install office 2019, remove 365/2024 subscription MacBook Pro catalina (2012)

Hello David Johnson,

You’re on the right track — on a 2012 MacBook Pro running macOS Catalina 10.15.x, the key is to (1) install the correct Office apps (not Mac App Store builds) and (2) make sure the apps are using your Office 2019 one‑time license, not the Microsoft 365 subscription license.

1. Do you have to cancel/deactivate Microsoft 365 to install Office 2019?

No, having a Microsoft 365 subscription showing on your account does not block you from installing/using a one‑time purchase license like Office 2019. What matters is which license the installed apps pick up when you open them. If the apps are still seeing the wrong license (or an App Store build), they can drop into “reduced functionality” (can’t save/print/edit).

Important: You cannot keep two different Office versions installed side‑by‑side on the same Mac. So, the Mac should have one set of Office apps installed, then you “switch” which license they use by signing in and/or removing old license files.

2. Install Office 2019 (the correct way on Mac)

Follow this exact sequence:

Uninstall any remaining Office apps (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook/OneNote) from Finder > Applications and move them to Trash, then restart the Mac.

Do NOT install Office from the Mac App Store for a one‑time purchase license — those App Store Office apps require a Microsoft 365 subscription and aren’t compatible with Office 2019 licenses.

From your Microsoft account, use the install option for Office 2019 (the drop‑down you’re seeing) and download the installer package.

Open Finder > Downloads and double‑click the Office installer .pkg.

In the installer, select Continue > Agree > Install, and enter your Mac login password if prompted.

When installation finishes, click Close.

3. Make Office use the Office 2019 license (fixes “can’t save/print”)

After installing, you must start activation correctly:

Open Word (or Excel) from Launchpad.

When the “Get Started” / activation prompt appears, sign in with the same Microsoft account that your Office 2019 license is attached to (you already added the 2019 license number, which is good).

If it still behaves like it’s on the wrong license (still can’t save/print/edit), run the Office License Removal Tool to clear old license files, then open Word again and sign in to activate the correct license.

4. “Standalone / not connected to Microsoft online” — what’s realistically possible

With Office 2019, your documents can be fully local (saved to your Mac) and you don’t have to store files in OneDrive.

But on Mac, activation for these consumer installs is tied to the Microsoft account that redeemed the license — so you typically do need to sign in at least once to activate. (After that, you can work on local files.

5. Why your account still shows “Microsoft 365 expires 3/3/2027”

Seeing that date usually just means the subscription is still present on your account until its end date (even if recurring billing is off). You don’t have to remove it just to install Office 2019 — you just need the Mac apps to activate against the Office 2019 license. (If the apps keep picking the subscription license, use the License Removal Tool step above.)

Reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/microsoft-office-activation-and-the-mac-app-store-a699bd24-a8f1-4f40-9d19-9b6b6034ec51

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/download-and-install-or-reinstall-office-2021-office-2019-or-office-2016-7c695b06-6d1a-4917-809c-98ce43f86479

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/end-of-support-for-office-2019-for-mac-f2cbba0a-0773-4b2c-b417-b20b5bb2c757

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-remove-office-license-files-on-a-mac-b032c0f6-a431-4dad-83a9-6b727c03b193

I hope this will help with your situation. Please feel free to reach back if you have further update or more questions.

Best Regards,

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No further action on the Microsoft 365/2024 subscription is required in order to install and use Office 2019 for Mac on Catalina. The subscription status in the Microsoft account does not block installation or activation of a separate Office 2019 perpetual (one‑time purchase) license.

To get Office 2019 for Mac running as a stand‑alone suite on macOS Catalina:

1. Make sure Microsoft 365 apps are removed
   • Microsoft 365 for Mac has already been uninstalled, which is sufficient. If any Office apps remain in Applications, they can be moved to Trash as described in the Mac removal steps.
2. Remove any old Office 2019/365 license remnants (recommended)
   • Run the Office for Mac License Removal Tool so that only the new Office 2019 license is used:
     1. Download and run the License Removal Tool.
     2. Follow the prompts to remove existing Office licenses from the Mac.
3. Install Office 2019 for Mac
   • Use the Office 2019 installer that works with perpetual licenses:
     • Download the Office 2019 for Mac installer package:
       • Office 2019 for Mac Installer
     • Open the downloaded package and complete the installation wizard.
   • Alternatively, individual apps can be downloaded if needed (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) using the Office 2019 direct download links.
4. Activate Office 2019 with the one‑time license
   • After installation:
     1. Open any Office app (for example, Word).
     2. When prompted to sign in, use the Microsoft account where the Office 2019 product key was redeemed.
     3. The app will activate against the Office 2019 perpetual license associated with that account.
   • This activation step uses the Microsoft account once to validate the license. After activation, the apps run locally as a stand‑alone suite; ongoing use does not require being constantly connected or signed in, except for occasional license checks or if reinstallation is needed.
5. Update Office 2019 to the latest supported build
   • In any Office app, go to Help > Check for Updates and install available updates so Office 2019 is fully patched on Catalina.

The Microsoft 365/2024 subscription can remain in the Microsoft account (even if set to expire later); it does not prevent installing or using Office 2019. The key steps are: remove old licenses with the License Removal Tool, install Office 2019 using the correct installer, and sign in once with the Microsoft account that holds the Office 2019 license.

References:

• End of support for Office 2019 for Mac
• Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store