I have a perpetual lic for Office 21 but now can't save docs without purchasing a subscription - this amounts to stealing

Johnny Batchelor 20 Reputation points
2026-11-03T00:28:20.46+00:00

I have followed instructions to re-instal the original purchase but the result is the same: cannot save docs and am asked to buy a subscription. The software runs perfectly fine on my mac. I do not need any of the new features so will not be purchasing a subscription. It seems impossible to contact Microsoft about this - they have effectively disabled the software that I purchased outright, so this really amounts to stealing or extortion (demand for payment). I need a layman's solution, can you help?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Other
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EmilyS_726 34,010 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2026-11-03T01:01:37.0466667+00:00

Please uninstall your Office apps. To uninstall, you move all Office apps, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams to trash bin.

Please use the instruction here: https://support.microsoft.com/office/how-to-remove-office-license-files-on-a-mac-b032c0f6-a431-4dad-83a9-6b727c03b193 Download and run the license removal tool to clear any old cached license.

Then download the latest version from the link below, and then make sure you sign into the correct account.

https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/mro1cdnstorage/C1297A47-86C4-4C1F-97FA-950631F94777/MacAutoupdate/Microsoft_365_and_Office_16.114.26102720_BusinessPro_Installer.pkg

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