Office Professional Plus 2016 Has Become Inactive and Unusable

Tom Kukucka 20 Reputation points
2026-09-30T04:50:51.2333333+00:00

It happened today (Tues Sept 29) when I tried to use Word. It opened OK momentarily, but a popup window appeared offering a free trial or purchase of Microsoft 365. There is also an option to sign in using an e-mail address, but that just took me back to the same Microsoft 365 popup window. There is also an option to use the product key. I don't have the product key. (Unlike other products I purchased throught the Home Use Program, it was not provided in the purchase confirmation e-mail. I do have the order number, so it should be possible to recover it.) The same Microsoft 365 popup window appears when I start PowerPoint.

When I manage to close all the Microsoft 365 popup windows in Word I can view my file, but I can't do anything with it. All the functions are grayed out and a notice across the screen says: "Most features are disabled because your Office product is inactive. To use for free sign in and use the web version." There are also 2 buttons labled Activate and Use Free at Microsoft365.com.

I found some information online suggesting that a faulty Microsoft 365 update (KB5002907), released this month, may be responsible, as it is said to have caused licensing failures for standalone Office 2016 installations. This is consistent with my problem, which I experienced for the first time today. My previous use of Word was on Sept 15 and it worked normally.

The software was purchased in 2017 from Microsoft via the Home Use Program, downloaded and installed on my Windows 10 laptop, where it still resides.

What can I do to regain the use of my Office Professional Plus 2016 product? Is Microsoft going to repair the problems caused by the faulty update?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Other
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EmilyS_726 30,260 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2026-10-01T02:21:08.3366667+00:00

KB5002907 does not behave like a normal uninstallable Windows cumulative update. This is an Office Click-to-Run servicing update delivered through Windows Update, not an operating-system update. Once it runs, it starts an Office repair/update operation, so, even if you do manage to remove it afterward, it would not necessarily reverse changes already made to the Office installation.

This is why Microsoft’s current resolution is to reactivate Office if the license was lost, or reinstall Office if the product was removed, rather than uninstalling KB5002907. Please refer to official Microsoft announcement here, don't go by random third party article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/microsoft-365/kb5002907-optional-update-for-out-of-date-microsoft-365-apps-installations

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Because Office 2016 HUP purchases were made before November 30, 2018:

  1. Go to Microsoft’s Workplace Discount Program Order History page: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/workplace-discount-program/order-history
  2. Enter the work email address that was originally used to purchase Office through HUP.
  3. It will send the product key/order information to that work email address. Then use the key to activate it.

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  1. Rukshan edirisinghe 1,070 Reputation points
    2026-09-30T04:59:08.0266667+00:00

    Hi @Tom Kukucka

    You've diagnosed it correctly. KB5002907 (it appears in your update history as "Click-to-Run Update Support") was meant only for out-of-date Microsoft 365 installs but has been knocking the activation off perpetual Office 2016 and 2019. Microsoft has paused it and says it's investigating. As of today there's no repair package, so reactivating yourself is the fix, and your license is intact.

    Here's the order that works best:

    1. Remove the update first, otherwise it can redo the damage. Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates, remove "Click-to-Run Update Support" or KB5002907, and restart. Then in Advanced options, turn off "Receive updates for other Microsoft products" until Microsoft ships a fix.
    2. Find your key. HUP installs from 2017 were linked to a Microsoft account during setup, so sign in at https://account.microsoft.com/services with the account you used back then. Office Professional Plus 2016 should be listed with a "View product key" link. If it isn't there, try any other email you might have used at the time.
    3. Back in Word, click Activate and enter that key, or choose sign in and use that same account. People hitting this have needed one or the other, and it restores activation.
    4. If you can't find the key on any account, contact Microsoft support at https://support.microsoft.com/contactus with your HUP order number. They can look up the purchase and help you activate.

    One caveat worth knowing: Office 2016 left support in October 2025, so incidents like this may not get the fastest fixes going forward. Once you're reactivated, keep a note of that key somewhere safe.

    If this helped, please click Accept Answer so others hit by this update can find it.

    Reference: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-365-kb5002907-update-paused-after-office-license-deactivations/

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