Microsoft 365 Apps for Education is now free for all active GCU students! This copy of Microsoft 365 includes products like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel; essential programs for succeeding in your educational goals. Below is a video and a step-by-step walkthrough to help you locate and install the software.
Check for previous versions of Microsoft 365 installed on your device. For help with this, please see Computer Troubleshooting.
Determine the Operating System you will be installing Microsoft 365 on. See below for Microsoft 365 Compatibility.
Be sure to have 15-30 minutes to complete the installation process.
To begin, log into your Microsoft 365 Portal. You can log in at m365.cloud.microsoft with your GCU student email account; the password is the same one used for your Student Portal.
When signing in, make sure to add @my.gcu.edu to the username you use to access your Student Portal.
Once logged in, click Apps in the bottom of the left-hand sidebar.
Then, select Install apps. This brings up a small drop-down menu. Click Microsoft 365 Apps from the menu.
You will then be directed to the Apps & Devices page. To begin installation, click the orange Install Office button. If you don’t see these options, please contact GCU Technical Support so that they can check your Microsoft 365 license.
Once you have downloaded the file, you will need to locate the install file in your Downloads folder and open it.
Once you’ve opened the installer, there will a few introduction steps before the installation begins; simply select Continue and move on to the next section.
On the Licensing dialog-box, you will see a notification asking you to agree to the conditions presented. Select Agree to continue.
After you agree, you will confirm the location for the software before installing. Select Install to begin installing.
Please note: You will need administrator privileges on your computer in order to install Microsoft 365. Your administrator information is the username and password you use to unlock your computer.
After entering your administrator username and password, the installation will begin writing the files.
When the installation is complete, you will receive a message stating that "The installation was successful." Select Close to complete the process.
You may be asked to move the installer to the Trash after you select Close. If so, you can click either Keep or Move to Trash, depending on your preference.
Begin by opening any of the Microsoft 365 apps that have been installed on your device. A message about your privacy will then appear before the app opens. Once you accept that message, the app should open a pop-up window about activating Microsoft 365. You will need to click Already Bought Office? Sign In to activate Microsoft 365.
Here, you will enter your student email address, which is your username followed by @my.gcu.edu. Click Next.
Select the option to sign in with the account provided by your work, school, or university to continue.
Sign in again with your username followed by @my.gcu.edu and enter your GCU password to complete your sign in.
Upon successful login, you can choose a theme to customize how you want your Microsoft 365 to look. Select Continue to begin working in Microsoft 365!
If you encounter issues activating your Microsoft 365, please refer to Activating Microsoft 365 and Switching Accounts for further guidance.
System requirements for Microsoft 365 for Mac can be found here. Generally, Microsoft 365 for Mac is only supported on the three most recent versions of macOS. If you do not have macOS 13.0 or later, you may not be able to install Microsoft 365 using the steps provided above. Fortunately, Microsoft provided an alternative method of downloading the installer for older versions of MacOS. If you have an older version of macOS, please use the steps below to download the Microsoft 365 installer.
- Log in at office.com with your GCU student email account; the password is the same one used for your Student Portal.
When signing in, make sure to add @my.gcu.edu to the username you use to access your Student Portal. - Once logged in, click on Apps.
- Next, select the Install Apps in the upper right-hand corner, and then select Microsoft 365 apps from the drop-down menu to access the My Account page.
- Click Download Office 365 for older versions of MacOS to download the installer.
- Follow the steps under the Installing Microsoft 365 for Mac section of this article for the instruction on how to install it.
If you would like to upgrade your macOS, most Macs can be upgraded to macOS 10.15 or later for free. For more information, refer to Apple’s support article to update the software on your Mac. If you are unable to install the Microsoft 365 programs due to compatibility or other issues, you can still use Microsoft 365 in your web browser. For more information about accessing Microsoft 365 online, see Microsoft Online Programs in the GCU Portal.
If you receive the following error:
Your account (username@my.gcu.edu) does not allow editing on a Mac. To learn more, contact your admin about your Microsoft 365 plan.
Then you might have recently updated your computer’s operating system and the Microsoft license does not recognize that.
To solve this issue, try signing out of your account and signing back in. Also, you may try activating your copy.
- Make sure you are connected to the internet.
- With Word open, click the Home icon on the upper left-hand corner.
- On the pop-up window, click the Activate icon on the lower left-hand corner.
- On the Activate Microsoft 365 to Create and Edit window, click the Sign in link. Afterward, enter your GCU email (e.g., username@my.gcu.edu) and password to activate your copy.
Alternatively, you can try the following steps for Resetting Your Account Credentials:
- Make sure you are connected to the internet.
- With Word open, click Word from the menu bar.
- Select Sign out from the drop-down menu.
- Quit all open Microsoft 365 Apps.
- Open the Keychain Access utility by typing in Keychain into the Spotlight search (in the upper right-hand corner) and selecting Keychain Access from the results.
- Once Keychain Access is open, select the Microsoft 365 Credentials in the list of credentials, select Edit from the menu bar at the top, and then click Delete. If there are multiple credentials, make sure to remove each one.
- Once the old credentials have been removed, you can open Microsoft Word and sign in with your GCU username (including @my.gcu.edu) and password.
For some files downloaded from GCU websites, another Error you might encounter is as follows:
To start troubleshooting this, go to Word in the Menu bar and select Quit Word.
After closing word, locate the downloaded file on your MAC and open it from a Finder window. If the error persists, try the previous error’s steps for resetting your account credentials.
If you receive the following error:
No credentials
The system requires that you sign on to a valid account. The error code is: 0xD000000C
It means that you are trying to sign into Microsoft 365 Enterprise instead of Microsoft 365. Please try uninstalling Microsoft 365 and install it again using the directions here.
The license removal tool helps to remove all current Microsoft 365 licenses that are on your Mac computer. This can be helpful if your has license expired but it won’t clear itself from your computer or allow you to add a new one. After removing the license, you can sign back in to apply a new license.
- To automatically uninstall any Microsoft 365 licenses, navigate to How to remove Microsoft 365 license files on a Mac and click Download the license removal tool.
- Next, open the .pkg file located in your Downloads folder.
- Select Continue to follow the steps in the set-up wizard.
- When completed, select Install. You will then be prompted to enter in your administrator username and password. Once completed, select Close.
- You may now sign into your Microsoft 365 using any Microsoft app with your GCU email address and password.
If you already have Microsoft 365 for Mac installed and select desktop setup, you will be directed to the following page:
This section does not upgrade your Microsoft 365 but installs a Microsoft 365 portal to your computer for easier access to your GCU student email. Select Set up Microsoft 365 for Mac Home and Business to work with Microsoft 365 for more information and directions.
Start by locating and opening the app store on your device.
In the top left-hand search bar, search for the Microsoft app you want to install.
Once you have located the app you want to install select the Get button and then press Install. It will then ask you to put in your computer’s password to begin the installation.
Once it is done installing, select open.
Select your initials in the top left-hand corner of the screen to view your account. When viewing your account, you want to make sure you are signed in with your GCU email address. If you are signed into your personal email, sign-out and then back in with your GCU email. If you are asked to sign in, insert your GCU email and password to get started!