How can I uninstall MS Office on non-functional desktop (MacBook Pro) and reinstall on my new desktop (MacBook Air)?

Trudy Smith 60 Reputation points
2026-01-16T19:57:37.6+00:00

My inability to log into my old laptop is preventing me from deinstalling my MS Office. In particular Excel. How can I transfer the license to my new Laptop?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | MacOS
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Crisss 2,410 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-01-16T20:36:31.9+00:00

Hello!

I'm Yasllame. I'm here to help and clarify.

This answer has been automatically translated. As a result, there may be grammatical errors or strange words.

This is a common question, and fortunately, it's not necessary to uninstall Office from your old Mac to use it on a new computer.

Microsoft Office isn't "stuck" to the device, but rather linked to the Microsoft account used for purchase or activation.

Follow the correct guidance, according to the official Microsoft documentation.

Uninstalling from a faulty Mac is not mandatory.

If your MacBook Pro won't turn on or won't let you log in, you won't lose your license because of this.

Microsoft doesn't require Office to be removed from the old device to allow a new installation.

Access your Microsoft account in your browser.

On your new MacBook Air, open a browser and go to:

https://account.microsoft.com/services

Sign in with the same Microsoft account used to purchase or activate Office.

This is the page where Microsoft manages licenses, not on the computer.

Check your license type

On the “Services & subscriptions” page, confirm:

Microsoft 365 (Personal/Family)

or

Office Home & Business / Office 2021 / Office 2024 (perpetual license)

Install Office on your new Mac

On the same page, click:

Install → Install Office

Download and install normally on your MacBook Air.

Then, open any app (Word, Excel) and sign in with the same Microsoft account to activate.

(Optional) Remove old devices from your account

If you want to “clean up” the association with your old Mac:

Still at https://account.microsoft.com/services

Click “Manage” next to the subscription

Remove the old device from the list

This is not mandatory, but it helps keep your account organized.

What if it's a license with a device limit?

Microsoft 365 Personal: up to 5 devices

Microsoft 365 Family: up to 5 devices per person

Office Home & Business (perpetual): typically 1 Mac

If you reach the limit, the website itself will allow you to deactivate an old device and unlock the activation.

Important clarification:

The inability to access the old Mac does not prevent reinstallation.

It is not necessary to recover the hardware to "transfer" the license.

Everything is managed by your Microsoft account.

If, when accessing https://account.microsoft.com/services, the subscription does not appear, this usually indicates that:

The purchase was made with another Microsoft account, or

It was purchased via the Apple App Store (in this case, management is through the Apple ID).

I hope this information has been helpful! If you need anything else, I'm here.

Sincerely,

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Answer accepted by question author

AI answer

2026-01-16T19:57:45.3166667+00:00

To uninstall Microsoft Office from a non-functional MacBook Pro and transfer the license to your new MacBook Air, follow these steps:

  1. Uninstall Office from the Old MacBook Pro:
    • Since you cannot log into your old laptop, you may not be able to uninstall Office directly. However, you can use the Mac License removal tool to remove the license files. You can find instructions on how to do this in the Microsoft support documentation.
    • Alternatively, if you can access the Finder, you can manually delete the Office applications from the Applications folder by dragging them to the Trash.
  2. Reinstall Office on the New MacBook Air:
    • Sign in to your Microsoft account associated with your Office license on your new MacBook Air.
    • Go to the Microsoft account dashboard and find the Office product you want to install. Select Install to download and install Office on your new device.
  3. Transfer the License:
    • If you encounter any issues with activation on your new MacBook Air, ensure that the license is not still tied to the old device. If necessary, you may need to contact Microsoft support for assistance in transferring the license if it remains associated with the non-functional device.

By following these steps, you should be able to uninstall Office from your old Mac and reinstall it on your new MacBook Air.

References:

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