Important: In order to upgrade to Microsoft 365 or Office 2019, your Mac needs to meet the minimum operating system and hardware requirements.With the release of macOS 10.15 Catalina, Microsoft 365 for Mac and Office 2019 for Mac currently support macOS 10.15, 10.14, and 10.13. Volume License Serializer not working in Catalina I did a clean install of Catalina on a computer at work, ran the 16.16.12 installer for Office 2016 and the Volume License Serializer. Office is not activated and asks for a key.
Installing office
- Download the installer from IS&T.
- Double-click the downloaded zip file to decompress it.You'll have a folder with Installer pkg and a Serializer pkg.
- Double-click the Microsoft_Office_16.20.18120801_Installer.pkg icon.
Result: The installer launches: - Click Continue.
Result: The Software License Agreement is displayed: - Click Continue.
Result: You are asked to agree to the Software License: - Click Agree
Result: The Installation Type is displayed: - Click Install.
Result: You are prompted for your name and password: - Enter the username and password for your local computer account and click OK.
Note: You may have to close certain applications for installation to complete.
Result: Installation will take some time. - When it completes, the summary screen is displayed:
- Click Close.
Result: Microsoft Word automatically starts and presents you with a Get Started window:
First time running office
| Office 2019 Activation Please run the Microsoft_Office_2019_VL_Serializer.pkg to properly activate Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac |
- Click Get Started
Result: You are asked to optionally sign in to your Microsoft account: - Click Continue.
Result: Configuration is complete: - Click Start Using Word.
Result: You might be prompted to install updates, if any are available. If so, follow the prompts: - Click Install. If you're prompted for authentication, enter your user name and password again.
Result: Microsoft AutoUpdate prompts you for configuration: - Accept the defaults and click Check for Updates. You might be prompted to install one or more updates in succession. Follow the prompts until no more updates are available.
- Microsoft Office for Mac 2019 is now ready for use.
Soon Microsoft are to release an update to the Office 2016 Volume License installer on VLSC.
This update is 15.17 & is the first that has a few changes that may affect the way you deploy Office 2016.
These changes are going to be later enforced in 15.20 & onwards. Below are some details on the changes, some of the why & how via the power of the MacAdmins.org Slack & the awesome @pbowden that some of us have had a sneak peek.
Contents
- 1 What’s Changing?
When you download the .iso from VLSC you’ll notice two packages within it:
The change is the new second pkg: “Microsoft_Office_2016_VL_Serializer.pkg”
What’s that about?
Well, for a while now it’s been fairly common practice to deploy the Office license to Macs outside of the Office installers or updates.
This came about as on occasion an Office Update or Installer would delete the file.
However, whilst the deletion itself was a bug, the ability to use the license.plist across Macs was also a bug.
What is it & should I use it?
With Office 2016, Microsoft are moving to a device based serialisation method. Which means that deploying the plist /Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.office.licensingv2.plist will no longer work.
This device based serialisation is based around the generating a license on the Mac that is to be running Office 2016.
So if you employ monolithic imaging or deploy Office 2016 via a Composer snap shot etc, the serialisation will not work. (Please don’t deploy Office 2016 via a Composer snap shot, use the pkg).
Also, if you install Office 2016 whilst booted to another volume (as in when installing via a NetBoot or NetInstall volume or something like Target Mode Imaging), again the serialisation will not work.
To install Office 2016 from another volume & have the serialisation work, cache it locally on the Mac being imaged & install on first boot or if using Casper Imaging check “Install on boot drive after Imaging” for the PKG from within Casper Admin.
However, to enable Office 2016 to be correctly licensed in the multitude of deployment scenarios that we mac admins employ, @pbowden & his team have created the “Microsoft_Office_2016_VL_Serializer.pkg”
Running this will correctly serialise the Office 2016 suite, & should be run from the Mac that’s running the suite. So again, can be added post imaging & then the suite will be correctly serialised.
To be clear, this will only affect you if using the Volume Licensed version of Office 2016 & not the Office365 version.
What happens if I carry on copying the licensing.plist?
For now, not much. Rainbow six siege font.
Office For Mac Serializer Online
15.17 is the first release with the “Microsoft_Office_2016_VL_Serializer.pkg”, from 15.20 (scheduled for Q1 2016) you will have to use the correct license.
How did people find this out?
Well a little over a month ago a gentleman with the nick @pbowden hopped into the #microsoft-office channel on the MacAdmins.org Slack, this was awesome as @pbowden is a: Software engineer for Office for Mac/iOS at Microsoft, a fellow Brit & nice guy.
It’s been a great few weeks with the community sharing feedback with @pbowden & some of us being able to test pre-release installers for Office.
Office For Mac Free
I hope this warning has been as helpful to you, as it was when @pbowden shared it with us.