How can I access a long-dead account?

Question

I have recently purchased a new computer. My old Microsoft Office software was transferred, but will not edit a document because the system needs to be activated. I've found the activation key for this version of Office dating back to May, 2017. However, my Microsoft Office profile has an old email address and an old telephone number which i haven't used since 2018, so it won't sign me into the account which shows my Office registration. How do I get signed in to use my product key and activate Office on my new computer?

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Moderator: Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For home | Other

Answer 1

Hi Dennis Curley,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum and explaining your situation in detail. I understand how frustrating this situation is.

Here’s what’s important to know and how to move forward.

1. About your Office product key (from 2017) Office versions from around 2016–2019 are typically one‑time purchase (perpetual) licenses. These licenses are activated either:

• by signing in with the Microsoft account that originally redeemed the key, or
• by entering the product key during activation.

If the key was already redeemed in the past, it is permanently linked to the Microsoft account used at that time.

2. Why activation is blocked right now Because the Microsoft account associated with your Office registration has an old email address and phone number, Microsoft’s security system can’t verify your identity. For security reasons, there’s no manual way to bypass this during sign‑in.
3. What you need to do to regain access: To activate Office on your new computer, you’ll first need to recover access to the Microsoft account that holds the Office license.

Please use Microsoft’s official account recovery process here: https://account.live.com/acsr

When completing the form:

• Use a current, reachable email address so Microsoft can contact you
• Provide as much accurate historical information as possible (previous passwords, approximate dates, services used)
• If possible, submit the form from a device or location you’ve used before

Only Microsoft’s automated recovery system can restore access when old recovery details are no longer available.

4. If account recovery is not successful If the recovery request is rejected, the Office license unfortunately can’t be transferred to a new account. In that case, the remaining options are:

• Continue using Office on the old computer (if it’s still activated), or
• Purchase a newer Office license or a Microsoft 365 subscription for the new device

Hopefully my response gives you some useful directions toward fixing this.