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How do I become admin on my own account (MacOS)

Gaby Naher 0 Reputation points
2025-08-21T06:45:32.9166667+00:00

I am the sole user of this account. I don't know how to access my admin rights so I can enable editing and saving rights for my documents on another device.

Moderator note: thread updated with operating system (MacOS)

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS
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  1. Stefan Blom 309.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2025-08-21T07:12:09.4666667+00:00

    Which type of device is causing trouble? Another PC or Mac? A mobile device?

    Which specific error messages do you see when trying to edit your files?

    Usually, on a PC (or Mac), you should be able to save your files to the system Documents folder without problems.

  2. Gaby Naher 0 Reputation points
    2025-08-21T07:47:23.5266667+00:00

    How do I access my rights as admin? I own the account, I pay for it and I'm the only user.

  3. Stefan Blom 309.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2025-08-23T20:03:07.4633333+00:00

    My subscription renewed on July 25th and is active under the same login in information on my MacBookAir

    So the subscription is working on one computer but not the other one? Are both Macs running the same version of Office and the same version of MacOS?

  4. Zoevi-V 880 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-08-25T03:46:52.4533333+00:00

    Hi Gaby,

    I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing trouble with your Office suite on your iMac and I'd be happy to help you resolve the issue. Here are a few steps you can try to get things working again:

    1. Sign Out and Back In Open any Office app (like Word), go to the top menu bar, and choose Word > Sign Out. Then sign back in using the same account tied to your active subscription.
    2. Check License Activation Visit https://account.microsoft.com/services and confirm that your Microsoft 365 subscription is listed and active under your account.
    3. Compare App Versions Your iMac is running version 16.78, while your MacBook Air is on 16.100.1. Try updating Office on your iMac to match the latest version:
      • Open any Office app
      • Go to Help > Check for Updates
    4. Reinstall Office If the issue persists, uninstall Office from your iMac and reinstall it from your Microsoft account page. This can help reset the licensing helper and ensure proper activation.
    5. Admin Rights Check Since you're the sole user, you should have admin rights. To confirm:
      • Go to System Settings > Users & Groups
      • Make sure your account is listed as an administrator
      I hope this helps you get the thing sorted out quickly! Looking forward to your updates.

    If you found this answer helpful, please click 'Accept Answer' and consider giving it an upvote to help others facing the same issue. Your support is greatly appreciated by the Community.

  5. Stefan Blom 309.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2025-08-25T10:36:20.5866667+00:00

    Hi, as one is a desktop and one is a laptop they are not the same operating systems. The desktop (the one that won't activate) is Microsoft version 16.78, and the (activated) laptop is on Version 16.100.1. Both are listed has 'belonging to' my email address.

    Which version of MacOS is on the computer where Office won't activate?

    Older versions of MacOS won't be able to run the most recent version of Microsoft Office.

    For more, see https://www.brandwares.com/bestpractices/2023/03/most-recent-office-you-can-run-best-practices/ .

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