Excel says it needs to be activated

Eileen Davies 0 Reputation points
2026-09-23T12:40:37.04+00:00

When I try to activate Excel it refers to my 2019 expired licence instead of the new Office purchased in 2026 which is shown in Purchases. The various screens ask for my email address but do not go to a screen to input my password.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | Other | Other
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  1. Eileen Davies 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-23T14:56:09.8+00:00

    I'm worried about removing the licence. When I looked at About Excel it showed my old email address and I had to use that to get to where I could input my password. Then it said the email address was wrong so I input my current address and it was accepted and I was able to look at my account which shows my current email address.

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  2. DaveM121 937K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-23T13:16:56.55+00:00

    1

    If you are using the Office apps on a Windows device:

    Open Word.

    At the top right of Word, log out of Office.

    Restart (not shut down) your PC, then log back into Office, is your licence/subscription then recognized correctly.

    If not, in Word, go to File - Account, click the 'Switch Licence' button, are you able to find your new Office licence listed there

    2

    If you are using the Office apps on an Apple Mac computer:

    What version of Microsoft Office do you have, is that a subscription to Microsoft 365 or a standalone version of Office like Office 2021 or 2024.

    At the top left of your Mac desktop, click the Apple icon and select 'About this Mac', what version of MacOS is installed on your computer?

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