Office Licence Validation Error

Question

Since installing the latest Windows 10  Feature Update version 1903, all my Office 2013 programs now display the error message 'Microsoft Office cannot verify the licence for this product. You should repair the Office program by using Control Panel'. However the programs still appear to work ok at this stage.

This information doesn't help at all and the product failed to repair using control panel and office will not accept the original product code used at install provided with my purchase.

Would someone know how to resolve this error? I have tried running the online repair a number of times and nothing works. I have provide an inserted screenshot picture of the error message.

Answer 1

Problem has now been resolved by rolling back the Windows 10 Feature update version 1903 to my previous version of Windows 10 (using the recovery options). Hopefully a permanent solution can be found before this update is forced upon us in the future!!

It is also worth noting another weird function of the update version of Windows that doesn't happen with the older version. With the new version,  the pictures that appear during boot up and login were all blurred for some strange reason? Now that I have rolled back to previous version this doesn't happen. Cannot for the like of me understand how this can be an intended feature either? So perhaps my update was no good in more ways than one....?

Answer 2

It appears I will need to take back most of my comments above as it looks like I was victim of a third party so called online support chat provider and not a genuine Microsoft support session. I have just spent many hours online with a number of 'real' Microsoft customer support agents and although the issue is not yet resolved, the help I am now receiving is positively working towards a resolution....

Answer 3

Well I have just experienced the most incredible and disappointing experience seeking help from Microsoft on this problem!! I contacted Microsoft Help via their online chat service and help was refused unless I paid a hefty service charge of $149.00 due to the fact that Office 2013 is outdated and no longer supported!! Or I was given the choice of purchasing the current 2019 version of Office 2019 for $299.00.

This to me is one of the poorest offer of help I have ever experienced when you consider that the Microsoft Office program has worked fine for many years (even on Windows 7 prior to updating to Windows 10) and the problem only appeared following the most recent Windows 10 feature update to version 1903! And the programs still appear to work ok now apart from an annoying error message suggesting my software is not licenced!

I was always of the understanding that Windows Updates are not supposed to introduce problems or error messages whatever the age of the product and all Microsoft products are supposed to remain 'backwards compatible' and not be made redundant or reduce its functionality via an operating system update!! If the Windows update does introduce a problem to the operation of its own products, would it not be normal customer protocol to find a solution and have the problem addressed and rectified?

At this stage with what has occurred to me, I now cannot trust Windows Update to leave my existing software working as it was and not reduce its functionality (due to its age or whatever) and then not be able to get the problem addressed by those responsible for creating it! I still have a laptop using the same Office 2013 software so I cannot trust the latest update to be installed on it until this problem is properly and responsibly addressed and rectified. In the meantime I will also need to roll back the Feature update version 1903 to the previous version to see if this rectifies the error message. Hopefully this will work and won't attract an unwarranted service charge....!!

Your very disappointed Microsoft customer who still cannot believe the very poor customer service offered....!!

Answer 4

I ran the repair from the Add/Remove programs in Control Panel and there was some sort of progress window only showing the percentage of progress. I don't believe the original install was associated with my personal MS account as it was purchased via the Home Use Program through my employer.

Answer 5

Did you run an inplace repair via Add/Remove dialogue, and when doing so there would have been a repair progress window?

If your version when activated/installed was associated with an MS Account you have to acccess that account to re-install, the key is not used https://office.com/myaccount