Forum Discussion
How to register old PC w/new owner on MS acct, install software from new owner's MS acct
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:
I have an old but high end with 17-inch screen (HP) laptop which still runs Win11 25H2 very well. It has a legally purchased Office 2019 Home & Student Ed. installed and registered officially to my Microsoft user account. For the purposes of this question, let’s call this setup DT-1 (the 17” screen HP laptop) and the Microsoft Account User-1 where it is officially registered with Office 2019.
My friend is running Win11 on a Microsoft Surface laptop with Office 202x – legally purchased and officially registered. For the purposes of this question, let’s refer to this second setup (Surface laptop) and MS user account as DT-2 and User-2 respectively.
I am retiring DT-1 as the old owner and am giving it to User-2 so he can have a larger screen size and still run the same Office software (mostly WORD and PPOINT).
QUESTIONS:
Q1 – When I give DT-1 to my friend can he (should he) register DT-1 to Microsoft Account as the new owner – using his existing User-2 MS Account -- and continue to use the Office 2019 software on it?
If so, what procedure(s) must he perform to do this properly and legally (as new owner but same device). Do I (the old owner) have to “Remove device” DT-1 first from my MS Account User-1 BEFORE the new owner can “re-register” it to his MS Account User-2? What is the proper sequence of actions to do this? Kindly provide specifics (what program to run, and from where, etc.)
Q2 – After DT-1 is “Removed” from MS Account User-1 and “re-registered” under MS account User-2, can Office 202x be installed on DT1? The total number of devices that installed Office 202x under User-2 account is only one: the Microsoft Surface laptop.
The intent is to stop using Office 2019 (from old owner) and start using Office 202x (with new owner). The new owner – User-2 – has purchased a legal copy of Office 202x on DT-2.
What are the steps, procedurally to perform in order to achieve the 3 actions described above?
Would be grateful for any tips and guidance.
Thanks in advance.
2 Replies
The 3 actions in order:
1. Uninstall/wipe Office 2019 from DT-1 (handled automatically by the factory reset).
2. Reset DT-1, hand it over, friend signs in with User-2 during OOBE.
3. On DT-1, friend signs into office.com as User-2 and clicks Install Office.
Hope this helps!
If the PC is being transferred to a new owner, the best approach is to remove the old Microsoft account from Windows first and then sign in with the new owner’s Microsoft account. After that, the new owner can reinstall purchased apps and sync their own settings, licenses, and OneDrive data without conflicts from the previous account.
