: If you purchased a retail copy, you must enter the 25-character product key at setup.office.com to link it to your account before downloading the installer.
When you purchase a genuine copy of Microsoft Office, you receive a 25-character product key. During installation, the software contacts Microsoft’s activation servers to verify the key. If the key is valid and not already used on too many devices, the software is .
Third-party "cracked" installers are frequently bundled with viruses, Trojans, or scamware .