Access Lost to Office 2016

There was a broken update which deactivated certain Office licenses and, in some cases, even uninstalled the software. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/microsoft-365/kb5002907-optional-update-for-out-of-date-microsoft-365-apps-installations .

You should be able to reinstall from account at https://account.microsoft.com/services (if necessary) and then reactivate. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activation/activate-microsoft-perpetual-products-using-the-product-activation-portal .

Hi @rob henderson

I understand how frustrating it is to lose access to Office 2016 after a Windows update, especially when you already purchased a valid license.

Please note that Office 2016 reaching the end of support does not automatically cancel a perpetual license or require you to purchase Microsoft 365. However, Microsoft no longer guarantees regular technical support, bug fixes, or security updates for this version.

Please try the following:

• Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
• Select Microsoft Office 2016, choose Change, then run Repair. If available, try Online Repair.
• Open Word or Excel and sign in with the Microsoft account originally associated with the Office purchase.
• Check your Microsoft account under Services & subscriptions to confirm that Office 2016 is listed. If it is listed, use the Install option there to reinstall it.
• Remove any duplicate or trial versions of Microsoft 365 or Office, as multiple installations can cause activation conflicts.

If Office 2016 still cannot be activated, please share the exact error message or code shown under File > Account, along with the Office 2016 edition installed.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes". If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

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