It’s getting harder running Office on Ventura, which is as high as my Intel iMac will go. Microsoft already discontinued updates. In July Teams will stop working.
That’s unfortunate. I have no trouble running it, just can’t update it. Otherwise I’m getting all the functionality I need.
I just purchased two different copies and got a download for Monterey and a few extra steps for earlier versions: “For macOS 12 (Monterey) please use this download link. If you have oldest macOS version (10 or 11) please contact us by replying to your order email - we will send you compatible version and compatible license file.”
I bought Office 2019 many years ago to future-proof my access to Office applications. I tried it and prefer Office 2016—which still works fine on MacOS Monterey. Several months ago, I tried to install Office 2019 on one of my laptops and Micro$oft would not allow me to activate it. It activated successfully on my iMac a few months earlier. If I could revert to Office v5, I would keep using it, but for me the problem is newer machines needing 64-bit native apps. Hopefully my 2016 version will continue working; I also use Little Snitch to block all Office 365 connections and deleted as much of the M$ updater as possible.
I’ve read all the dismal emails re: Office. I just checked my laptop, which I only use when I travel. I’m running Mojave (10.14.6) and Office 2016. Since only Office 2019 is mentioned, will 2016 continue to work?
While a new laptop would be nice, I’m loathe to replace a computer that is only fired up a few times each month.
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I’ve been wondering about this very question. I’ve used Office 2016 long after it received its last update, and as recently as last month, without problem. Is this a new “trick” reserved for 2019 and later versions? So much for “perpetual” licensing.
Even those of us who are on Microsoft 365 may decide they need to stay on an older version of macOS and thus eventually be unable to update Office. In the face of unnecessary tactics like this, third-party software (the quality of which varies widely) becomes the only viable option.
Sad.
Unless you use the laptop for “professional” work like documents that require change tracking, you should be able to get along fine without Office. I work on a MacMini that needs Office features, but the MacBook Air I use for travel or in the living room doesn’t have Office at all.
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Dave, that is almost guaranteed to be a “grey market” or volume license not intended for resale. There’s a very real possibility that if Microsoft detects its use outside the licensing terms, they’ll simply revoke it. It could suddenly stop working in weeks, months, or years from now. Now for 10 bucks and the fact that “legitimate” licenses are so stupidly overpriced, maybe it’s worth the gamble. Caveat emptor.
P.S. The fact that link “includes” VMWare Fusion Pro 13 is also suspect – that’s has been a free product from Broadcom for some time now.
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@ace Here is a better / more clear link. Sadly, 16.83 is correct.
I truly do not see how they can reduce the functionality of software under a perpetual license – I agree with a previous poster: sounds like grounds for a lawsuit. Fine don’t upgrade it or provide any support – but to actively block it from working when nothing changed is just evil.
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I’ve got a few Excel files that I continue to update that have been going for decades. I buy a new version of Office every five years or so (usually also when I buy new hardware) and that isn’t much bother.
@bld On the basis of ‘if something looks too good to be true…’ you’re probably right. I checked Companies House (the UK Government database of active registered companies) and it does exist, though not at the address shown, but that’s not unusual. Apple Maps suggests it’s a florist at the purported London store address and Google maps does not show a store there at all. A reverse look up of the store photo comes back only to Softmall. It is an https. web site and I paid by Apple Pay so I am covered if I have to make a claim. If one can believe Trustpilot it has many positive reviews.
I thought it low risk for £7. There’s always Numbers or Libreoffice if it goes south in a month or two.
Although I have an Office365 subscription and have installed Excel & Word on my MB Pro as a backup, I primarily use the last versions without the ribbon – Excel & Word 2011 on a Parallels install of Mojave – as I can never find what I need on the newer versions. I’m not sure if I could ever install them again on a newer old Mac, but I have plenty of backups of the VM so should be OK for now. (My Windows 11 on Parallels install – required for client compatibility – has Classic Menu so I can ignore the ribbons and abbreviated menus on the Office365 programs there also.)
And then there’s the Wordperfect 3.5e for Mac install … only for opening older files now, but a great app under classic MacOS.
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Like @david.n.watts and others, I’m willing to risk the $10 SoftMall link to get Office 2024; that deal isn’t really so different from how I obtained Office 2019 in the first place, which has worked fine (through various computer migrations) until now. I care only about Word and Excel, and my usage of both is pretty minimal; if the Office 2024 versions stop working, at least Word and Excel are available for free in the browser, so that I would still be able to deal with documents sent to me by others.
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Are there any legitimate versions out there that work? I found it at https://www.macintoshrepository.org/891-wordperfect-3-5e but I have to see if I can find anything that runs it.
Matt, let us know if you have any problems with SoftMall and getting Office 2024 to run. I bought Office 2019 like this, too.
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I don’t mean to distract the Topic from finding solutions for those needing one, but as I’m defacto retired and even back in working life didn’t write for a living, I’m a bit baffled by the ‘need’ for MSOffice.
For those using it for a work requirement, I get that sometimes users have no choice, but others…? If anyone has time to explain a bit and it doesn’t drag the Topic down, I’m just curious to know why MSOffice is even necessary, and what specific advantages it has over iWork or TextEdit etc.
I spent $20 for two Macs last night at SoftMall. No problems with the installations! As per their instructions, you download Office 2024 directly from Microsoft. Then you download the license installer from SoftMall. This isn’t like a direct-from-Microsoft purchase or one from most retailers where you get a 25-character license code to type in. You run SoftMall’s license installer after the Office installation and you’re done. I quit and restarted the Office apps a number of times. Rebooted the computers too. It works!
SoftMall does point out that in some situations, the license installer may not overwrite the previous license properly. For that situation, they provide a link to another installer – actually an uninstaller – that removes all remnants of any versions of Office. When that’s done, you reinstall Office (again directly from Microsoft) and then run the license installer. I had to do this with my second Mac. Once again, no issues!
I have already recommended the SoftMall purchase to a bunch of people.
SoftMall does offer a refund for 30-days if the license is not activated, and you could always dispute the charge with your credit card company if the license doesn’t work and SoftMall does not honor their guarantee. But in the end, in the worst-case scenario, you’re out $10 – it seems entirely worth it to me to spend $10 to try and save an additional $170. But I doubt you’d ever be out the $10 anyway.
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Will Office 2024 run on macOS 26? My wife is currently running macOS 12 and Office 2019 on her laptop. Her only upgrade option is macOS 26. She uses Office for work.
I agree there’s no “need.” It’s simply a matter of convenience. You could be used to the way Office apps work and just want to continue that. You may be sending and receiving documents with others where they use Office – in which case you’d have to import/export with Apple apps and contend with a greater chance of formatting inconsistencies. For $180, that’s a personal decision. For $10, why not just have it?!
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Yes…I’m running on 26/Tahoe. But will your Mac support MacOS 26?