I cannot complete Office installation

Question

I cannot complete Office installation

Sandra 0

I had Office installed previously. I sent my laptop to be cleaned and repaired. When trying to reinstall Office, it prompts for Windows Hello, which I don't use.

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MartMcd 2,585 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-23T21:40:04.7466667+00:00

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2 answers

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MartMcd 2,585 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-23T21:40:04.7466667+00:00

Moderator note :- For your privacy, I have edited the screenshots in this thread.
Please mask any personal information before posting screenshots

Answer 1

Hi, Sandra

For account-related issue, it is best to contact Microsoft Support for direct assistance:

Visit this website: Contact - Microsoft Support
Type Contact in the search box.
Now click Get help, and Select Contact Support or Sign in to contact support below.
Go to the Products and services tab, and choose either Microsoft 365 and Office category.
On the Category tab, choose Technical Support.
Go to Confirm.
You can now choose the option of Chat with a support agent on your web browser.

Important Note: The Chat support team only works at certain work times, (Monday to Friday: 9am to 6pm. Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) so if the last window says you are not available, try to open it again the next day. If you prefer phone support, you can leave a phone number. That way, they can call you and help you.

Please be advised that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, are not allowed to directly interfere with Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited solely to providing technical guidance on reported incidents, requests, or ideas.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Independent Advisor

Hi! Based on your description, the most likely reason is that Windows is currently set to only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on that device. When that option is turned on, password sign-in for the Microsoft account is disabled. Please go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and check whether “Only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device” is enabled. If it is, turn it off, then in the same area check whether a PIN / Face / Fingerprint is configured and remove it if you do not want to use Windows Hello. After that, try the Office installation again, signing in with the same Microsoft account that owns the Office/Microsoft 365 license.

Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-21T02:35:00.3366667+00:00
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-21T02:35:44.5566667+00:00

I don´t have Windows Hello sign-in as an option.

Are there other possible reasons why I'm having this problem?
Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-21T02:48:16.12+00:00

Thanks for the reply, however, what you shared is the Microsoft site for accounts, and I recommended to change setting in the device settings as that affects the login flow inside the apps. Please try as mentioned before, on your device, "go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and check whether Only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device.”
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-21T18:18:10.83+00:00

Thank you so much, Jeronimo. From the Device settings, I follow the path and end up in the same place, so it doesn't work:
Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-21T22:16:52.47+00:00

Sorry, but you are still trying in the account settings and not the device login options, let's try some pictures. Must go here:

Then go here:

Disable that option, please.
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-22T00:38:13.1966667+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate your patience.

It is still not working:
Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-23T02:50:39.1633333+00:00

Thanks for the reply and the screenshots. Could you please let me know if this happens in any other Microsoft app or just in Office apps? If this only happens in Office apps, please try to uninstall it and then install it again.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/uninstall-microsoft-365-or-office-from-a-pc-9dd49b83-264a-477a-8fcc-2fdf5dbf61d8
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-23T03:05:57.0433333+00:00
Thank you.

Today I tried to install Phone Link with the user ******@outlook.com and was prompted to use the Windows Hello pin, which I don't have because I haven't set it up. By the way, I regularly used Phone Link with the Microsoft user ******@hotmail.com. So now, maybe both users have the same problem.

Regarding uninstallation, I have done so for each test. In every case, I uninstalled the line shown in the screenshot.
Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-23T03:07:56.74+00:00

Thanks for the reply. When you log in to the device, do you use a PIN or do you use the full account password?
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-23T03:12:35.4333333+00:00

Only password.

I have not set up a PIN.
Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-23T18:14:51.8766667+00:00

Ok, let's try this, please go back to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, and deliberately set up a new Windows Hello PIN. Once you have successfully created it, restart your laptop, return to that exact same menu, and remove the PIN you just made.

If Windows blocks you from setting up a temporary PIN, or if the prompt still appears when you open Office after removing it, we will need to clear the cached accounts directly from your Windows settings. Navigate to Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts (and also check the Access work or school tab on the left). If you see either your Outlook or Hotmail accounts listed there, click on them and select "Remove" to clear the corrupted connection. Restart your laptop one last time, launch the Office installation, and try signing in again so Windows can register a fresh, clean connection to your Microsoft account using just your password.

Also, please be careful with the screenshots as you are sharing the full email information, and this is a public forum.
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-23T23:23:11.7933333+00:00

Thank you for the new instructions.

I understand that I should follow the path Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options for the computer, so I'm in the Microsoft user ******@outlook.com; this user is not the one I use to install Office.

Meaning, I am not creating a PIN for my other Microsoft user ******@hotmail.com from which I shall be installing Office.

Thank you for your further clarification,
Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-24T01:08:29.2433333+00:00

The idea is to renew the device information regarding Windows Hello, so you need to create it for the account you use to log in to the device; it doesn't matter is not the one you are using to install Office
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-24T02:06:34.46+00:00

I understand, thank you.

But I had these problems with the Windows Hello PIN and my Hotmail email Microsoft Account User before the new Outlook Microsoft User was installed on my computer. I had Office installed before those inconveniences, so I just learned to go around the problem and did not need to solve it.

Try it anyway?
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-24T08:25:11.7966667+00:00

I'm afraid of having problems signing in to my computer afterwards.
Jeronimo Fuerte 39,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-24T17:01:29.5333333+00:00

Ok, could you please share more information about the problems you had? Maybe this is related to that also
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-24T17:44:02.4033333+00:00

Yes, Jeronimo, thank you.

I bought my computer in 2024. I used my Hotmail email address to buy Windows and Office, so it has been my Microsoft Account User since then. Last year, since I work from home and have several jobs, with all companies, I have additional Microsoft users; not mine, obviously, but I have several Teams spaces and OneDrive SharePoints.

At some point, I started having problems with my apps, so I now keep all my files on an external drive and do not save them on the computer or in OneDrive unless specifically decided.

On the other hand, one of the conflicts I started having was with my Windows when the company asked me to improve security and now use Microsoft Authenticator. It worked fine until I changed my cell phone. Then strange things started happening, like Windows Hello being requested when I have not set a PIN, ever. What I have seen is that when trying to sign in to some apps, Windows prompts the "Set up a PIN" window, and I might have clicked something by mistake. I don't think so, but well, maybe. Suddenly, I could not access my Hotmail email via the web (Teams, OneDrive, etc.) because the browser prompted for a PIN. Luckily, I had Outlook, so I still had access to my email.

I had my computer reset a week or so ago. So now I'm trying to install Office since I already have the License, but not Windows. I received a recommendation to set up a new Microsoft User for Windows, but now I have a problem using my previous Office License.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any doubts or need further information. Thank you,
Sandra 0 Reputation points

2026-04-27T18:59:14.67+00:00

Hi Jeronimo,

I haven't heard back from you. Do you need additional information?

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I cannot complete Office installation

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