Continue to use MS Office 2021

Carolyn Schuk 10 Reputation points
2026-10-23T00:31:30.49+00:00

I want to continue to use MS Office 2021. I cannot find an option to do that. I do not want MS 365. How do I do this. Right now I'm blocked from using Word.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS
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Hornblower409 17,965 Reputation points
2026-10-23T05:34:56.34+00:00

There have been multiple reports starting Oct 22 2026 from Office for Mac users seeing perpetual-license activation problems since upgrading to version 16.114.1

See the Answer by "Hornblower409 Oct 2026"
at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/a/13014201
in https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/6047016/

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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-23T00:31:44.03+00:00

    If Office 2021 for Mac is suddenly showing Activate Microsoft 365 and blocking editing in Word, the supported ways to keep using the one-time Office 2021 license are:

    1. In Word, go to Word > About Microsoft Word.
    2. Check whether the dialog shows the Microsoft account beside Belongs to:.
    3. Select More Info > Refresh License.
    4. Sign in when prompted so Office can reconnect the installation to the Office 2021 license.

    If Word is still blocked after refreshing the license:

    1. Uninstall Office for Mac.
    2. Restart the Mac.
    3. Reinstall Office 2021 from the Subscriptions page of the Microsoft account that is associated with the Office 2021 purchase.
    4. Open Word and sign in to reactivate.

    If Office keeps switching to a Microsoft 365 license after activation, this sequence has resolved the issue:

    1. Run the Microsoft Office License Removal Tool.
    2. Launch Word and activate it, selecting Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac.
    3. Confirm Word > About Microsoft Word shows the Office 2021 license.
    4. Immediately quit Word and restart the Mac.
    5. Open the Office apps again and verify they still show the Office 2021 license.

    Additional facts that affect this choice:

    • Office 2021 is a one-time purchase and does not require Microsoft 365.
    • Office 2021 for Mac can continue to be used, but support ends on October 13, 2026. After that date, there are no security updates, bug fixes, or technical support.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Keith Knaide 10 Reputation points
    2026-10-28T05:17:18.0833333+00:00

    I just ran into the same issue on my Mac. I resolved it by installing a newer version of MS Word (Version 16.114.3 (26102720)). I just used Microsoft AutoUpdate (In Word, go to 'Help->Check for Updates') and allowed it to install the latest version. All the normal features of Word are working again :-)

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    6 people found this answer helpful.

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