompt you to sign in but then report there’s no internet connection, even though everything else appears to be working normally.

As a quick initial check, could you please confirm whether your internet connection works normally when using a web browser (for example, opening a few common websites)? This helps rule out any general connectivity issues while troubleshooting the sign‑in behavior.

Based on recent reports, this may be related to a Windows sign‑in issue rather than a problem with your Office subscription or your internet connection. Before going into more detail, I recommend trying the following basic recovery steps, as they have helped many users:

Step 1: Restart the device while connected to the internet

Please restart your computer while it is actively connected to the internet (Wi‑Fi or Ethernet). In some cases, Windows can start in an incomplete network authentication state and restarting while online may allow it to correct that state automatically.

Step 2: Check for Windows updates

Go to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Install any available updates and restart when prompted. Even if updates were installed recently, checking again helps ensure that any corrective updates were not missed.

Microsoft has acknowledged a known issue where Microsoft account sign‑ins may fail for apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and Edge after installing the Windows update KB5079473 (released March 10, 2026). When this occurs, apps may display messages like “You’ll need the Internet for this” even though the device is connected.

According to Microsoft’s Windows Release Health documentation, this issue was addressed by later updates, starting with KB5085516 (released March 21, 2026). Once that update (or a newer one) is fully installed and the device is restarted while connected to the internet, sign‑in behavior should return to normal.

If Windows Update does not offer the fix, the update can also be installed manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog by searching for KB5085516, downloading the version that matches your Windows build and restarting the device after installation.

Please feel free to share an update on how it goes. I'm here to help.

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Error 0x800704cf during Office sign-in usually indicates that Office cannot reach Microsoft 365 services even though the general network connection appears to work. Use these steps to troubleshoot the activation/sign-in connectivity path Office needs:

1. Verify basic Microsoft 365 connectivity
   • In Edge (not Internet Explorer), browse to https://login.microsoftonline.com and sign in.
   • If this fails or times out, the issue is with the network environment, firewall, proxy, or security software blocking Microsoft 365 endpoints rather than with Office itself.
2. Check for network/firewall blocks to Microsoft 365 endpoints If behind a firewall (home router security suite, corporate firewall, or security software), ensure it allows access to the Microsoft 365 activation and sign-in URLs. At minimum, the following must be reachable for activation and sign-in:
   • officecdn.microsoft.com
   • ols.officeapps.live.com/olsc
   • activation.sls.microsoft.com
   • odc.officeapps.live.com
   • go.microsoft.com
   • Office15client.microsoft.com
   • login.windows.net
   • login.microsoft.com
   • login.microsoftonline.com
   • cdn.odc.officeapps.live.com
   • ajax.aspnetcdn.com
   • officeclient.microsoft.com
   • CRL endpoints such as crl.microsoft.com and the listed .../pki/crl/products/... URLs
   Each firewall/security product has its own way to create allow rules; use its documentation to allow these URLs and then retry sign-in in an Office app.
3. Check proxy configuration (if applicable) If the connection goes through a proxy server:
   • Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
   • Run:

          netsh winhttp set proxy <Address of proxy server>
     

   • Ensure the proxy allows the Microsoft 365 URLs and IP ranges listed in the Microsoft 365 endpoints documentation referenced in the context.
   • Alternatively, configure a PAC file so Microsoft 365 traffic can bypass the proxy, as described in Managing Microsoft 365 endpoints.
4. Confirm TLS 1.2 is enabled
   • Open Control Panel → Internet Options → Advanced.
   • In the security section, ensure TLS 1.2 is checked.
   • Select Apply, then OK, restart the device, and try signing in again.
5. Update Office and Windows
   • Open any Office app → File → Account → Update Options → Update Now to install the latest Office updates.
   • In Windows, go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Check for updates, install all available updates, restart, and retry.
6. Test sign-in again from Office
   • Open Word or another Office app.
   • Select the profile icon/name → Sign out.
   • Sign back in with the correct Microsoft 365 account (the one with the active subscription).

If the browser cannot reach https://login.microsoftonline.com or the above endpoints even after these checks, the issue is with the network path (ISP, router, corporate network, or security software). That environment must be adjusted to allow the Microsoft 365 activation and sign-in traffic.

References:

• Connection issues when signing in after updating to Office 2016 build 16.0.7967 on Windows 10
• Sign in issues when activating Microsoft 365 Apps
• Microsoft 365 Apps activation network connection issues
• What's the difference between a paid Microsoft 365 subscription and the free web apps?