How to Fix Expired Microsoft Word or Excel when it Expires?

An expired Word or Excel installation must be activated with your own valid license, or the subscription owner must formally share an eligible Microsoft 365 Family subscription with your separate Microsoft account.

If the subscription belongs to another person

Do not continue using the other person’s Microsoft account credentials. Instead:

1. Ask the owner to check whether the subscription is Microsoft 365 Family and still active.
2. The owner signs in to the Microsoft 365 Services & subscriptions sharing page.
3. Select Share, then send an Email invite or Create link.
4. Open the invitation using your own Microsoft account and select Accept, followed by Join now.
5. Select Start using Microsoft 365 apps, then install or activate Office while signed in with your account. [^1^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Share your Microsoft 365 subscription | Microsoft Support") [^2^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Someone invited you to share their Microsoft 365 subscription")

Microsoft 365 Family can be shared with up to five other people. Microsoft 365 Basic and Personal cannot be shared. If you are already in another Microsoft family group, you must leave that group before accepting the new invitation. Do not share a product key; sharing must be done through the invitation process. [^1^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Share your Microsoft 365 subscription | Microsoft Support")

If the subscription itself has expired

The subscription owner must renew it:

1. Close Word, Excel, and all other Office applications.
2. Sign in to the Services & subscriptions page using the Microsoft account that purchased the subscription.
3. Look under Subscriptions or Cancelled subscriptions.
4. Renew the expired subscription.
5. Close and reopen Word or Excel. ^3^

The owner can also select Reactivate in the “Subscription expired” banner inside Word or Excel and then select Buy. If a new, unused retail product key was purchased, select Enter Key instead. [^4^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "A subscription notice appears when I open a Microsoft 365 application | Microsoft Support")

If the warning says there is a subscription problem rather than simply “expired,” the owner should also check the payment method for an expired card or other payment error. ^5^

If it remains “Unlicensed Product”

After confirming that the subscription is active and your account has been invited:

1. Open Word or Excel.
2. Sign out of the previous owner’s account.
3. Sign in with the account that owns the license or accepted the sharing invitation.
4. If activation still fails, run the Microsoft 365 activation troubleshooter on that same PC. It requires Windows 10 or later. ^3^

Until activation is restored, Office may allow documents to be opened and printed but not edited or created. The free browser version at Office.com can be used temporarily. [^4^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "A subscription notice appears when I open a Microsoft 365 application | Microsoft Support")

References

1. [Share your Microsoft 365 subscription | Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
2. [Someone invited you to share their Microsoft 365 subscription](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
3. Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office | Microsoft Support
4. [A subscription notice appears when I open a Microsoft 365 application | Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
5. Office error "Account Notice: We've run into a problem with your Microsoft 365 subscription" | Microsoft Support