Forum Discussion
Lost trying to activate Office Professional 2021 on machine Frankensteined from an old one
We had a terrible old PC that was running Office Pro 21 with valid key.~
I was given an nicer PC which was effectively a shell with two blank drives and a better spec.
I placed the C from the old PC into a newer build and did a fresh Windows install and the Old C became a slave drive but was not wiped.
I thought I would be able to install Windows Pro again on the new drive as it was a valid code but it seems not. Perhaps it's for one device only.
The Old C became the E and is still accessible but I can't use and access the Office Suite and activation states that the code has already been used or is invalid.
I don't know how to approach this. The original code was valid, can the code only be used on one device?
I'm not sure how to resolve this. I would really appreciate some advice about how to approach this as the website doesn't really provide the answer.
Please do ask if you have require any more info and thanks in advance for any help.
1 Reply
Your title concerns Office Professional 2021, while the text also mentions Windows Pro. Those are separate products with separate activation rights, so first identify which application or Settings page reports the error.
For Office, a one-time purchase licenses one computer. An eligible Office 2021 license can be transferred to another computer you own under its transfer terms; the old installation alone does not invalidate it. Check your purchase documentation and license terms before assuming transferability.
If “already used” appears while redeeming the Office key, sign in to the Microsoft account originally associated with Office and install from Services & subscriptions. Redeeming that key again is unnecessary. Then activate the new installation; if it reports the activation limit, use Microsoft's telephone activation process and remove the prior copy as required. For a Windows activation error instead, check the installed edition and use the hardware-change Activation troubleshooter where eligible.
