unable to transfer Office 2016 to another computer

Question

Hi. I have a problem transferring Office 2016 to another computer. Technical support couldn't help me due to the exceeded number of activations. I bought the program legally in 2019, installed it on my computer and it works. I want to transfer the program to a new computer and delete that copy after migration, but the license gives an error. I have the Retail version. Any ideas? officially from Microsoft

Transfer your Office license to another device or someone else

You can install a one-time purchase of Office, such as Office Home & Business, Office Home & Student, or Office Professional Office on just 1 PC or Mac. However, you can transfer Office 2021, 2019, or 2016 to another computer that belongs to you, but not more than once every 90 days (except in hardware failure, in which case you can move earlier).

Every time a user transfers software to a new computer, they must delete the software from the previous computer and cannot keep any copies.

Important: For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), you may transfer your license to another person in accordance with applicable law by contacting customer service. To confirm that you have legitimate licensing rights, you must verify your identity through your Microsoft account. You also need to provide an email for the person you're transferring the license to. After verification, Microsoft will revoke your eligibility and send an email to the new licensee with instructions on how to associate the license with their Microsoft account. (If the new licensee doesn't already have a Microsoft account, they must create one.)

Answer 1

Hello Tomasz Łuczak,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum!

I understand that you are having issue with transfer Office 2016 to another computer. I truly understand how you feel. Let me assist you go through this situation.

You're right. Office 2016 Retail can be transferred. According to Microsoft’s rules, a one‑time purchase of Office (including Office Home & Business 2016, Home & Student 2016, Professional 2016) may be transferred to another computer you own, but not more than once every 90 days unless the old PC failed. You must also remove Office from the old computer after the transfer. That's the information, based on this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/transfer-your-office-license-to-another-device-or-another-person-8a967fb6-6c65-433e-800e-b9ae3436c2de

To activate Office 2016 on your new computer I suggest you try these steps:

STEP 1 — Install Office 2016 on the new computer

• Download Office 2016 from Microsoft’s official site: Download & install or reinstall Office 2016
• Sign in with the same Microsoft account you originally used (if it was linked).
• Run the installer and complete the installation.

STEP 2 — Open any Office app

• Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
• When activation begins, you will most likely get an activation limit error — this is expected for Retail transfers. Microsoft confirms this happens when activation limits are reached.

STEP 3 — Select Activate by telephone

Online activation will fail, so you must use phone activation. Microsoft explicitly states that when transferring Retail Office, you must activate by phone. To do this:

If the activation wizard appears:

• Choose “I want to activate the software by telephone”.
• Select your country/region.
• The wizard will show a long Installation ID.

Write it down or keep the window open.

STEP 4 — Call the Microsoft Activation Center

• Dial the phone number shown in the wizard.
• You will be asked for the Installation ID.
• The automated system or agent will give you a Confirmation ID.

Enter the Confirmation ID into the boxes in the activation wizard and press Next.

Your Office 2016 will now activate.

STEP 5 — Uninstall Office from the old computer

This is required by Microsoft’s license terms: when transferring a one‑time purchase of Office, you must remove the software from the previous computer. You may not retain any copies after transfer. Uninstall using:

• Windows Settings > Apps > Office 2016 > Uninstall
• Or the Microsoft Office Uninstall Tool if needed.

I hope this will help with your situation. Please feel free to reach back if you have further update or more questions.

Best Regards,

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Answer 2

To transfer your Office 2016 license to another computer, you need to ensure that you have uninstalled the software from the original computer first. Since you mentioned that you are encountering an error due to the exceeded number of activations, here are some steps you can take:

1. Uninstall from the Original Computer: Make sure you have completely uninstalled Office 2016 from your old computer. This is crucial as you cannot keep any copies after transferring.
2. Wait for the 90-Day Period: If you have transferred the license recently, ensure that you are within the allowed timeframe. You can only transfer your Office license once every 90 days unless there is a hardware failure.
3. Contact Microsoft Support: If you continue to face issues, it may be beneficial to contact Microsoft support again. Explain your situation clearly, especially that you are trying to transfer a legitimate retail version and have uninstalled it from the previous device.
4. Verify Your Account: When contacting support, be prepared to verify your identity through your Microsoft account. This may help in resolving any activation issues you are facing.
5. Check for Activation Errors: If you receive a specific error message during activation, you can refer to the Microsoft support documentation for troubleshooting steps related to activation errors.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully transfer your Office 2016 license to your new computer.