Office 2016 Product Key

#1

Is there any way to get the product key from the old computer

#2

deactivate it

In theory you are supposed to be able to "transfer" the license to a new computer. But MS makes it really difficult.

#1

No.

Once the 2016 key is used it is (in theory) associated with your email account

On your new computer, sign in to the MyAccount site. You are supposed to install from there

.

#2

As long as you uninstall from the old computer, or the old computer is dead, that is adequate to meet the license terms. There is nothing a user can do to contact the MS "activation" system to "deactivate".

.

Transfer Onetime Payment Licenses- “Too many activations” or “… activated maximum number of times …” type errors

Ideally, when you are exercising your right, granted in the MS License Terms, to “transfer” your one-time payment license to a new computer you simply have to:

.  *  Uninstall from the current machine

.  *  Install on the new machine

.  *  (Optionally) Activate on the new machine (activation depends on exactly how you do the install on the new machine)

But, we have been seeing questions where people are getting one or both of the errors:

.  *  “Too many activations …” and / or

.  *  “Telephone activation no longer supported …”
.

One-time payment Office keys are good for activation on 1,2 or 3 computers at the same time depending on the specific Office version and bundle.
.

In 2010 and earlier, MS seeming allowed a few “grace” activations to allow you to transfer installations without problem.  Eventually you would have to do phone activation.
.

Around 2016-17 MS (dis)”improved” the activation process, removing the grace count. After you “used up” your initial allowed activation count you would be forced to do phone activation every time. It is just one of many clumsy marketing tricks to “encourage” people to “upgrade” to the 365 “cash cow”.
.

Back in 2017 this was the MS answer to this error
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_install-mso_win10/how-to-reinstall-office-home-and-student-2007/fcd910a6-c4cf-4739-9cf2-1dc5b39e7e53?msgId=725b5bc7-f577-4366-9a33-3ba29d67f3dd
.

<snip>

Michelle V [MSFT]

We apologize for this inconvenience. We are currently fixing this bug in our Office products.

</snip>
Well that reply was in 2017, but the problem still happens in 2022 …

.

Use the phone numbers you find in the link to do a Phone Activation.
. Use the Office phone activation option a better way, via Smartphone– “… Activated Maximum Number of times …” “Too many activations” type error  - https://office-watch.com/2022/use-the-office-phone-activation-option-a-better-way/

9 February 2022

Microsoft has added a better option for the telephone activation of “one-time payment” Office (ie 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, etc). The original method was a PITA, you had to copy and enter long “ID” numbers, first from your computer, then from the phone activate process TO your computer to make it work. Easy to make errors
.

The “trick” is to do your phone activation call from a smartphone.
.
Read the whole article at the link above to get the details, with screen captures.
.

Sometimes, the standard activation doesn’t work and you see a message like this or similar.

.

“Your copy of Microsoft Office ……  cannot be activated because the specified Product Key has already been activated the maximum number of times permitted for your software license as specified in the Microsoft Software License Terms. For details about the maximum allowed number of product activations, click Help, and then search for ‘Read the Microsoft Software License Terms’.

If you believe that you are setting this message in error, click Back and choose the telephone option. The telephone activation option will provide you the opportunity to speak to a support representative about activation issues.
.

That message isn’t entirely true. Telephone activation starts with an automated process that might give you activation without talking to a human.
.

The smartphone activation option

The trick is to call from a smartphone or what Microsoft calls an ‘internet enabled device’.  If you’re given the web option, you’ll be sent a SMS message with a web link to the number you called from.

Click on that link to open a mobile friendly page to type in the Installation ID.

Click Submit and hopefully you’ll get a Confirmation ID.  Copy that ID into the activation pane of Office (there are various ways to copy from a smartphone to computer) and you’ll be good to go.

Believe us, better to use this alternative telephone activation than trying to do it all by voice.
.

Phone Activate

• Open the the “run” window using <WIN<><R> and type “SLUI 4” (there is a space before the “4”), hit <enter>
• This launches the phone activation dialog.
• On the first screen pick your country.
• It then displays this dialog with the appropriate phone number and the “Installation ID” already filled in for you.
• Call the phone number provided (hopefully it is the correct one and still works … )
• On the phone call you will be prompted to enter the Installation ID.
• They will provide you with a “Confirmation ID”, Carefully WRITE IT DOWN.
• Then click on the “Enter Confirmation ID” button and type the number they provided.
• That should complete the activation for you.
• If it doesn’t, you will have to call the phone number again, and this time wait for the option to talk to a live service rep.  Live support will only be provided for Office 2013 and newer.
  .

Here are alternate instructions: https://directgames.store/office-activation-by-phone
.

If the process documented above does not work phone again. This time wait until you are given the option of talking to a “service rep”. Explain the problem, they should “flip a switch” to allow the activation to complete.
.