How to activate Office 2021 and harness its full potential

You may find the cost to activate Office 2021 is very high as the latest version of Microsoft’s renowned software suite comes with a significant price tag, but with an Office 2021 key from trusted resellers, you can save money and still access the full suite. If you’re interested in learning more about the available versions of Office 2021 and how to obtain it for less than the standard cost, continue reading. 

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Activate Office 2021: the benefits

If you wonder why you should activate Office 2021, consider that it is the only way to receive the free operating system updates and security patches released periodically by Microsoft. Therefore, activation is essential to protect your PC and your data and to take full advantage of the suite’s features. Microsoft Office 2021 comes with all the latest features in its constituent apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio, and Access. These include updates to the aesthetics and user interface of each program according to the new ‘Windows Fluent Design’, along with new collaboration, co-authoring and cross-device synchronization features across the board, plus improved AI support, security, and compatibility with different devices and operating systems.

An Office 2021 key is the ideal solution if you’re looking to purchase the full suite at a reduced price, and you can pick up all the different versions at a discount, including:

• Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 key
• Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 key for Mac
• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 key
• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 key for Mac
• Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021 key

Today’s Best Office 2021 Key Deals

Prerequisites for Office 2021 activation

Before going ahead with attempting to activate Office 2021 Professional Plus or other versions of the suite, you need to ensure you’ve crossed off a few things beforehand, which are essential prerequisites for Office 2021 activation. Firstly, ensure that your computer meets the minimum requirements to run all of the software in the suite that you’re interested in – make sure you do this before you buy so you don’t waste your money! Secondly, ensure that you have access to a stable internet connection at the point you are purchasing and downloading the software and the key. Finally, you obviously need your genuine copy of Office 2021 along with the key needed to activate it.

Download Office 2021 and Install it

Before you can download Office 2021 and install it you must of course purchase yourself a copy of it. We recommend popping by either Mr Key Shop or Keycense, where you can find your cheap Microsoft Office key and other great deals on many products, from the Windows OS to the best VPN, from gaming licences to gift cards. 

Mr Key Shop is the trusted software license reseller where you can also find Windows 11 Product Key, Windows 10 Key and previous versions of the operating system, most of the best antivirus and vpn app, partition software and Windows Server products.

Keycense is the second store we suggest, where you can buy Windows 11, a Windows 10 Product Key or a previous version of the Microsoft operating system, as well as a Microsoft office key, antivirus software and vpn, and an increasingly wider selection of game keys and gaming gift card.

In both stores every day of the year the prices are advantageous like on Black Friday, but not only: the licences are original and guaranteed, the payment methods are the safest among those available, delivery is immediate and both have excellent customer service that offers free assistance before and after the purchase. And you can enjoy the full money-back warranty in case of a wrong purchase.

Immediately after you purchase the product, you will receive an email with your licence and ISO download link, along with straightforward steps to download and install the product. Simply follow the instructions of the installation wizard and you’re good to go.

Steps to Activate Office 2021 on Windows

In order to activate Office 2021 in Windows – assuming you have downloaded and installed the software – just start one of the applications included in the suite and you’ll be asked to insert your product key. Alternatively, you can follow the below steps to activate it:

1. Within an Office 2021 application, click on File in the top left corner.
2. Select Account from the bottom of the menu on the left then Activate Product on the right.
3. Click Use a different account.
4. Click I have a product key then enter your activation key and follow the steps of the wizard.

Steps to Activate Office 2021 on MacOS

The steps to activate Office 2021 on MacOS are the same as those on Windows, so just follow the same steps above.

Can I Activate Office 2021 for free using the KMS client key?

The Key Management Services (KMS), formally known as the Microsoft Generic Volume License Key (GVLK), is a legit ‘activation service that allows organizations to activate systems within their own network’. This system can be abused in order to activate Office 2021 for free, however this is illegal and limits the ability of the user to access certain features that only legitimate copies of Office 2021 can access. Plus, free KMS emulators are potentially dangerous as they require administrator privileges to function, that means free access to any data or PC setting. And if you buy antivirus software, you won’t be able to use it because the KMS emulators also require the deactivation of the antivirus protection. If the downloaded KMS is designed to infect a PC, nothing will stop it.

Ultimately, when you can get such a good deal on this products, it’s just not worth the headache and the potential risks involved, and we strongly encourage you to pick up a legitimate copy,

Activate Office 2021 without Microsoft Account

There is no officially supported way to activate Office 2021 without a Microsoft Account. Every copy of Office must be linked to an individual Microsoft Account in order to register its authenticity. On the plus side, once activated, you can go without needing an internet connection or logging into your Microsoft Account going forward.

Troubleshooting common Office 2021 activation issues

Sometimes, the road to activation can have a few bumps. If you encounter any issues during the Office 2021 activation, we advise that you follow the below steps in order:

1. Double-check your product key for errors. Make sure you have entered the digits/letters correctly, including any dashes.
2. Ensure your internet connection is stable. A disrupted connection may cause a problem in the online activation process.
3. Make sure you’re signed into the right account. It could be that the one you are signed into isn’t the same as the one you used to buy the Office activation key.
4. Check you don’t have multiple copies installed by mistake. The best way to do this is to open the Control Panel then go to Programs and Features and look through the list. Uninstall any duplicate of the application.
5. Restart the Office application or your machine.
6. If all else fails, have a read of the following Troubleshooting guide.

Features Unlocked After Office 2021 Activation

Besides the user interface and visual design uplift across all its software, Office 2021 activation gives you access to the following new features for each of the included applications to enhance your working experience (note: these lists are not exhaustive):

• A world-class Word: Word 2021 has better performance, stability and speed compared to the preceding 2019 iteration. New features include many things imported from Office 365, including co-authoring, smart citations, AI-powered advanced grammar checks, new data analysis tools, dark mode, Line Focus, and support for ODF 1.3 file format.
• Excel‘s enhanced functionalities: This latest version of Excel comes with improved data visualization tools, co-authoring and a shared comments system, new functions like XLOOKUP, XMATCH, LET, and Dynamic arrays, increased calculation speeds, and once again ODF 1.3 file support.
• Powered-up PowerPoint: New features include an improved Record Slide Show function, Replay/Rewind for in strokes, hex color input, improved element arranging, slide linking, and, as with the other applications, improved integrated Microsoft Search, and updated Draw tab, and ODF 1.3 support.
• Outlook‘s optimized offerings: The new iteration brings with it a more organized inbox, more advanced security features, Instant Search, Translator, Ink functions allowing drawing and annotation on emails, hex color input, and improved stock media.
• Visio’s visionary changes: New Azure and AWS stencils and shapes have been added to the diagrams, social distancing planning features, crime scene investigation recreation features, wireframe diagrams for mobile apps, hex color input, improved UML and ERD stencils, and general improvements to performance and stability.
• Access the latest features: Various improvements to the Relationship Window, Query Designer, Linked Table Manager, and SQL View, plus an improved DateTime data type (DateTime2), hex color input, and a reduced number of clicks to add and manage tables.

Office 2021 vs. Office 2019

Microsoft Office 2019 remains a solid productivity package that comes with all the same software applications as the later iteration, however it lacks the latest features pertaining to cloud integration, AI support, collaborative features, and the overall redesign of the user interface. As mentioned, Office 2021 has more advanced co-authoring functionality, better security, and cross-device compatibility and synchronisation, plus comes with full Microsoft Teams integration. If you don’t need all the latest tools but just a reliable, high-performance and functional productivity suite, buying an Office 2019 key can be the cheaper and effective option for you. 

Office 2021 vs. Office 365

Office 365 is a subscription service that requires annual repayments. It does receive regular updates which may be attractive to you, but in a short time it will get much more expensive than a lifetime licence. The Microsoft Office 2021 key is a one-time purchase that (in theory at least) affords you a ‘lifetime licence’ meaning that you never had to renew it with additional payments. The reality is of course that Office 2021 will eventually reach a point where it is no longer compatible with future operating systems (i.e. future versions of Windows), so is unlikely to last your lifetime, though you could still get more than a decade out of it, which would be substantially cheaper than paying regular payments over this same amount of time.

Tips for a Smooth Office 2021 Experience

To make sure your experience with Microsoft Office 2021 goes as smoothly as possible, always remember the following:

• Make sure that your system and operating system are compatible with this version of Microsoft Office. As mentioned above – always check the official system requirements.
• Ensure that your download of the software AND the activation key are both genuine: the best way to ensure this is to make sure you only purchase from reputable vendors and that you steer clear of offers that sound too good to be true (genuine activations are straightforward and don’t require third-party tools).
• Familiarise yourself with how best to set up the various software included within Office 2021, plus how to navigate their interfaces, by either watching or reading online tutorials. There are a great many free resources out there for people with varying degrees of expertise.

Conclusions

Office 2021 remains the most current and relevant software suite for the majority of users, particularly in the world of business, which includes those utilising the Windows operating system but also those operating MacOS. This version of Microsoft Office offers seamless functionality across a range of devices plus all the latest design improvements and connectivity functionality.

You can achieve great savings on this handy bit of kit by purchasing the software from reputable retailers like Mr Key Shop or Keycense, which provide the best deals for Microsoft Office.