IS NECESSARY TO UPDATE MICROSOFT? FYI I HAVE LICENSE MICROSOFT 2021

Install the offered Office 16.115 updates: they apply to Office 2021 for Mac and will not convert your one-time Office 2021 license into a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Before updating

1. Open Word → About Microsoft Word.
2. Confirm that it shows Office 2021.
3. Ensure that you know the Microsoft account used to purchase or activate Office.
4. Save and close Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

Office 2021 is a perpetual, one-time-purchase product. Updating its applications does not replace that license with a subscription. Internet access may occasionally be required to confirm the license associated with the Mac.^1^

Install version 16.115

In the Microsoft AutoUpdate window shown in your screenshot:

1. Click Update next to Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Word, or use the main Update button.
2. Wait until every selected update finishes.
3. Open Word and confirm that you can create, edit, and save a document.
4. Check Word → About Microsoft Word; it should now show version 16.115 and your Office 2021 product.

Microsoft’s release notes explicitly apply version 16.115 updates to Office 2021 one-time-purchase installations. This release includes quality, performance, and security updates.^2^

Updating Teams is separate and does not affect the Office 2021 license.

Important support limitation

Office 2021 reached end of support on October 13, 2026. After that date, Microsoft does not guarantee additional security updates or technical support.^3^ Version 16.115 is nevertheless an actual update currently offered for Office 2021, so it is appropriate to install this particular update.

Your screenshot also shows that automatic updates are disabled. You can leave that setting disabled if you prefer to review each future update manually through Help → Check for Updates.

If Office asks for activation afterward

Updating normally preserves activation. If Word reports License Not Found or becomes read-only:

1. Quit all Office applications with Command+Q.
2. Reopen Word.
3. Sign out of Office, then sign back in with the Microsoft account that owns the Office 2021 license.
4. If available, select Word → About Microsoft Word → More Info → Refresh License.

Microsoft has documented the macOS “License Not Found” issue as resolved through current Office updates.^4^

Do not uninstall Office preemptively. Reinstallation is only a fallback if activation actually fails; Office 2021 for Mac can then be reinstalled and activated with the existing perpetual license.^5^

References

1. Office 2021 and Office LTSC for Windows and Mac FAQ | Microsoft Support
2. Release notes for Office for Mac
3. Ending Support in 2026
4. Unknown Error 0x0 or License not found error in Microsoft 365 or Office running on macOS | Microsoft Support
5. [Office for Mac 2021](https://support.microsoft.com/office/lifecycle/officeinstall/download-and-install-or-reinstall-office-2021-office-2019-or-office-2016)