Can't transfer Word to new PC

Reinstall Word from the Microsoft account that owns the license; erasing the old drive does not erase a Microsoft 365 or account-linked Office license.^1^

Reinstall and activate Word

1. Open the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page:
   https://account.microsoft.com/services
2. Sign in with the Microsoft account originally used to purchase, redeem, or activate Word/Office.
3. Find the product and select Install.
4. Run the downloaded installer.
5. Open Word, accept the license agreement, and sign in with that same account if prompted.

Because the M.2 drive was erased, uninstalling the old copy is no longer possible or useful—the installation itself is gone.

If Office is not listed

The next action depends on how Word was licensed:

• Unused retail product key: Redeem it at https://microsoft365.com/setup using a Microsoft account. Redemption links the license to that account; afterward, install from the account page.^2^
• Microsoft 365 from work or school: Sign in with that organizational account. If no installation option appears, the organization's Microsoft 365 administrator may need to assign the desktop-app license.^2^
• Office supplied with the previous PC: Check its license terms. Some preinstalled licenses are associated with that device rather than transferable to replacement hardware.
• Office Professional Plus, Office Standard, or certain standalone editions: These might not be associated with a personal Microsoft account. Use the installation source supplied by the employer, school, or volume-license administrator.^2^

If activation reports the maximum number of activations

A motherboard and processor replacement can cause Office 2021, 2019, or 2016 to treat the computer as a different device. For transferable one-time-purchase editions such as Office Home & Student, Home & Business, or Professional:

1. Install Office first.
2. Open Word and start the Activation Wizard.
3. Select telephone activation and complete its prompts.

Microsoft documents telephone activation for transferring eligible perpetual Office licenses after a hardware change.^3^

Recovering Word documents is separate

Reinstalling Word restores the program, not documents that were stored only on the erased M.2 drive.

• Sign in to OneDrive and check My files and the Recycle bin if Documents/Desktop were synchronized.
• Check any Windows Backup, File History, external-drive, or network backups.
• Word's Document Recovery and AutoRecover normally depend on files remaining on the device, so they will not restore local recovery data that was erased with the drive. Documents stored in OneDrive or SharePoint may have AutoSave and Version History available.^4^

References

1. Reactivate Microsoft 365 or Office | Microsoft Support
2. Need help?(#tab/need-help)
3. Activate Office after reinstalling or installing on a different device | Microsoft Support
4. Recover your Word files and documents | Microsoft Support