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What's going on with my Microsoft account?

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Just gone to open a regularly used spreadsheet and it looks like all our Word/Excel docs can't be opened - the old version of Office we had on the PC seems to have vanished.

Trying to get back into it I'm being asked to verify my email to get a code for something, which is ringing alarm bells - can anyone explain to a Luddite what is going on and if it is legit please


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 7:49 pm
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What version of Office was it? Has your subscription expired? Do you sign into the PC with a Microsoft account? Has your account simply been signed out and the verification is your 2fa kicking in? Screenshots would probably help a lot…


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:00 pm
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Haven't a clue which Office it was but it will be old so very possibly expired - we do sign in with a Microsoft account though


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:02 pm
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Like Office 2007 old or Office 2013 old or just an old O365 subscription?

if you go to settings (control panel) and open add/remove programs, is there a version of Office in there? Do all your files still have a Word/Excel etc icon?

Edit - what version of Windows?


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:08 pm
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Without access to the machine in question it's hard to say what the issue is but it also seems pertinent to ask:

- What version of Windows are you using?
- How many 'Administrator' accounts are used on the device?


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:09 pm
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I seem to have "Apps" now rather than programmes, there seems to be an Office one there which is the one asking me for verification.

The Word and Excel files have lost their icons


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:15 pm
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Try the verification then but only if it gives you part of the email address and asks you for the rest and it’s an email account that you have access to…


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:20 pm
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Sounds right then - thank you!


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:22 pm
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Also, try opening the program itself rather than opening a file.  It's always possible that something has messed with the file associations to trick you into giving up a password :(.  This sort of thing doesn't normally happen without some sort of warning


 
Posted : 04/06/2022 8:50 pm
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So, further buggering about - we seem to have lost Microsoft Office from the desktop, and there seems to be an online Office account under an Outlook email address for my wife that she doesn't recall setting up but does seem to work on her commonly used password.

I can't open up a spreadsheet on the PC directly from the external hard drive it's on, but the online Office/OneDrive account seems to be able to open it, let me amend it and save it in OneDrive, but won't let me save the amended file back to the hard drive.

How big a patio for my other half and Microsoft and it's bastard OneDrive bollocks?


 
Posted : 05/06/2022 3:04 pm
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Sounds like you are using the browser/online only version of Office which will explain why double clicking the file won’t open it. That doesn’t explain what happened to your original version of Office. Are you 100% sure it’s not installed still and that the file associations aren’t goosed as mentioned above? (File association is the sort of index that Windows uses to tell it what program to use to open a particular file and can be modified to force a particular file type to use a particular program).

Firstly what version of Windows are you using?

Secondly, have you looked in Add/Remove Programs to see if Office has actually gone?

Thirdly, your wife’s subscription might give you the option to install Office - login to office.com and see if there is a button that says install software or similar (can’t remember what it says but it only shows if you are licenced for any Office software.)

Other than that it’s very difficult to fix without being in front of the machine.


 
Posted : 05/06/2022 4:08 pm
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Will have a play with it again after I've done the roast - if all else fails, tech support is back from university in a week or so! 🤣


 
Posted : 05/06/2022 4:17 pm
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👍


 
Posted : 05/06/2022 4:30 pm
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commonly used password

Ask your tech support about a password manager while you’re there.


 
Posted : 05/06/2022 4:36 pm
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Sounds like you were using an older version of Office, newer version really really want you to log into your microsoft account.  Office 365 requires it, your Mrs may have signed up to a free trial as they were giving away 6-12 months free for a while there, don't know if they still are. Office 365 will work both in the browser and with downloaded Office apps, if you don't have them then you'll need to go to the Office site and download the current version of Office365 as a 365 subscription will only work with the latest version of Office, there is no legacy support. (not 100% sure of that but close).

Will have a play with it again after I’ve done the roast – if all else fails, tech support is back from university in a week or so! 🤣

You are aware that Office 365 or not, if your 'tech support' is your progeny then you can get free/discounted Office as they are a full-time student. The educational license has a fair-use policy that allows family members to use it.  Only while they are in full-time education though, so you are back to square one once they go into the real world.!


 
Posted : 05/06/2022 4:36 pm
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Ask your tech support about a password manager while you’re there.

🤣

I'd forgotten the student deal for O365, will see what he's using at uni


 
Posted : 05/06/2022 6:00 pm

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