I bought a new Mac in August 2025 and use my outlook email address that is connected with my Microsoft 365 account, but it is asking me to buy now.

Question

I bought a new Mac in August 2025 and O am using my outlook email address that is connected with my Microsoft 365 account ( I got the software in 2010 when we purchased two Surface Microsoft laptop, and got into a family plan with my ex-husband (now). The account is manage by him, so when I sign in my account with my email, it tell me the subscription is active, nothing about expiration date on the subscription. It shows my Surface in the list of laptop using the license, but my Mac is not showing in there, even if I am signed in in office.

I believe my Mac doesn't recognize my license completely, because for 2 month works okay and now every time I open any of the Microsoft apps (like word or PP) it gives me a message to renew my subscription and a bottom that says "buy", when i click it, its asked me to sign in in my Microsoft account with my email, and it shows my current subscription but no signs of expiration or place to renew.

Please let me know the process to fix it, if it there is any or what to do next. Thank you

Answer 1

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with your Microsoft 365 subscription on your new Mac. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the problem:

1. Check Subscription Status: Since your account is managed by your ex-husband, ensure that the subscription is indeed active. You can verify this by signing in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and checking the subscription status under Billing > Your products.
2. Remove and Reinstall Office: Sometimes, reinstalling Office can help resolve activation issues. Uninstall Office from your Mac and then reinstall it. You can follow the instructions on how to download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office.
3. Reset Activation State: If the problem persists, you might want to reset the activation state for Microsoft 365 Apps. You can find guidance on how to do this in the Microsoft documentation.
4. Check License Assignment: Ensure that your user account has the appropriate licenses assigned. If you have access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, you can check this under Users > Active users and verify that your account has the necessary licenses.
5. Contact Admin: Since the account is managed by your ex-husband, you may need to reach out to him to ensure that everything is in order with the subscription and that your account is properly configured.

If after these steps you are still facing issues, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance.

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References:

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