Micosoft word stating I need Microsoft 365

Question

Micosoft word stating I need Microsoft 365

Anonymous

Hello,

I have a purchased copy of Microsoft word that I have owned since 2021. Today, it is now saying that I need to activate Microsoft 365 (which I am not subscribed to) in order to edit or save my work in Word. All my files are locked and I am unable to work on them them.

I thought it may have been an update issue, so I uninstalled Microsoft Word and reinstalled an older version, but it did not help. I currently have version 16.77 installed.

Can anyone please help me as I don't want to have to pay for a subscription as I only want to use Word and have already paid for the program.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Jim G 134K MVP Volunteer Moderator

It sounds like there is a mismatch between the software you installed and the license you're using to activate it.

You might have previously installed or had a license for Office 2019.

Office 2019 licenses work only with Office 2019 software.

Office 2021, 2024 and Office 265 licenses work only with the corresponding software.

To find out which software is currently installed, in Finder, go to the Applications folder. Right-click on Microsoft Excel.app and choose Get Info from the menu. The version is displayed near the top of the resulting dialog.

16.78.3 is the software for 2019 licenses

Anything 16.79 or higher can not be activated with a 2019 license.

If you have the wrong version of the software installed, here's how to remove it:

Uninstall Office for Mac - Microsoft Support

You might also remove all previous sign-ins using this tool. Restart your Mac after using this tool:

How to remove Office license files on a Mac - Microsoft Support

For Office 2019 licenses here is the installer for 16.78.3

Office suite (with Teams)
or
Office suite (without Teams)

0 comments

1 additional answer

Answer 1

Thank you so much.

I ended up signing up for the 365 30-day trial as I needed to access my file ASAP. As I was worried that your suggestion might not work and then I would have lost the 30 days, I waited, and now I can reply saying that your advice 100% saved me and has restored my Word back into working order without any further subscription. So thank you so much for the assist.