Receiving the “Your account doesn’t allow editing on a Mac” error message while using Microsoft Office 365 on your Mac can be frustrating. This comprehensive guide will explore the potential causes of this error, provide detailed solutions to resolve it, and explain how to reset Office 365 to its default state without third-party tools.
Causes of the “Your Account Doesn’t Allow Editing on a Mac” Error
- Unrecognized Office 365 License: Microsoft may not recognize your Office 365 license, leading to restricted editing capabilities.
- Corrupt or Misconfigured Files in Your Mac’s Library Folder: This error can also be triggered by corrupt or misconfigured files within your Mac’s Library folder.
How to Fix the “Your Account Doesn’t Allow Editing on a Mac” Error
1. Verify Your Office 365 License:
- Open a web browser and go to portal.office.com.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Access your account settings by clicking on “My Account.”
- In the “Subscriptions” panel, check if your Office 365 subscription is listed. If it appears, your license is recognized. If not, ensure that you are signed in with the correct account.
2. Remove Corrupt Files from Your Mac’s Library Folder
- If verifying your license doesn’t resolve the issue, proceed to remove specific files that may be causing the problem. Here’s how to do it without third-party software:
- Open each Office application installed on your Mac (e.g., Word), click on the application name in the menu bar, and choose “Sign Out.” After signing out, quit the application.
- Launch Finder and click on the “Go” menu. Select “Go to Folder.”
- In the box that appears, type ~/Library and click “Go.”
- Within the Library folder, locate the following three files/folders and drag them to the Trash:
- UBF8T346G9.ms
- UBF8T346G9.Office
- UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost
- Empty the Trash to permanently delete these files.
- Open an Office application to check if the error message is resolved, allowing you to edit documents without any hindrance.
Resetting Office 365 to Default State
If the above solutions do not resolve the issue and you prefer not to use third-party software for resetting, follow these steps to reset Office 365 to its default state:
- Open any Office application (e.g., Word) on your Mac.
- Click on the “Help” menu in the top bar and select “Check for Updates.”
- Download and install any available updates for Office 365.
- After updating, restart your Mac.
- Launch an Office application and check if you can now edit documents without encountering the error.
Conclusion
The “Your account doesn’t allow editing on a Mac” error in Microsoft Office 365 can disrupt your work. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can troubleshoot the issue effectively. Begin by verifying your Office 365 license, and if needed, proceed to remove potentially corrupt files in your Mac’s Library folder. You can also reset Office 365 to its default state without third-party tools by simply updating the application. With these steps, you can regain the ability to edit documents on your Mac and continue using Office 365 without interruptions.
