Office apps

Question

Hello, I need help with an ongoing Microsoft 365 activation issue.

I am a member of a Microsoft 365 Family subscription, and I joined the plan through another person’s Family Sharing invitation. My account (******@outlook.com) shows the subscription as Shared – Active, and I still have about 4 months remaining. OneDrive also shows 1 TB active storage, and it works normally.

However, the Office desktop applications on my Windows device (Surface Pro 11, Windows 11 ARM64) do not recognize the subscription. Word, OneNote, and other Office apps always show “Subscription expired / Unlicensed” even though the subscription is active on my Microsoft account.

Here is what I have already tried:

Signed out and back in from Office apps

Signed out and back in from Windows and OneDrive

Updated Office (Update Now)

Ran Online Repair

Fully uninstalled and reinstalled Microsoft 365

Tried Quick Assist remote help, but the connection did not complete

Checked Microsoft Store — it only shows the price to buy Microsoft 365; it does not detect my active Family subscription

Despite all these steps, the issue remains: Web services recognize my subscription, but Office desktop apps do not.

It seems like there is a problem with either: – License sync on my device, or – Assignment of the Family subscription to my Office installation

Could you please check my account and help me reset or sync the activation so that the Office desktop apps recognize the subscription correctly?

Thank you.

Answer 1

It sounds like you've already taken several effective troubleshooting steps to resolve the activation issue with your Microsoft 365 Family subscription. Given that your subscription is recognized online but not by the Office desktop applications, here are a few additional suggestions that may help:

1. Check License Assignment: Ensure that your Microsoft 365 Family subscription is correctly assigned to your account. Sometimes, there can be a delay in syncing the license. You might want to check with the primary account holder of the Family subscription to confirm that your account is properly set up.
2. Run the Microsoft 365 Activation Troubleshooter: This tool can help resolve activation issues. You can find it in the Get Help app on your Windows device. Make sure to run it while logged into the account that has the Family subscription.
3. Reset Microsoft 365 Activation State: If the above steps do not work, you may need to reset the activation state for Microsoft 365 Apps. This can sometimes resolve issues where the applications do not recognize an active subscription.
4. Remove Unused Devices: If you have reached the limit of devices that can be associated with your subscription, you may need to remove some unused devices from your account. You can do this by visiting the Microsoft account device management page.
5. Contact Microsoft Support: If none of these steps resolve the issue, it may be beneficial to contact Microsoft Support directly for assistance. They can check your account details and help reset or sync the activation as needed.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the activation issue with your Office desktop applications.

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References:

• Microsoft 365 Apps activation error: "We've run into a problem with your Office 365 subscription"
• Microsoft 365 Apps activation error: "There's a problem with your account"