Forum Discussion
MS Office showing as "Unlicensed" after Windows 11 Update
Hello everyone.
My sister's laptop got done with the Windows 11 update a few days ago. The laptop came with a factory install of Windows 10 and MS Office Home & Student 2019. After the update for Windows 11, all of the Office apps have had some features disabled and they're reflecting as being "unlicensed". When we tried to troubleshoot the same by going to the activation page, it says that this Microsoft account already has an install reflecting against the account, and that we should transfer the license. However, it's not allowing us to do this activity. Please help!
30 Replies
- After upgrading PC to Win 11 from Win 10 via Windows Update, Office 2019 Home and Business asked for activation again, but would throw up an error saying the key was already in use. After searching, I see many people having this problem with the Office Suites installed by iso or the installer. Repairing will not work, activating by phone will not work either. Skip all the regedits and all the other stuff you find and do this:
Completely uninstall your Office suite.
Then go to this site and log in with your Microsoft credentials that you were using the suite with before: https://account.microsoft.com/
Then go to this site and enter your activation key: https://account.microsoft.com/billing/redeem
Download and reinstall=profit!https://www.elevenforum.com/t/after-windows-11-upgrade-office-suite-activation-issues.14375/ For this case, would suggest having a fresh reinstallation
- Hi did you manage to solve the problem? I bought my laptop in 2019 with genuine Windows 10 installed with Office 2016 which has a product key. In 2020 October Windows update offered a free update to Windows 11 from of course Microsoft. I also updated it and got Windows 11 installed. All went well until January 2023 during one of the Windows regular updates completed, my Office 2016 went missing and all my Excel, Word, and PowerPoint documents can't be opened anymore. The respective icons turned into the Viewer icon. I tried to reinstall my Office 2016 with the product key and it says no longer supported, After searching through Microsoft's office.com and Google came to know that mainstream support of Office 2016 ended on 13 October 2020. Basically, Microsoft wants us to purchase Microsoft 365 with an annual fee as you can't even find Office 2016, etc. in the Microsoft store. Probably have to purchase from retailers to install Office 2016 or 2020 etc. But sooner or later I think they will terminate all Office apps and only install Microsoft 365. Very sad how they are making money by forcing us and bullying us by removing genuinely installed Office apps and then giving you the run around to finally either install new Office or purchase Microsoft 365!!!!
Arunkumar2811 No sorry still unable to get clear " not genuine office". I am still using office suite, it a bit annoying. What more more annoying is that i am getting updates! for the office suite.
Arunkumar2811 I still do NOT have Microsoft Office working on my computer, and I have found everything I need for free on Google Drive. Even if you have to pay a small annual subscription for the storage fees, it is nowhere near the annual fees for O365, and you have the ability to access any document anytime from anywhere - or share it across platforms with ease. I have always been impressed with Microsoft, but over the past 5-10 years, their pricing and support models leave something to be desired, and is not something I would like to invest in personally. Good luck to you!
mridulpillay I was able to resolve mine. Go to office.com and sign in using your Microsoft account and re-install your purchased product.
- We also had this issue and the solution for it was to
Run regedit
Go to HKey-Users\s-1-5-20
Right click and choose permissions
Click add and enter “Network Service”
Give Network Service Full control
In the end the issue was that after upgrade windows would loose ability to run activation check with Network service account for some reason.
Applying registry permissions is fixing it- THANK YOU!! I downloaded the update on my computer and my school district wasn't ready to roll it out yet. Now you can't update to Windows 11 anymore, but mine is now perfect all by following your directions! THANK YOU!!!
- My windows 11 in regedit, is unable to locate this file Hkey-Users\s-1-5-20 ???
go to run and then put in regedit. Then you will see it under the list.
Then find it and do the rest!
- I'm afraid this didn't work for me. Still shows the error that Office Pro Plus 2019 detected changes on your computer, followed by the activation error, 0x004C060 (we're sorry, slobbering went wrong)...
- I have tried several things to get them to talk and no two ways seem to work to get Office 365 and Windows 11 Pro to play nice. One I went through and repaired through the settings and the apps, that worked on one desktop, but not on anything else. I have another desktop that doesn't want to communicate or install at all no matter what I try. I have tried to install through the website as recommended by Suwethan, and I get an error. I have tried to go through the settings and app, and I get the same problem. It is a work account, and there are around 50 computers that are all W10 Pro except for 4 devices. And all 4 don't like Office 365. I would have thought Microsoft would have had a smooth transition for a Microsoft product?
- were you able to solve the issue? I have the same problem please help
Step 1: Go to https://www.office.com/
Step 2: Sign In with the Microsoft account you've already using in the Windows 10.
Step 3: There you'll find the Install button
Step 4: Click it and Again click 'Back to Subscription' on the next page.
Step 5: Scroll down you'll see the Office version details you've got in Windows 10 with Install option with it.
It will download 7MB .exe installer file.Run the installer to download a Office apps.
******DISCLAIMER: Installer will take huge amount of data to download.******ephyrm09
- Hey,
I tried all steps as you mentioned. After the last step it just keeps loading and my problem stays the same! I've bought my laptop 6 months back and i have access to student and home 2019 but it's showing that my trial to 365 is over and product activation failed and what not!
Bro, Don't worry about this!!!
First go to https://www.office.com/ .
Then Sign in with the microsoft account which you've used to sign up while booting the laptop for the first time.
There you will find a Install button. It will direct you to the service and subscription of your account page. Click back to subscription, Scroll down. You'll find a appropriate version of Office that has already on your windows 10 device. Click install and start your productivity...
Done and done.mridulpillay
- Thanks so much for the reply! I should've included my troubleshooting steps. I've reinstalled office 3 times, confirmed the 19 license is active on same account I'm signed into on the laptop. On the accounts screen in Word/Excel it used to have a link above the "License set to expire" which had Other Licensing information (yes, was the 2019 license, but it wouldn't allow me select it) but after the 365 fully expired I haven't seen that again. I've tried running as admin through the install process and just basically using it out of desperation. Disabled Windows firewalls and an other silly thing that magically fixed MS issues in the past. 👋 nearly it does seem like a local issue with permissions (that install never completes, it always hangs at the end thinking another install is running, even if I clean reboot and run it immediately).
Any luck with this? If anyone has some insight, please share. Same problem, same version of Office, same issue after upgrade. 😞 I was just told when I contacted support that I can only get feedback/help on the forums. Anything would be appreciated!
It happened with my laptop too, I try to check "the program and feature - and find that the office installed on the day that I updated the windows 10 into windows 11.
I tried to re-activate but failed.
I hope Microsoft can fix this
- hi, did you solve this problem, i also experienced this right now.. i dont think they register our licensed to windows 10 not 11 so they dont recognize it, our licensed is fused in our account, the problem is how to migrate to new device, or they need a server update for our licensed
