microsoft word is read only

Sign Word in with the exact Microsoft account under which the active Microsoft 365 subscription appears, because Word remains read-only when it cannot activate against that account.

Reconnect Word to the licensed account

1. Close Word and all other Office applications.
2. Open the Microsoft Services & subscriptions page:
   https://account.microsoft.com/services
3. Sign in and identify the account that actually lists the active Microsoft 365 subscription. If no subscription appears, sign out and try any other personal email address that may have been used for the purchase.
4. Reopen Word:
   • Windows: Select File → Account.
   • Mac: Open Word and use the account/profile menu to sign out.
5. Sign out of every account currently shown, close all Office applications, and restart the computer.
6. Reopen Word and sign in using the exact account identified in step 3.
7. On Windows, return to File → Account and check Product Information. It should show an activated Microsoft 365 product rather than Unlicensed Product. Microsoft documents that activation failures disable most Office features, including editing and saving.^1^

On Windows, also select File → Account → Update Options → Update Now, then reopen Word.

If Word is still unlicensed on Windows

For Windows 10 or 11, run Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 activation troubleshooter on the affected PC:

1. Open Microsoft’s activation-support page below.
2. Start the Microsoft 365 activation troubleshooter.
3. Select Open when prompted to open Get Help.
4. Complete the prompts and then test Word again.^2^

Also check for conflicting Office installations:

1. Open Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features.
2. Search for Office.
3. If more than one Office version is installed, uninstall the version you do not use.
4. Restart Windows and sign in to Word again with the licensed account.^1^

Reinstall only if activation troubleshooting fails

Use this order:

1. Deactivate the affected Office installation from your Microsoft account.
2. Run Microsoft’s Office uninstall tool to remove Office completely.
3. Restart the computer.
4. Return to https://account.microsoft.com/services while signed in with the subscription-owning account.
5. Install Office from that account and sign in with the same account when Word opens.

Microsoft recommends this deactivate–uninstall–reinstall sequence when its activation troubleshooter does not fix the problem.^2^

If Word becomes activated but only one document remains read-only, that is a separate file issue. On Windows, right-click that file, select Properties, clear Read-only, and select OK. If it is stored in OneDrive, also check whether OneDrive storage is full.^3^

References

1. Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office | Microsoft Support
2. Office error "Account Notice: We've run into a problem with your Microsoft 365 subscription" | Microsoft Support
3. Why did my file open read-only? | Microsoft Support