new PC, can't install "bought with" 2024 office license, keeps reverting to the 2019 version on my sign in account

andy evans 20 Reputation points
2026-04-27T16:04:10.92+00:00

I have a new Desk top PC. I want to run it in parallel with my older laptop PC.

My laptop was running Office 2019 and the license was bound to my MS account.

I signed in to my new desktop with my microsoft account.

When I open office/word/excel it asks me to accept the 2019 license.

When I goto "MS Store / Library / supplied with this device / office 2024 / claim" - it opens office, which asks me to accept the 2019 license. If I don't, it reverts to a 30 day trial of 365.

I have to have two licenses because I want to run it on both my laptop and my desktop.

How do I get my 2024 license ?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows

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Answer accepted by question author
John Jefferson Doyon 89,735 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-04-27T17:08:26.0766667+00:00

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

Are you able to see your Microsoft Office 2024 under the Services & subscriptions page here: https://account.microsoft.com/services (make sure you’re signed in with the same Microsoft account you used to activate Office)?

  • If you can see it there, please follow these steps below.
  • If not please let me know.

Before installing, it’s a good idea to uninstall all existing versions of Office to avoid conflicts.

Here’s how:

  • Open the Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
  • Look for any version of Microsoft Office or Office apps, right-click, then choose Uninstall. Please uninstall all Office apps.
  • Once that’s done, restart your computer just to be safe.

Then, to reinstall Microsoft Office:

  • Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services again.
  • Sign in using the same Microsoft account linked to your license.
  • Find your Microsoft Office 2024 and click the "Install".
  • That will download the installer for the Office apps, just run it and follow the steps.

If anything’s unclear or the "Install" option still doesn’t show, feel free to let me know. I’ll be happy to walk you through it.

I really hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Regards,

John J.D.

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  1. Aparna Adhikary 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-06T10:28:01.0233333+00:00

    I can't find the office 2024 .It's showing office 2019 only under subscription section in ms account.But new laptop is first time signed in with this old account which had office 2019 subscription. The new laptop includes office 2024 desktop apps.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-27T16:04:30.1766667+00:00

    Follow these steps to get Office 2024 to show and activate instead of reverting to Office 2019.

    1. Install all Office 2024 updates
      • On the new desktop, open any Office app (Word, Excel, etc.).
      • Install the latest updates for Office 2024 as described in Install Office updates from the article. This fixes a known issue where Office 2024 can appear as an earlier version.
    2. Clear the old license cache on the new PC
      • Close all Office apps.
      • In File Explorer, go to:
        • %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Office\Licenses
      • Delete the folder named 5 in that directory.
    3. Re‑start Office and choose the 2024 license
      • Launch any Office app again.
      • When prompted to sign in, use the same Microsoft account that holds the Office 2024 entitlement (the one shown under “supplied with this device / Office 2024 / claim” in Microsoft Store).
      • When the Office product list appears, explicitly select Office 2024.
      • Confirm that Office 2024 now appears under File → Account → Product Information instead of Office 2019.
    4. Keep Office 2019 active on the laptop
      • Do not remove or change the Office 2019 activation on the laptop; it can remain bound to the same Microsoft account.
      • The desktop will use the Office 2024 license; the laptop continues using Office 2019.
    5. If Office still shows 2019 or a 365 trial
      • Repeat step 2 (delete the 5 folder) and step 3, ensuring the correct account is used and Office 2024 is selected in the list.
      • If the issue persists after updates and license reset, contact support at https://support.microsoft.com/home/contact for account‑specific license correction.

    This sequence allows the same Microsoft account to hold both the older Office 2019 license and the new Office 2024 license, with the desktop explicitly activated against Office 2024.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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