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Stuck on school account loop 365 apps

Eskil Rasmussen 0 Reputation points
2026-05-28T13:43:41.0133333+00:00

For some reason no matter what i do i can't activate my 365 license on the installed 365 application (word excel etc) with my personal account.
I recently graduated and my school account hence doesn't have a license anymore, and my computer was logged into it until now.
I have tried all the fixes i could find, both logging out of the school account everywhere, and deleting the account in the credential manager. have also tried removing 365 completely and installing again. but still whenever i try to login in the applications with my personal, the login window just disappears and i can click "login" again. the only account i can login with in this window is my old school account, and when i do, i'm informed that i don't have a license on my school account.
Very frustrating when i just spend the money on a personal license.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For education | Other
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  1. Helen Luu 845 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-28T14:23:10.07+00:00

    Hello @Eskil Rasmussen,

    To address the issue you are experiencing, please follow the troubleshooting steps outlined below:

    1. Navigate to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school, select your Work or School account, and click Disconnect.
    2. Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials, and remove all credentials related to Microsoft Office.
    3. Press Win + R, then delete all contents in the following folders:
    • %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneAuth
    • %localappdata%\Microsoft\IdentityCache
    1. Restart your computer and sign in to Office again when prompted.

    If the issue still persists, please proceed with the following additional steps:

    1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and open the Registry Editor.
    2. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office
    3. Rename the Office folder to Office_old, then reopen your Office application.

    If necessary, please proceed with reinstalling the Office application.

    Please let me know if the issue continues after completing these steps or if you require further assistance.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-28T13:43:58.25+00:00

    The device is still using cached school credentials and identity data, so Microsoft 365 desktop apps keep trying to sign in with the old school account instead of the new personal subscription. Clear all old work/school identities, then reinstall and activate with the personal account.

    Follow these steps in order on the same Windows device where Microsoft 365 is installed:

    1. Remove old Work/School account from Windows
      1. Open Start → Settings → Accounts → Access work or school (briefcase icon).
      2. If the old school account is listed, select it → Disconnect.
      3. Restart the device.
    2. Remove cached Office credentials
      1. Open Start → type credential manager → open Credential Manager.
      2. Go to Windows Credentials.
      3. Find any entries named MicrosoftOffice16 or that clearly reference the old school account.
      4. Expand each and select Remove.
      5. Close Credential Manager.
      (This step is explicitly recommended for sign-in/activation issues.)
    3. Clear local identity and token caches
      1. Press Windows + R.
      2. Run each of these paths one at a time and delete everything inside each folder (if present):
        • %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\OneAuth
        • %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\IdentityCache
        • %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\TokenBroker
      3. If a subfolder cannot be deleted, open it and delete its contents instead.
      4. Restart the device again.
    4. Completely uninstall Office tied to the old account
      1. Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
      2. Uninstall Microsoft 365 / Office.
      3. Optionally, run the Microsoft 365 Uninstall troubleshooter from the article to fully remove remnants if a different edition/version is installed.
    5. Reinstall Microsoft 365 from the correct personal account
      1. In a browser, go to office.com and sign in with the personal Microsoft account that has the paid subscription.
      2. Confirm the subscription is active.
      3. From there, download and install Microsoft 365 apps (this ensures the install is bound to the personal account).
    6. First activation: sign in only with the personal account
      1. Open Word or Excel.
      2. If already signed in, select the name/profile at the top → Sign out.
      3. Select Sign in and enter only the personal Microsoft account (not the old school account).
      4. Verify activation completes and the product shows as licensed under the personal account.

    If the sign-in window still closes immediately or loops, run the Microsoft 365 sign-in troubleshooter or activation troubleshooter from the provided docs, then repeat the sign-in with only the personal account.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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