Microsoft

VCU Employees

 

Microsoft Office 365 for personal computers

Microsoft Office 365 is available for free to active VCU employees to use on personally-owned devices via the Microsoft Office 365 portal. The license covers installation of the Microsoft Office 365 desktop and mobile applications on up to five devices running an eligible desktop operating system (Windows or macOS) and up to five eligible mobile devices running Apple iOS and Android, per person. Microsoft Office via the Microsoft Office 365 portal is for personal use only, NOT for departmental purchases. 

Download and Install Microsoft Office 365:

1. Visit https://portal.office.com and sign-in with your VCU eID. If prompted, select the “Work or school account” option. 
2. Once signed-in, look on the right side of the page and click the “Install Office” button. A dropdown menu should appear. Select the “Microsoft Office 365 apps” option and wait for the installer to completely download to your computer.
3. Once downloaded, run the installer on your computer. 
4. After installing, sign-in using your VCU eID email address (Ex. eID@vcu.edu). You may be prompted to select the type of account again. If you are, be sure to select the “Work or school account” option. 

Microsoft Office 2019 and 2021 for VCU computers

Microsoft Office 2019 and 2021 is available free of charge for any VCU-owned computer running a currently-supported version of Windows or macOS. Departments within the university have access to Microsoft Office through their technical support personnel.

Other Microsoft products

Other Microsoft products, such as Visio and Project are not included in the Microsoft Campus Agreement and can be purchased by your department under the Commonwealth of Virginia Microsoft Academic Select Master Agreement. The vendor is eVA authorized for the State of Virginia. For agreement and procurement details, visit the VCU Technology Contracts page.

Microsoft Windows FAQ

These are common questions regarding downloading and installing Windows products from the VCU OnTheHub portal.  This collection will change over time as new issues and questions arise.

• How do I download Windows via the VCU OnTheHub portal?
• How many computers can I install Windows on?
• Where do I access my product key?
• What is an Access Guarantee?
• How many times can I purchase Windows through VCU?
• Can I download and install Windows on my VCU owned office computer or my work-issued laptop?
• I logged on, and I don't see anything to download. Why is that?
• I work at VCU Health Systems. How can I get low-cost Microsoft software for personal use?
• I got the email about my download, but there was no product key in it!
• I am trying to install Windows, but my key doesn’t work.
• I did not enter my key when I first installed Windows. How do I enter it afterward to activate?
• I had a key, and I don’t know where it is. I need to reinstall Windows. What should I do?
• Where can I find information about upgrading Windows on my personally-owned device?
• I want a Windows installation disc. Where can I find one?
• I need to download the Windows installer again, but it won’t add it to my cart and indicates that I can have only one copy. What do I do?

How do I download Windows via the VCU OnTheHub portal? 

Students may download Windows by navigating to https://vcu.onthehub.com and signing in with your VCU eID. You can view all available products for download and select the products you wish to download there. 

How many computers can I install Windows on? 

You can only upgrade/install and activate Microsoft Windows on one computer.

Where do I access my product key? 

Your product key is displayed on the VCU OnTheHub web page in red after checkout. We recommend that you copy/paste the product key and email it to yourself. If your access guarantee is still valid, once you click the link, you see the key shown in RED. The key will be visible in your account based on what access guarantee you obtained upon purchase.

By default, the key will be on the VCU OnTheHub site in your account information for 30 days. You will see information about this 30-day expiration in your email receipt and on the web site. It’s only referring to the key being visible in your account information, not about Windows or Office products expiring.

If you want your product key to be visible in your account information online longer than 30 days, you can purchase an extended access guarantee for a $4.95 fee. This purchase keeps your key visible for up to 24 months.

What is an Access Guarantee? 

If you want your product key to be visible in your account information online longer than 30 days, you can purchase an extended access guarantee for a $4.95 fee. This purchase keeps your key visible for up to 24 months.

If your initial 30 days have elapsed, and you did not purchase the additional 24-month access guarantee at purchase, you will need to pay a fee of $11.95 to gain access back to your product key online. Be aware that this $11.95 fee only covers access back to your product key for 60 days.

The access guarantee is intended to be a convenience. We recommend that you purchase an extended access guarantee during your first 30 days of obtaining the product, or save a copy of your product key when first purchased.

How many times can I purchase Windows through VCU? 

Microsoft Windows is available as an upgrade-only offering for VCU students and is downloadable through https://vcu.onthehub.com. To download and upgrade/install Microsoft Windows on your device, you will need to follow the procedure outlined here: https://go.vcu.edu/

Can I download and install Windows on my VCU owned office computer or my work-issued laptop? 

VCU has a different way of licensing Windows on VCU-owned computers. The software products available on the VCU OnTheHub portal are ONLY for VCU students, and only for use with personally-owned devices.  If you need Office or Windows on a VCU-owned computer, please contact your department’s technical support, or contact the VCU IT Support Center.

I logged on, and I don't see anything to download. Why is that? 

If you don't see anything to download once logging into the VCU OnTheHub portal, this means that your current affiliation makes you ineligible to use the program. Only VCU students are eligible for offerings available through the VCU OnTheHub portal. VCU Hospital employees have a separate Microsoft H.U.P (Home Use Program). You can find out more information about this program by contacting the Hospital Information Systems Service Desk at 804-828-6447.

I work at VCU Health Systems. How can I get low-cost Microsoft software for personal use? 

Hospital employees are not licensed to access Microsoft Windows through VCU at OnTheHub. If you are interested in obtaining Windows for personal use, you can find out more information about the Microsoft H.U.P. (Home Use Program) coordinated by the Hospital Information Systems Service Desk at 804-828-6447.

I got the email about my download, but there was no product key in it! 

The product key is not emailed to you in your email receipt. Follow the VCU OnTheHub portal link to it in your confirmation email.

Your product key is displayed on the VCU OnTheHub web page in red after checkout. We recommended that you write this key down somewhere, or save it in a file for safekeeping. If your access guarantee is still valid, once you click the link, you see the key shown in RED.  The key will be visible in your account based on what access guarantee you obtained upon purchase. Just getting the download alone gives you a 30-day access guarantee.  If you want access to this key for longer than 30 days, you can purchase a more extended guarantee period during checkout.

I am trying to install Windows, but my key doesn’t work. 

The key is an upgrade key, not an installation key.  This affects how and when you use the key.

If you install Windows to an eligible virtual machine, using macOS Bootcamp with an Intel Mac, or to a bare hard drive (and are not directly upgrading Windows), do not enter your key during the installation process. Use your key to activate the product after installation is complete, and you have your network adapter installed and an active network connection. Detailed information on activating Windows 10 and Windows 11 can be found here.

I did not enter my key when I first installed Windows. How do I enter it afterward to activate? 

Click the Start button. Type Activate. The top search item, “Activation System Settings” will appear.  Select this to see if your copy of Windows is activated. If not, enter your product key there.

I had a key, and I don’t know where it is. I need to reinstall Windows. What should I do? 

If your access guarantee is still active, you can re-download by logging back on and selecting your account information from the VCU OnTheHub portal.  You’ll see the list of items you have ordered.  If your access guarantee is still active, you can click “view details” on the item you wish to download to reveal the download button.

If your access guarantee has expired, you can renew and gain access back to your key for 60 days for an $11.95 fee. We recommend that you purchase an extended access guarantee during your first 30 days of obtaining the product, or you save a copy of your product key when first purchasing the product. This practice will avoid your having to pay a fee to gain access to it in the future.

Where can I find information about upgrading Windows on my personally-owned device? 

Click here for information about upgrading to Windows 11 using a product key obtained from the VCU OnTheHub portal. This link is provided as a courtesy to customers who are upgrading their personal copy of Windows on their personally-owned computer. Be advised that a successful upgrade of an operating system can be involved and requires experience and skill. You should always back up your data before performing any operating system upgrades. 

IMPORTANT – Customers assume full responsibility for a Windows upgrade regarding data loss and operational issues. VCU is not responsible for any data loss or operational issues incurred when a customer upgrades their operating system on their personal owned computer.

If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 and do not want to do it yourself, go to https://itsupport.vcu.edu and submit a Computing Support > Student Services request.

I want a Windows installation disc. Where can I find one? 

VCU does not directly offer Windows installation discs or other physical installation media. Microsoft Windows products available to students via the VCU OnTheHub portal are considered download only, and no installation discs are made available. See the next FAQ for accessing downloadable installation media. 

I need to download the Windows installer again, but it won’t add it to my cart and indicates that I can have only one copy. What do I do? 

VCU students are only eligible to receive one upgrade-only product key license of the Microsoft Windows 10 OR Windows 11, not both. If you previously claimed an upgrade-only product key license for Windows 10 you may not be eligible to also upgrade directly to Windows 11 through VCU. 

To download Windows 10 or Windows 11 installation media in the form of an installation assist, bootable ISO file, or other installation media, please look here: https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/

­­Do you have any further questions?

Contact the VCU IT Support Center for further assistance.

Microsoft Office FAQ

These are common questions regarding Microsoft Office at VCU.  This collection will change over time as new issues and questions arise.

• How can I access the Microsoft Office 365 portal to download Office?
• Why won’t it let me log in?
• Why don’t I see all of the Microsoft Office 365 apps online?
• How many computers and devices can I use Microsoft Office 365 on?
• Can I keep using Microsoft Office 365 after leaving VCU?
• It is prompting me to sign in to activate my version of Office. What login do I use to activate?
• I need to re-install my version of Microsoft Office 365. What should I do?
• Can I download and install Microsoft Office 365 on my VCU owned computer or device?
• I don’t want Office 365 and I prefer to use Office 2019 or Office 2021. Where can I download it so I can install it on my personally-owned computer?
• I am a faculty or staff member, and I have a VCU Health Systems email account (hospitaluserID@vcuhealth.org), is this the same as my VCU Microsoft Office 365 account?
• I work at VCU Health Systems and am a hospital affiliate. Can I access the VCU instance of Microsoft Office 365?
• What can I do if my computer does not support downloading Microsoft Office?

 

How can I access the Microsoft Office 365 portal to download Office?

Log on to the portal by navigating to https://portal.office.com/ and log in with your VCU credentials. Once signed in, you can download Office for your specific device. 

• If you are logging in from off-campus, you will need to enter your VCU email address to be redirected to the VCU sign-on, where you can sign in with your VCU eID and password.
• If you are logging on from an on-campus location, you will automatically be prompted to sign in with your eID and password (and bypass the redirect referenced above):

When you sign in to the Microsoft Office 365 portal, you have the option to download Office 365 by clicking the link in the top right-hand corner of the page.

Why won’t it let me log in?

Access to the Microsoft Office 365 online portal is only available to VCU faculty, staff, and students who have a current VCU affiliation. If you have a former affiliation, you will not be able to access the online portal. Login issues can sometimes be resolved by resetting the password at https://myeid.vcu.edu.

Why don’t I see all of the Microsoft Office 365 apps online?  

Access to Microsoft Office 365 online applications and OneDrive storage depends on your affiliation with the university. Students* have 1TB of OneDrive space allocated to them, along with access to all of the Microsoft Office web applications. Employees do not have any access to OneDrive or the Microsoft Office web apps due to VCU Information Security requirements. If your affiliation changes to “employee” at any time, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to backup your data from OneDrive, and you’ll have 30 days before access to OneDrive is removed.

*NOTE: School of Medicine and School of Dentistry students are also excluded from OneDrive access.

How many computers and devices can I use Microsoft Office 365 on?

You can activate and install the Microsoft Office application on up to 5 operating systems per person on Windows and Apple computers,  as well as up to 5 mobile devices. avigate to the Microsoft Office 365 portal to sign in and download a new copy of Office 365 for your device. If you use up all 5 of your licenses at once, you will not be able to download any more instances of Office until you sign out of at least once licensed device.

Can I keep using Microsoft Office 365 after leaving VCU?

After you leave VCU your license is no longer valid, and you must uninstall the product on all of your devices. This includes access to OneDrive data and Microsoft Office web apps. Therefore data must be backed up before leaving VCU. The steps to backup your data can be found here.

It is prompting me to sign in to activate my version of Office. What login do I use to activate?

If you are being prompted to sign in to activate your copy of Office that you downloaded through VCU, please sign in with your VCU email address and your current eID password. By default, all current VCU users have a valid Microsoft Office 365 account through VCU’s Microsoft Office 365 license agreement. Your VCU email address should be entered in this format: your eID@vcu.edu.

I need to re-install my version of Microsoft Office 365. What should I do?

You can activate and install Office on up to 5 different computers or devices, including downloads for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. Navigate to the Microsoft Office 365 portal to sign in and download a new copy of Office for your device. If you use up all 5 of your licenses at once, you will not be able to download any more instances of Office until you sign out of at least once licensed device.

Can I download and install Microsoft Office 365 on my VCU owned computer or device?

Microsoft Office is available for download on VCU Windows and Apple devices via the Software Center or Self Service applications installed on your computer. Contact your department’s IT support personnel for more information.

I don’t want Office 365 and I prefer to use Office 2019 or Office 2021. Where can I download it so I can install it on my personally-owned computer?

Office 2019 and Office 2021 are not available for download on personally-owned devices from VCU. These versions of Microsoft Office are only provided and available for use on VCU-owned computers under a volume-license agreement. If you would like to purchase a retail copy of Office 2019 or Office 2021, visit Barnes & Noble’s software partner thinkEDU.

I am a faculty or staff member, and I have a VCU Health Systems email account (hospitaluserID@vcuhealth.org), is this the same as my VCU Microsoft Office 365 account?

The VCU Health Microsoft Office 365 mail system is entirely separate from VCU’s tenant on the Microsoft Office 365 portal. If you are an employee or faculty member with a VCU Health System email address (hospitaluserID@vcuhealth.org), this account is entirely separate, and you have access to your Microsoft Office 365 account and all affiliated applications separately through this Health Systems account.

I work at VCU Health Systems and am a hospital affiliate. Can I access the VCU instance of Microsoft Office 365?

Hospital employees are not licensed to access the Microsoft Office 365 portal with a VCU email address. If you are interested in obtaining Office for personal use, you can find out more information about the Microsoft H.U.P. (Home Use Program) coordinated by the Hospital Information Systems Service Desk at 804-828-6447.

What can I do if my computer does not support downloading Microsoft Office?

If you are a student*, you can access Microsoft Office 365 online using a web browser at https://portal.office.com.

*NOTE: School of Medicine and School of Dentistry students are excluded from online access.

Do you have any further questions?

Contact the VCU IT Support Center for further assistance.

Microsoft Training

There are a variety of online tutorials available through Microsoft and Linkedin Learning. If you have any issues signing into Linkedin Learning, please contact the VCU IT Support Center. 

• Microsoft Training/Help
• Microsoft Office 365 Quick Starts
• Linkedin Learning - Search for "Microsoft"