The policy of the University of Iceland is to implement Microsoft 365 for all University users, and thus simplify collaboration and work for everyone.
The Microsoft 365 (Office) package includes Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams, Planner, Access and Publisher. Additional software is available as standalone, web apps or extensions through the Microsoft 365 environment.
Set up
The software can be active on 5 computers, 5 tablets and 5 smartphones.
Here are instructions on how to set up the software for Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS (iPhone & iPad).
- Open office.hi.is in a browser and sign in if asked with your university email address (username@hi.is).
- Click on "Install and more" and then click on "Install Microsoft 365 apps":
- Now click on "Install Office" to start the download.
- Now you only need to install the app and sign in.
The download file should appear under downloads if it isn't visible in the browser.
Microsoft offers numerous applications through the respective app stores. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneDrive are all built into the Microsoft 365 app which we show here how to download.
- Search for "Microsoft 365" on the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS), click on "Install" or "Get"
- Once the installation has finished launch the app and sign in with your university email (username@hi.is) to activate it.
Other Microsoft apps are also available to download:
- Excel:
- OneDrive:
- OneNote:
- Outlook:
- Planner:
- PowerPoint:
- Teams:
- To Do:
- Word:
Web version of Microsoft 365
The web version of Microsft 365 is great for computers that dont support the software for example ChromOS and Linux. These online versions are quite powerful, so that users probably do not notice much difference to the desktop versions.
The web apps can be found through office.hi.is on the left menu.
Common issues
Here we go over the common issues that users might run into and the solutions.
The issue is often related to old licences on the computer:
- Windows: Open Word e.g. Click on "File" and then click on "Accounts". Here you will see which account is registered for the Microsoft 365 licence.
- MacOS: Open word and on the first screen check if there is an "Activate" button in the bottom left corner, if not or if it does not work then try the licence removal tool to fix the issue. It will remove every M365 licence it can find and after its done you will just need to sign into the app with your university email.
If you can not edit any document then you have most likely graduated. You can check your status in Ugla through "My courses".
- If you are a student but registered as graduated then contact the Student registration or your department.
- Employees should not use their student accounts for work, instead they should get a new account from their departments.
- Those that graduate are only able to use the web versions of the Microsoft 365 software (except for teams).
The Center for Writing offers writing support for all students, faculty and staff at the University of Iceland in both Icelandic and English.
Microsoft 365 is only supported on the last 3 major releases of macOS and on Windows 10 and up. You can try the following to set up Microsoft 365 on an older computer:
- Update the OS:
- MacOS: We recommend upgrading the OS to the minimum version that is required by Microsoft. Microsoft 365 is supported on Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15 when this was written.
- Windows: Check if the computer is compatible with a newer versions of Windows. Windows 10 will no longer be supported as of October 14 2025.
- It is also possible to get older versions of Microsoft 365 for MacOS. Unfortunately it is not possible for Windows.
Here are the last supported versions of the Microsoft 365 software for each MacOS version:
You can otherwise use the Web version of Microsoft 365. These web versions are quite powerful, so users might not notice much difference to the desktop versions.
It is also possible to use Microsoft 365 in the computer labs.
This error occurs because of conflicts with other work/school accounts that are connected to the computer. Here we show how the error is fixed on Windows 10 and 11.
Windows 10:
- Open the start menu. Search for and select "Access work or school":
- Here you select all of the work and school accounts and click on "Disconnect":
- The error should now disappear.
Windows 11:
- Open "Settings". Select "Accounts" and then click on "Access work or school":
- Here you select all of the work and school accounts and click on "Disconnect":
- The error should now disappear.
Further information and assistance
IT Help Desk University Centre (Háskólatorg)
Mon-Thu 08:30-16:00
Fri 08:30-15:00
help@hi.is
525-4222