Any way to contact Microsoft Support without a Microsoft account?

Zarathustra[H]

Zarathustra[H]

Extremely [H]
Joined
Oct 29, 2000
Messages
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So, I am kind of frustrated right now.

I had to reinstall Windows 10 on my better halfs laptop due to a drive failure.

Office 2019 (bought from an online retailer 3 years ago, activated fine the first time) fails to activate.

I've tried the online activation as well as the Phone one where you have to enter the stupidly large amount of numbers and get an activation code.

Both methods tell me my key is invalid, which is ridiculous, because I know it is valid. It was valid 3 years ago when I bought it.

Problem is, there seems to be no way to contact Microsoft support to make them fix this, at least not without signing into my Microsoft account.

The thing is, I don't have a Microsoft Account. I always install Windows with local accounts only. I don't want a Microsoft account. I bought the 2019 version specifically so that I would not have to create a Microsoft account.

I'm tearing my hair out here. Like a good, fair minded person, I spent the actual money for the product, and the frustration it is giving me is making me wish I hadn't, and instead had just pirated the piece of shit.

Appreciate any suggestions.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
So, I am kind of frustrated right now.

I had to reinstall Windows 10 on my better halfs laptop due to a drive failure.

Office 2019 (bought from an online retailer 3 years ago, activated fine the first time) fails to activate.

I've tried the online activation as well as the Phone one where you have to enter the stupidly large amount of numbers and get an activation code.

Both methods tell me my key is invalid, which is ridiculous, because I know it is valid. It was valid 3 years ago when I bought it.

Problem is, there seems to be no way to contact Microsoft support to make them fix this, at least not without signing into my Microsoft account.

The thing is, I don't have a Microsoft Account. I always install Windows with local accounts only. I don't want a Microsoft account. I bought the 2019 version specifically so that I would not have to create a Microsoft account.

I'm tearing my hair out here. Like a good, fair minded person, I spent the actual money for the product, and the frustration it is giving me is making me wish I hadn't, and instead had just pirated the piece of shit.

Appreciate any suggestions.
Click to expand...
Was it a real key or some grey market site like stacksocial or super vip, etc.? The fake $10-50 keys tend to go bad eventually for not being legitimately obtained.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Was it a real key or some grey market site like stacksocial or super vip, etc.? The fake $10-50 keys tend to go bad eventually for not being legitimately obtained.
Click to expand...
Very likely this. Unless that key was about 100 bucks and that "online retailer" was a Best Buy/Staples/Office Depot type retailer then you probably bought a bogus key.
 
I had the same exact same thing happen with my Office 2019 ProPlus keys I had. I had gotten 2, and I discovered that the keys are now "invalid" after performing a reinstall early last year. The machine using the other key was fine - it doesn't "deactivate" when they invalidate them, but I never could get Office 2019 going again.

So...

I bought some Office 2021 Pro Plus keys from here instead, and they have worked just fine, even with reinstalls.

Keep an eye out for sales, because they have them from time to time. Also... When I originally ordered early last year, I got a 3-pack of 2021 Pro Plus keys for $54 - when my wife's School subscription to Office 365 ran out (because she graduated, yays!), I needed to get some new keys for her devices. The price had gone up to ~$70 for a single key, but when I went to my order history, it gave me the option of reordering my original 3-pack order... at the original $54 I paid.
 
mvmiller12 said:
I had the same exact same thing happen with my Office 2019 ProPlus keys I had. I had gotten 2, and I discovered that the keys are now "invalid" after performing a reinstall early last year. The machine using the other key was fine - it doesn't "deactivate" when they invalidate them, but I never could get Office 2019 going again.

So...

I bought some Office 2021 Pro Plus keys from here instead, and they have worked just fine, even with reinstalls.

Keep an eye out for sales, because they have them from time to time. Also... When I originally ordered early last year, I got a 3-pack of 2021 Pro Plus keys for $54 - when my wife's School subscription to Office 365 ran out (because she graduated, yays!), I needed to get some new keys for her devices. The price had gone up to ~$70 for a single key, but when I went to my order history, it gave me the option of reordering my original 3-pack order... at the original $54 I paid.
Click to expand...
Those are not valid keys either. Office proplus is sold only to businesses, not consumers.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Those are not valid keys either. Office proplus is sold only to businesses, not consumers.
Click to expand...

I realize I may be outing myself as ideologically impure, but... I am not a business and I don't give a shit about that even a tiny little bit :). As far as I am concerned, "If it Activates, it's Good (tm)."
 
mvmiller12 said:
I realize I may be outing myself as ideologically impure, but... I am not a business and I don't give a shit about that even a tiny little bit :). As far as I am concerned, "If it Activates, it's Good (tm)."
Click to expand...
Meh, may as well keygen it for all the legitimacy it has :p.
 
Or just go and use massgrave.dev and not spend the money at in the 1st place. With the shit Microsoft has pulled over the pass years, I have no qualms about using it.
 
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