The bast way to install and activate MS Office via your school's KMS

There are really not much to say about this topic aside from the Microsoft Official Instructions. But I find that I’ve been teaching people about this from time to time, so I decided to write a post about it.

Why you need this

Most laptops nowadays come with an activated Office pre-installed, which will be bound to your Microsoft account and will be transferred to every PC you log in to with that account. However, this version of Office is usually the Home & Student edition, which lacks many features that are essential for students, such as OneNote and Outlook. Moreover, Chinese consumers may find advertisements and other annoyances in this version. So why not utilize your school’s resources for a better experience?

Step 1: Install Office

Just follow the official instructions to download the Office Deployment Tool (an installer) and create a configuration file using the Office Customization Tool.

You have to reinstall Office because the pre-installed version usually lacks KMS activation components. The uninstallation should happen during the installation process automatically, but if it fails, you’ll need to do it manually.

Step 2: Activate Office

After the installation, open Windows Powershell as administrator, and run the following command:

cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16"
cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:kms.your-school.edu    # Refer to your school's IT department for the correct KMS server address
cscript ospp.vbs /act

Note that although the Office you installed is LTSC 2024 or newer, the Office16 folder is still used for compatibility reasons.

An activation lasts for 180 days, and will be renewed automatically as long as you are connected to the school’s network. If you are off-campus, you can use the school’s VPN to connect to the network and renew the activation. Rumors say that an unactivated Office will work anyway.