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Fix Word for Mac Stuck Signing In to Expired University Account
Question details
Word for Mac is stuck in an authentication loop, defaulting to an expired university account and failing to recognize a valid personal Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Product
- Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Activating Word for Mac using a personal Microsoft 365 subscription after a university account has expired.
- Observed behavior
- The application repeatedly signs into the expired university account, displays a license error, and loops continuously between 'Use Another Account' and 'Looking for licenses'.
Ensure you have the login credentials (email and password) for your active personal Microsoft 365 subscription ready, and save any open documents before proceeding.
Use the Official Microsoft License Removal Tool
Use this official tool to scrub outdated or expired Microsoft Office licenses from your Mac, allowing you to sign in with your new credentials.
Microsoft provides a dedicated tool to completely remove Office license files on a Mac. This is the most effective first step to break the authentication loop.
Go to the official Microsoft Support website and download the Office license removal tool for Mac.
Open the downloaded .pkg file and follow the on-screen prompts to install and run the utility.
Once the tool finishes removing the licenses, click 'Close' and immediately restart your Mac.
Open Word, select 'Get Started', and sign in using your active personal Microsoft 365 account credentials.
Clear Microsoft Credentials from macOS Keychain
If the license removal tool does not work and your university account is still showing up in Connected Services, manually delete the cached credentials from Keychain Access.
Try WPS Office for Mac – Avoid Complicated License Loops
If you are tired of dealing with Microsoft 365 license errors, keychain conflicts, and account authentication loops on your Mac, switch to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without the subscription headaches.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the WPS Office website and download the free macOS version.
- 2. Install the Application: Open the downloaded installer and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Word documents without dealing with activation loops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Word for Mac keep defaulting to my old university account?
Word for Mac caches account credentials and licensing tokens locally in the macOS Keychain. Even if a subscription expires, these cached files can force the application to continuously attempt to authenticate the old account.
Will removing Microsoft Office license files delete my documents?
No. The Microsoft license removal tool only deletes hidden activation files. Your personal documents, templates, and the Office applications themselves remain completely untouched.
How do I remove an expired account from Connected Services in Word?
To remove a connected service, open Word, go to the 'Word' menu, and select 'Sign Out'. Then, use Keychain Access to delete any cached Microsoft or ADAL credentials before signing back in with your active account.
What should I do if the license removal tool doesn't work?
If the automated tool fails, you must manually clear your credentials by opening Keychain Access on your Mac, searching for 'Microsoft Office' and 'Exchange', and deleting those entries before restarting your Mac.
