Frequently asked questions for preinstalled Office

Since October 2025, "Microsoft 365 Personal 24 months free offer" is included with some Office Pre-installed PCs sold in Japan only.

Simply put, you can add a payment method and start the 24-month subscription for free or Instead of the 24-month subscription, you can select the initial 3-month free trial. 

If you need the features of Microsoft 365 Personal after the period, you can activate the 21-month free subscription before the trial period ends. If you no longer need the features of Microsoft 365 Personal, you can switch to Office Home and Business 2024 for free after the trial ends.

Yes, to start the full 24 months free subscription, a payment method is required in your Microsoft account. You need to add any Credit card or a PayPal account into your Microsoft account. And the auto recurring will be also turned on.

When your suscription will end, you will be billed for next 12 months subscription fee and your subscription will be extended automatically.

No, to start the 3-months trial subscription, no payment method is required in your Microsoft account. And the auto recurring will be also turned off.

A business bar will appear under the ribbon in Microsoft 365 apps during the period. That says, "Activate 24-month subscription" and includes the "Activate" button. This will take you to a special page for the 24-month subscription. "Continue using Microsoft 365" button in the page takes you to the Cart page with the Microsoft 365 Personal 21-month for free included

You can proceed the order process to complete purchasing the offer, and activate for no extra charge the additional 21-month. And then, you can use the Microsoft 365 Personal for total 24 months for free.

When your suscription will end, you will be billed for next 12 months subscription fee and your subscription will be extended automatically.

No, you can't.

If the trial period will end, this offer will be never delivered to you. Office Home and Business 2024 free offer will be delivered instead.

No, you can't.

You should wait to expire the 3-month trial subscription.

Once the 3-month trial will end, a new business bar will appear under the ribbon in Microsoft 365 apps. Here, you can click the "Redeem" button in the business bar.

This link will take them to a Microsoft Store web page where they can follow the steps to redeem the Office Home & Business 2024 with no extra charge.

2 devices. (2 Windows PC, 2 MacOS devices or 1 PC and 1 MacOS device)

No, you should not.

You can switch the license in the client apps without reinstallation. Please learn more in the article. 

If your Microsoft 365 Personal subscription is expired, your storage allowance will revert to 5 GB of cloud storage, which includes your OneDrive and Outlook.com attachments, and 15 GB of Outlook.com storage.

If you or people you shared a subscription with have used more than the free allowances, you won't be able to upload, edit, or sync new files (such as Camera Roll) to your OneDrive, and you will not be able to send or receive email in Outlook.com.

If you have files that exceed the free 5GB stored when your Microsoft 365 Personal subscription expires, this message shows in OneDrive app

This message means you have exceeded your cloud storage quota.

If you exceed your Microsoft storage:

• You won't be able to upload, edit, or sync new files (such as Camera Roll) to your OneDrive. Your existing files will remain but will be read-only.

• You will not be able to send or receive email in Outlook.com, even if you have not exceeded your email storage quota.

• You will not be able to send or receive any Microsoft Teams messages that contain attachments.

• After 6 months, we may delete your OneDrive and all files within it. Once deleted, these files are non-recoverable.

If you exceed your email storage:

• You will not be able to send or receive email in Outlook.com.

• Note: Any emails sent to you are returned to the sender. Once you get back under your storage quota, the sender will need to resend the email.

After finding the enclosed card, you can check the product key inside.

Starting year 2022, many Office pre-installed PCs include a digital store package of an Office product instead of a product key card. Please make sure the package displayed the Included with device tab in Library in the Microsoft store app before starting an Office app in the first time.

The Office desktop apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc,) are pre-installed by OEM before shipping. To start using these apps, launch any app from the Start menu, and follow the dialogs to complete the activation of them.

If you need to reinstall the Office apps on your device after they are activated, you can reinstall them from your Microsoft account dashboard. Click here to learn more.

If you purchased an Office Pre-installed PC with an Office perpetual license product (such like Office 2024, 2021, etc.) included, you are allowed to use the Office desktop apps in your purchased device only, and you are not allowed to distribute or transfer the product to another device.

No, you'll need an Internet connection to activate Office.

Microsoft Store app version is as same as Store applications distributed by Microsoft Store in Windows 10. This version of Office applications had been adopted in Office 2019 pre-installed PC devices for a past period. Reinstallation and updating for this version of Office apps are executed by Microsoft Store app. (*Currently, Microsoft Store app no longer offers reinstallation service for this version of Office apps.)

By contrast, Click-to-Run version means Win32 desktop application version of Office. This version is preinstalled in most Office pre-installed PC devices except the period of Microsoft Store version adopted. Reinstallation and updating for this version of Office apps are executed by Click-to-Run installer.

Yes, you can check it in Windows Settings.

1. Open the Start menu, and then select Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Applications and Features) 

2. If you can find a Microsoft Office Desktop Apps in the list, Microsoft Store app version is installed.

3. Or, if you find a specific product name such as Microsoft Office Home and Business 2024 – ja-jp in the list, Click-to-Run version is installed.

The easiest way is to use the Windows Recovery feature to reset your device. OEM devices have usually stored a recovery package of the preinstalled apps in the internal storage. If you can recover the Office apps after "PC reset", start an Office app and then start the Office OOBE.

But if you are unable to reset your device for some reason, your action depends on the package type included with your OEM device.

If an product key card package is included with your purchased device,

1. First, you should redeem your product key in "https://setup.office.com" to add the entitlement of the Office product into your Microsoft account.

2. Next, you should install and activate the Office apps via Microsoft account dashboard. (Click here to learn more.)

   1. Go to the Microsoft account dashboard and select the Subscriptions Icon to go to Subscriptions page.

   2. You can find your redeemed Office product listed under Products you've purchased section in this page.

   3. Please select the Install link in it to get the installer.

   4. Run the installer to install the Office suite into your device

   5. After complete the installation, you start an Office app and follow the prompts in the app. Once you select Accept in the License agreement and complete the Privacy settings, the Office apps will be activated.

If a digital store package is included with your purchased device,

1. First, you should redeem the digital store package with your Microsoft Account.

   1. Open the Microsoft Store app.

   2. Sign in the Microsoft Store app with your Microsoft Account. (If your Windows account is already signed in with your Microsoft Account, skip this step.)

   3. Select Library icon and then the Included with device tab

   4. Check the store package listed under the Included with device tab

   5. Select the Claim button in it

   6. The Success! dialog is opened after a little time

   7. Select the Done button in it

2. Next, you should install and activate the Office apps via Microsoft account dashboard. (Click here to lean more.)

   1. Go to the Microsoft account dashboard and then select the Subscriptions icon to go to the Subscription page.

   2. You can find your redeemed Office product listed under the Products you've purchased section in this page.

   3. Please select the Install link in it to get an Office installer of the product.

   4. Run the installer to install the Office suite on your device

   5. After complete the installation, start an Office app from Start menu

   6. Follow the prompts opened in the app

   7. The License agreement opens finally, select Accept button

   8. If you set the private settings dialogs, you are all set.

Yes, you need to sign in to your Microsoft account during setup.

Microsoft account is the new name of the earlier Windows Live ID. You use a Microsoft account to sign up for personal authentication to various online services, such as Outlook.com, Office Online, OneDrive, Windows Phone, Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Store, and so on.

What is a Microsoft account?

To learn more, see How to create a new Microsoft account.

Yes, you need an Internet connection.

See Set up pre-installed Office and choose a product group tab and select either "Set up Office" tile under "for personal use".

Yes, how you change the language depends on the type of the application pre-installed.

If you are still using Microsoft Store app version,

Go to Settings > Time & Language> Region and language, change the display system language you want.

If you are using the Click-to-Run version,

Please install another language pack for Office apps, you must configure Office apps for your new language preferences in File > Option > Language in an Office app.
To learn the steps, please see Language Accessory Pack for Microsoft 365.

This configuration changing affects all Office apps.

Yes, but you need to periodically connect to confirm the Office perpetual license on the device is valid by Microsoft.

No, internet access is required.

Yes, Microsoft recommends that you first uninstall them before reinstallation.

You can reinstall Office apps from your Microsoft account dashboard.

To learn more,  see this article.

The required hard disk space is 4.0 GB.  You should also check the Office system requirements for other requirements. 

No, they are installed into the system drive (usually the "C" drive) by default. You can't select a drive other than the system drive.

Yes, how you change the language depends on the type of the apps.

If you use the Click-to-Run version,

You can choose a language in the Choose a language option in Download and install Microsoft 365 dialog when you get an Office installer in your Microsoft account dashboard.

If you still use the Microsoft Store app version,

The UI language of these apps are linked to the system language setting.
Go to Settings > Time & Language> Region and language, and then change the display system language you want.

Yes, you need to uninstall Microsoft Store app version and then reinstall Click-to-Run version. To learn more, see this article.

Yes, you can choose either version in Download and install Microsoft 365 dialog. This dialog opens when you select the Install link in your purchased Office product shown in Subscriptions page in your Microsoft account dashboard.

To learn more, see this article.

If you want to know which bit version of Office is pre-installed in your purchased PC device, please see About Office: What version of Office am I using?.

Your Microsoft personal account lets you manage everything all in one place. It allows you to keep tabs on your subscriptions and order history, organize your family's digital life, update your privacy and security settings, track the health and safety of your devices, and get rewards.

To learn more, see  Help on Microsoft account .

No, the dates are based on Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

The Microsoft 365 Basic is the newest consumer subscription product for one person. It is re-branded from the formerly "OneDrive 100GB" plan. With the Microsoft 365 Basic, we're making premium subscription benefits available to even more people at a great price.
Learn more about the Microsoft 365 Basic plan.

Starting 2023, some Office pre-installed PC in Japan may include a Microsoft 365 Basic 12 month free subscription offer. If you start this subscription on your device, you can use the premium benefits of Microsoft 365 Basic for 12 months for free.

100 GB for the file storage and 50 GB for the mail storage are available. To learn more, see the article.

To start the subscription, you should perform the steps to claim the offer in the Microsoft Store apps on your device.
To learn more, see the page.

Yes. A personal Microsoft account is required. You can check the information of the subscription in your Microsoft account dashboard after start the subscription.

Yes, you need your payment instrument information registered in your Microsoft account when you start the subscription. After the first year, you will be billed for next 12 months subscription fee and the subscription will be extended automatically. If you want to turn the recurring billing off, you can do it any time in your Microsoft account dashboard. To learn more, see the article.

Please purchase a one-month or 12-month subscription additionally in Microsoft OneDrive homepage.

This benefit provides the access to the Microsoft Support Experts when you need for help with Microsoft 365 apps (Web apps, Mobile apps and Desktop apps) and Windows 11. It also supports various troubles and questions for the Office 2021 apps included with your Office pre-installed PC.
To learn how to contact us, see the page.

Instead of OneNote for Windows 10, which is no longer pre-installed in Windows 11, OneNote standalone free edition is pre-installed along with an Office suite product. Even if you will uninstall the Office suite from your device, the OneNote desktop app will be only remained on your device and you can use it with the free license continuously.

You can check that OneNote standalone free edition is installed in Windows Settings.

1. Open the Start menu, and then select Settings > Apps. 

2. OneNote standalone free edition is installed if you can see Microsoft Office xxxxxx 20xx – ja-jp and Microsoft OneNote – ja-jp in Installed apps. (If you no longer need the OneNote standalone free edition, uninstall the Microsoft OneNote – ja-jp.)

Windows users can choose between two available versions:

OneNote (formerly called "OneNote 2016"), the free desktop app which runs on all supported versions of Microsoft Windows and which is part of Office perpetual and Microsoft 365 suites.

OneNote for Windows 10, this version of OneNote which is pre-installed on all editions of Windows 10.

To learn more, see What's the difference between the OneNote versions

No, we don't provide any installation media for your Office Pre-installed PC. But you can download a disk image file (an offline installer) includes the Office installation resources from your Microsoft account dashboard.  Therefore, if you create a DVD disk using the disk image file, you can get the installation disk.

No, Microsoft Store app version must be provided only via Microsoft Store app.

No, you don't need a product key.

The recommended system requirements for Office are listed in Office system requirements .

After finding the enclosed card, you can check the product key inside.

Starting year 2022, many Office pre-installed PCs includes a digital store package instead of a product key card package.
If you can't find a product key card in your purchased Office pre-installed PC, please make sure the package displayed under the "Included with device"tab in Library in the Microsoft store app before starting an Office app in the first time.

Office apps are already preinstalled on your device by OEM. You can use Office apps soon if you launch any Office app from the Start menu, and complete activation of Office through the setup screen.

If you need to reinstall Office apps on your device after activate Office, you can reinstall them by an online installer. Click to learn more.

No, you are allowed to use the Office product in your purchased device only, and you are not allowed to distribute or transfer the product to another device other than your purchased device.

Microsoft Store app version is as same as Store applications distributed by Microsoft Store in Windows 10. This version of Office applications had been adopted in Office 2019 pre-installed PC devices for a past period. Reinstallation and updating for this version of Office apps are executed by Microsoft Store app. (*Currently, Microsoft Store app no longer offers reinstallation service for this version of Office apps.)

By contrast, Click-to-Run version means Win32 desktop application version of Office. This version is preinstalled in most Office pre-installed PC devices except the period of Microsoft Store version adopted. Reinstallation and updating for this version of Office applications are executed by Click-to-Run installer.

Yes, you can check it in Windows Settings.

1. Open the Start menu, and then select Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Applications and Features)

2. If you can find a "Microsoft Office Desktop Apps" in the list, Microsoft Store app version was installed.

3. Or, if you find a specific product name such as "Microsoft Office Home and Business 2024 – ja-jp", Click-to-Run version was installed.

To complete activation, "Office products for personal" requires a personal Microsoft account, in contrast, "Office products for corporate" doesn't require a Microsoft account. There is no difference in the functionality of the apps between "Office products for corporate" and "Office products for personal".

The easiest way to do this is to use the Windows recovery feature to reset your device. OEM devices have usually stored a recovery package of the preinstalled apps in the internal storage. If you can recover the Office apps after reset your device, start an Office app to activate Office.

If you are unable to recover the Office apps for some reason, your action depends on the package type of Office product included with your purchased device.

If a product key card package is included with your device,

1. You should install Office apps via "https://setup.office.com". Click here to learn more.

2. Start an Office app from Start menu. Once you select Accept in the License agreement and complete the Privacy settings, the Office app will be activated. 

If a digital store package is included with your device,

1. You should install Office apps from the Microsoft Store app.

   1. Open the Microsoft Store app (Don't sign in the app with any Microsoft Account.)

   2. Update the Microsoft Store app to latest version if the version is earlier than 22210.xxxx.x.0 (Check the number in the Account icon > Settings.)

   3. Select the Included with device tab in the Library icon

   4. Check the Office product shown under the tab

   5. Click Claim button in the Office product

   6. Office installer (setup.exe) is downloaded and starts installation of Office apps

   7. Follow the installation dialog to complete the installation of Office apps.

2. Start an Office app, and follow the Office setup process. Click here to learn more.

No, you don't need to sign in to your Microsoft account during setup.

It depends on an Office license bundled in your device.

If you purchase a device with an Office product key card bundled, you can activate the Office apps by the phone activation via Office License Activation Wizard.

By contrast, if you purchase a device with an Office digital license bundled, you need to connect the device to internet to activate the Office apps by the digital license.

No, you can't remove unnecessary apps from the Office suite separately.

Microsoft account is the new name of the earlier Windows Live ID. You use a Microsoft account to sign up for personal authentication to various online services, such as Outlook.com, Office Online, OneDrive, Windows Phone, Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Store, and so on.

What is a Microsoft account?

Yes, how you change the language depends on the Office application type pre-installed.

If you are still using Microsoft Store app version,

Go to Settings > Time & Language> Region and language, change the display system language you want.

If you are using Click-to-Run version,

Please install another Office language pack you want to your Office and then select the language in Office language setting. please see Language Accessory Pack for Office.

No, any Office standalone app of Volume license edition like "Visio LTSC Standard 2024" can't co-exist with an Office suite product for Individuals and Families like "Office Home and Business 2024" on same device. 

If you want to co-exist a standalone app with the Office suite product for Individuals and Families on same device, you need to purchase and install an Office standalone app product for Individuals and Families like "Visio Standard 2024".

Yes, but it depends on the package type of an Office product included with your device.

If you purchase a device with a digital store package included,

You need to periodically connect your device to internet in order to validation of the license by Microsoft.

If you purchase a device with a product key card package included,

No internet access is required to keep the apps activated.

(However we can't strongly recommend to use the Offie apps for a long term without internet connection from the perspective of responding to security vulnerabilities. Even if you have no choice but to use Office apps without Internet, connect your device to the Internet at least once a month to apply a monthly security update and respond to the vulnerabilities.)

No, internet access is required to update your Office apps.

Yes, Microsoft recommends that you should uninstall the installed Office, and then reinstall it.

It depends on the type of the license bundled in your device. Click here to learn more.

Yes, you need to uninstall Microsoft Store app version then reinstall Click-to-Run version. Click here to learn more. 

No, you can't. You can install only Click-to-Run version on your device.

No, you can re-install Click-to-Run version only. Click here to learn more. 

The required hard disk space is 4.0 GB. Also, check the Office system requirements for other system requirements.

No, you can install only on the drive where the OS is installed (usually the C drive). You can't select or change the drive.

No, you can't reinstall the another language version of Office directly.

After reinstall Click-to-Run version of Japanese edition, you need to add another Office language pack you want and then change the display language setting in Office language setting.

It depends on the type of an Office product package in your device.

If you have purchased a device with a digital store package included,

• You have no option to select either 64-bit or 32-bit version of Office.

• To learn more, see Digital Office product tab in Reinstall Office in your Office Pre-installed PC (for corporate).

If you have purchased a device with a product key card package included,

• You can select to reinstall either 64-bit or 32-bit version of Office apps via setup.office.com.

• To learn more, see Product key card tab in Reinstall Office in your Office Pre-installed PC (for corporate).

If you want to know which bit version of Office apps are pre-installed in your purchased PC device, please see About Office: What version of Office am I using?.

The Microsoft 365 Basic is the consumer subscription for one person. It is re-branded from the formerly "OneDrive 100GB" plan. With the Microsoft 365 Basic, we're making premium subscription benefits available to even more people at a great price.
Learn more about the Microsoft 365 Basic plan.

Starting 2024, some Office pre-installed PC shipped for corporate may comes with a Microsoft 365 Basic 12 month free subscription offer and an Office perpetual license product. If you start this subscription on your device, you can use the premium benefits of Microsoft 365 Basic for 12 months for free.

100 GB for the file storage and 50 GB for the mail storage are available. To learn more, see the article.

To start the subscription, you should perform the steps to claim the offer in the Microsoft Store apps on your device.
To learn more, see the page.

Yes. A personal Microsoft account is required because this offer is provided for one person.

Yes, you need your payment instrument information registered in your Microsoft account when you start the subscription. After the first year, you will be billed for next 12 months subscription fee and the subscription will be extended automatically. If you want to turn the recurring billing off, you can do it any time in your Microsoft account dashboard. To learn more, see the article.

Please purchase a one-month or 12-month subscription additionally in Microsoft OneDrive homepage.

This benefit provides the access to the Microsoft Support Experts when you need for help with Microsoft 365 apps (Web apps, Mobile apps and Desktop apps) and Windows 11. It also supports various troubles and questions for the Office perpetual suite included with your Office pre-installed PC.
To learn how to contact us, see the page.

Instead of "OneNote for Windows 10", which is no longer pre-installed in Windows 11, "OneNote standalone free edition" has been pre-installed along with any Office suite. Even if you uninstall the Office suite from your device, the OneNote desktop app is remained on your device and you can use it with the free license continuously.

You can check that OneNote standalone free edition is installed in Windows Settings.

1. Open the Start menu, and then select Settings > Apps > Installed apps

2. OneNote standalone free edition is installed if you can see "Microsoft Office xxxxxx 20xx – ja-jp" and "Microsoft OneNote – ja-jp" in the list. (If you no longer need the OneNote standalone free edition, uninstall Microsoft OneNote – ja-jp.)

Windows users can choose between two available versions:

OneNote (formerly called "OneNote 2016"), the free desktop app which runs on all supported versions of Microsoft Windows and which is part of Office perpetual and Microsoft 365 suites.

OneNote for Windows 10, the OneNote app which is pre-installed on all editions of Windows 10.

To learn more, see What's the difference between the OneNote versions

We don't provide any installation media for Office pre-installed PCs for corporate.

The recommended system requirements for Office are listed in Office system requirements.

"Office Premium Plus Office 365 Service" was a special Office product created for Office Pre-installed PC in Japan. This product consisted of an Office perpetual license product named with "Office Premium" and a subscription product named with "Office 365 Service". The "Office Premium Plus Office 365 Service" offered the following three types of products:

• "Office Home and Business Premium Plus Office 365 Service"

• "Office Professional Premium Plus Office 365 Service"

• "Office Personal Premium Plus Office 365 Service"

The "Office Premium suites" are an Office perpetual license product for Japan only, and its support lifecycle depends the lifecycle of the device itself. Additionally, a major feature is that "Office Premium suites" could receive the feature updates for Microsoft 365 apps for consumers.

No, backup media isn't provided.

No, you must have an Internet connection for the initial setup.

No, a Microsoft account is required for the initial setup. If you don't have one, please create a new Microsoft account in this page.

No, you can't change your Microsoft account, if you have completed the setup of Office Premium and your Microsoft account dashboard is created.

Please reset your password here.

To learn more, see How to create a Microsoft account.

Yes, you can. You can install a language pack other than Japanese for your Office from here.

Please check "Set up Office Premium and Office 365 Service on your new device" for initial setup and activation steps.

Please check "Reinstall Office or Microsoft 365 in your Office Pre-installed PC (for personal)" for reinstalling the Office Premium suite.

There can be two cases:

A) Your PC device has a recovery image with Office Premium suite.

You can launch any Office app in Start menu and should setup Office Premium again, using your product key and Microsoft account.

B) Your PC device doesn't have a recovery image without Office Premium suite.

You should install Office Premium suite via your Microsoft account dashboard and launch any Office app.

You can reinstall the Office Premium suite into the Office Pre-installed PC.

If you are still subscribing "Microsoft 365 Personal" migrated from "Office 365 Services", you can do the following:

Services and Products

• Install the Microsoft 365 suite to other devices (Up to 5 devices, MacOS and Windows)

• Manage usage of 1 TB OneDrive Capacity

• Activate Skype's world call plan

Payment and Renewal

• Renew subscription

• Set up automatic subscription renewal

• Review and change payment information

"Office 365 Services" was a special subscription offer included in Office Pre-installed PCs with "Office Premium Plus Office 365 Services" products. 

This subscription had provided part of the features of ”Microsoft 365 Personal” (Once called "Office 365 Solo" in Japan). This offer was available for free for the first year. From the second year onwards, the user was able to continue this subscription for an annual renewal fee of 7,800 yen (excluding tax).

• 1 TB of OneDrive storage

• Premium version of Outlook.com

• 60 Skype minutes per month

• Premium features in mobile apps (iOS, Android)

• One-on-one technical support by a support agent

And then it had been already migrated to "Microsoft 365 Personal" since April 21, 2020. Click here to learn more.

End users who had been using the "Office 365 Service" continuously since purchased an Office Pre-installed PC with an "Office Premium Plus Office 365 Service" included have been able to enjoy all the features of "Microsoft 365 Personal" from that date forward.

You can install Office mobile apps for iOS and Android. To learn how, see Set up Office apps and email on a mobile device.

Yes, but you will only have basic features, such as viewing and basic editing. To access the premium features in mobile apps, you must have a qualifying subscription. To learn more, see What you can do in the Microsoft 365 apps on mobile devices with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

No, it can't be transferred to another computer because the Office Premium suite is licensed only on your purchased Office Pre-installed PC with "Office Premium Plus Office 365 Service" included.

But if you have been still subscribing "Microsoft 365 Personal" after migrated from "Office 365 Service", you can install and use the desktop apps of "Microsoft 365" in other computers (up to 5 computers).

Please refer to the system requirements under Microsoft 365 Personal on this page.

Please contact Microsoft Support

The workaround is published on the following sites:

1. What to do if you do not proceed with "Please wait" after entering the product key at the initial setup of Office Premium (Information on Sway)

2. You don't proceed with [Please wait] message during Office Premium is installed