Hello Tomasz Łuczak,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum!

I understand that you are having issue with transfer Office 2016 to another computer. I truly understand how you feel. Let me assist you go through this situation.

You're right. Office 2016 Retail can be transferred. According to Microsoft’s rules, a one‑time purchase of Office (including Office Home & Business 2016, Home & Student 2016, Professional 2016) may be transferred to another computer you own, but not more than once every 90 days unless the old PC failed. You must also remove Office from the old computer after the transfer. That's the information, based on this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/transfer-your-office-license-to-another-device-or-another-person-8a967fb6-6c65-433e-800e-b9ae3436c2de

To activate Office 2016 on your new computer I suggest you try these steps:

STEP 1 — Install Office 2016 on the new computer

• Download Office 2016 from Microsoft’s official site: Download & install or reinstall Office 2016
• Sign in with the same Microsoft account you originally used (if it was linked).
• Run the installer and complete the installation.

STEP 2 — Open any Office app

• Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
• When activation begins, you will most likely get an activation limit error — this is expected for Retail transfers. Microsoft confirms this happens when activation limits are reached.

STEP 3 — Select Activate by telephone

Online activation will fail, so you must use phone activation. Microsoft explicitly states that when transferring Retail Office, you must activate by phone. To do this:

If the activation wizard appears:

• Choose “I want to activate the software by telephone”.
• Select your country/region.
• The wizard will show a long Installation ID.

Write it down or keep the window open.

STEP 4 — Call the Microsoft Activation Center

• Dial the phone number shown in the wizard.
• You will be asked for the Installation ID.
• The automated system or agent will give you a Confirmation ID.

Enter the Confirmation ID into the boxes in the activation wizard and press Next.

Your Office 2016 will now activate.

STEP 5 — Uninstall Office from the old computer

This is required by Microsoft’s license terms: when transferring a one‑time purchase of Office, you must remove the software from the previous computer. You may not retain any copies after transfer. Uninstall using:

• Windows Settings > Apps > Office 2016 > Uninstall
• Or the Microsoft Office Uninstall Tool if needed.

I hope this will help with your situation. Please feel free to reach back if you have further update or more questions.

Best Regards,

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Hi,

thank you for your answer, unfortunately I have already tried telephone activation, after dialing the number, a bot responds which in this case redirects you to the website https://visualsupport.microsoft.com/ where you enter a code - installation ID, after entering it, a window pops up - activation error, product key is invalid (I definitely entered the installation ID correctly).

Best Regards

Hello Tomasz Łuczak,

Thanks for your cooperation on running above steps and for the additional details. Let me keep working on this issue with you

For me to provide the most accurate solution, would you please let me know few information about the situation you're experiencing:

1. Where did you originally buy your Office 2016 license?

Microsoft Store, boxed retail copy, Amazon, reseller, etc.

1. What does your license type show on your new PC? Please run this and tell me the License Name + License Description: cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /dstatus (or the (x86) folder if needed)
2. Did telephone activation ever give you the option to speak to a human agent? Or did it always redirect you to visualsupport.microsoft.com?
3. Which country are you calling from? Different regions route to different activation systems.

I am looking forward for your respond. Thank you so much for your times.

Best Regard,

Hello,

I checked the license for Retail. In 2019, when I installed Office, the chat function worked because I specified how many computers I had the program installed on. But that was in 2019. Now (my region is Poland), it works differently. You can't talk to a human by phone, and even an email from Microsoft is difficult to obtain (the Microsoft website only offers standard solutions). I received an email after chatting with a consultant (a few hours later), but only one who evaluates the conversation with the consultant. I didn't receive one through which you can send a letter requesting the reinstatement of the license transfer in accordance with the law. Microsoft has blocked all communication channels except chat and conversations with the consultant, who says there's nothing they can do and that I should contact the seller and resolve the issue. The problem is that Microsoft set limits and blocked the program transfer.

Best Regard,

Hi,

your procedure won't work, I checked, if you choose activation by phone, when you call, you talk to the boot and it tells you that you need to activate from the website https:/aka.ms/aoh, there you enter that long product ID number and... then a message pops up that it won't work.

Best Regard,